European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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I left for Milan by foot with a friend. We made it to Piacenza on the first day, then to Milan the day after.
I left for Milan by foot with a friend. We made it to Piacenza on the first day, then to Milan the day after.
Io e una mia amica siamo andate a Milano a piedi. Un giorno siamo arrivate a Piacenza e l’altro giorno siamo arrivate a Milano -
We were going to visit my brother, since we didn’t have any news about him anymore.
We were going to visit my brother, since we didn’t have any news about him anymore.
e siamo andate a trovare mio fratello perché non si sapeva più niente, non arrivava -
Mail wasn’t delivered to Marola anymore, although at times when I went to Reggio for my tasks I would take care of it.
Mail wasn’t delivered to Marola anymore, although at times when I went to Reggio for my tasks I would take care of it.
la posta su, che io poi ogni tanto portavo su anche la posta quando arrivavo a Reggio per i miei lavori portavo anche la posta di Marola. -
My parents said that it was too far, but we left Marola and arrived in Milan in two days.
My parents said that it was too far, but we left Marola and arrived in Milan in two days.
E allora siamo arrivate e i miei genitori hanno detto: “Ma dio, ma è tanto lontano”. Niente siamo partite a piedi da Marola e siamo arrivate a Milano in due giorni. -
From there we took the train to Como.
From there we took the train to Como.
Dopo a Milano invece abbiamo preso il treno e siamo andate a Como. -
In Como a man asked us where we were going,
In Como a man asked us where we were going,
Poi lì è stata una bella cosa perché un signore ci ha chiesto dove, dove andavamo -
and we replied that we were going to visit our brothers since they hadn’t sent any news for a long time.
and we replied that we were going to visit our brothers since they hadn’t sent any news for a long time.
e abbiamo detto che andavamo a trovare i nostri fratelli perché era tanto che non scrivevano e non sapevamo niente, -
We were also going to tell them that they had to run away,
We were also going to tell them that they had to run away,
ma noi andavamo anche con l’intenzione di dire che dovevano scappare, -
because the Germans were sending all sorts of people who were caught during roundups to Germany, especially young men, as well as the Jews.
because the Germans were sending all sorts of people who were caught during roundups to Germany, especially young men, as well as the Jews.
perché di quei periodi fra i rastrellamenti, fra che portavano via gli ebrei, portavano via tutti quelli che trovavano, specialmente quei ragazzi lì li portavano tutti in Germania. Allora... -
Then the man asked us where we had slept, and we told him we slept in the train station.
Then the man asked us where we had slept, and we told him we slept in the train station.
allora lui ha detto: “Brr, dove hai dormito?”, “Beh, in stazione”, -
“But the station is closed at night”, he said. “I guess we’ll sleep in a shelter then”, we replied.
“But the station is closed at night”, he said. “I guess we’ll sleep in a shelter then”, we replied.
“Ma la stazione la chiudono”, “Beh dormiremo in rifugio”, “Non ci sono i rifugi a Como -
“There are no shelters in Como, it’s a free city and we don’t get bombed”. What could we say?
“There are no shelters in Como, it’s a free city and we don’t get bombed”. What could we say?
perché è una città libera che non ci bombardano”. E vabbé chissà cosa avremmo pensato, -
We wouldn’t have said anything else, but at that point he told us to go with him
We wouldn’t have said anything else, but at that point he told us to go with him
non avremo detto niente noi poi perché che cosa dovevamo dire? Allora lui ha detto niente, poi ha detto: “Venite con me”. -
and bought us the ticket for the ferry that would have taken us all the way to the other side of the lake from Como, to Pizzo di Trona.
and bought us the ticket for the ferry that would have taken us all the way to the other side of the lake from Como, to Pizzo di Trona.
Poi ci ha fatto il biglietto per il traghetto... E’ stata una persona, guardi un angelo proprio, che ci ha fatto tutto l’itinerario per andare proprio dall’altra parte da Como proprio in fondo a Pizzo di Trona, -
He was truly an angel.
He was truly an angel.
proprio proprio ai confini non so neanche dove finiva il lago secondo me. -
Then he took us in front of a nice gate and rang the bell.
Then he took us in front of a nice gate and rang the bell.
Allora lui ci ha portato vicino ad un bel cancello, ha suonato, -
He told the nun who came out that they should offer us a place to sleep, since we were there to visit out brothers who were in the army.
He told the nun who came out that they should offer us a place to sleep, since we were there to visit out brothers who were in the army.
è venuta una suora ci ha detto: “Dovete dare ospitalità a queste due ragazze, vanno a trovare i loro fratelli militari”, e loro poverette ci hanno dato da dormire. -
They were really nice, they gave us a place to sleep and got us on the ferry at eight.
They were really nice, they gave us a place to sleep and got us on the ferry at eight.
E poi dice: “Loro domani mattina devono essere alle otto là al battello così”, e infatti loro sono state carinissime, ci hanno fatto prendere il battello la mattina alle otto. -
We only made it to our destination at noon, as the ferry was quite slow and stopped in all those small villages.
We only made it to our destination at noon, as the ferry was quite slow and stopped in all those small villages.
Siamo arrivate a mezzogiorno al paese là, che il battello andava piano magari ma per tutti questi paesini... -
When we got there the soldiers were coming back from a mop-up.
When we got there the soldiers were coming back from a mop-up.
Siamo arrivate a mezzogiorno e tornavano proprio da un rastrellamento i militari,