Day 11: No Volcanic Ash Here

Another beautiful day in Milan! This was taken yesterday around 5pm. I guess the sky doesn't look totally blue but you can't tell from looking at this picture that Milan is one of the cities that the volcanic ash cloud is wreaking havoc over (Malpensa airport is basically closed - they say it's open but it's only for Middle East and Africa-bound flights).

I've spent quite a bit of time worrying about our move back to the U.S. and whether we should change our itinerary. We aren't scheduled to go until May 1 but I'm going to go out on a limb and predict utter chaos at all European airports for the next two weeks. The verdict? Our employer has made a secondary reservation for us that does not involve the Frankfurt transfer that our first reservation has. Fingers crossed that they'll confirm Cooper's ticket and, oh yeah, that the airport will open.

Earthquake!

In a very exciting turn of events that has NOTHING to do with the holiday season, I'm "working from home" (i.e. trying to get my Blackberry charged up so I can finish a couple emails) because we were sent home after a real live EARTHQUAKE.

Don't worry, everyone I/you/we know is fine and safe.

My office is on the 9th floor of a high-rise commercial building. About an hour ago, I was sitting at my desk and working on some documents and emails when I noticed everything around me start swaying. I discovered that I have no survival instincts. Instead of running of the safety of my door frame or hiding under my sturdy wooden desk, I grabbed my stomach and wondered why I felt like I was on a boat. Duh. By the time I figured it out, the worst had passed. We all left the building anyhow though and were sent home.

Those of you who've lived in areas prone to seismic activities would've probably blown this off but for me, it was nothing to scoff at. Since leaving the Bay Area in 1988, I've only experienced one earthquake (during a final exam at UVA, fourth year) and this one definitely felt bigger. Mark was at home and called immediately - he reports that the Christmas tree shook, the wine glasses all clinked together, and the dog started barking up a storm.

The BBC reports that the quake's epicenter was in Parma (just a little over an hour from us) and that the magnitude was 5.2. While googling for more information, I found that an earthquake of a similar quake happened in the Lake Garda area in 2004. No serious injuries then so we'll keep our fingers crossed for more of the same.