*Stefano Tomasi, a congenial, sweet northern Italian with a touch of exquisite Viennese hospitality. He enfolded my wife and I in his care, concern and playful interaction during the 3 days of our stay in September, us already tired, after a week hiking in the picturesque Dolomites, and a bit tired of the relatively monotonous food. Stefano embodied the spirit of delighting in our commonalities and relishing our differences. He offered us his living/dining and stayed in his bright cozy flat by the Franciscan square in Bolsen/Bolzano, a gem of a walkable town in the foothills of the western Dolomites, and that meant a lot to us: not just in terms of negotiating good restaurants and not missing on unique sights and attractions, but adding a special human touch, which came very handy when on our third day my wife had a sudden nosebleed that wouldn’t stop, I was mildly worried, but after two hours and torrents of blood, I called Stefano who was out with his oboe students and he showed up and arranged for medical aid, who flawlessly performed a blockage of the septum and transported us to the ER in Bolzano. Following the cauterization procedure on my wife’s septum, we felt better, and he always checked by phone on us and even came to pick us up !
What a relief! Next day was our departure and as we waited at the train platform Stefano, took us by surprise by paying a platform ticket and joining us to exchange hugs, farewells and take a few photos! What an angel !
In my long time in home exchanging I have yet to meet such an outstanding fellow, a big guy with such a big heart, Stefano: sei forte! *
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