PROLOGUE
> First VISA is really hard. > > — Every Indian ever
After multiple failed attempts to get to the KDE Connect 2019 Sprint held in Germany, I was again presented with an opportunity to meet the KDE Community, this time in its full glory. I was very excited and a bit skeptical of whether applying again for a short schengen VISA (this time through Italian Embassy) would be a good idea. 🤔
Regardless, I applied, after multiple discussions with Rituka Patwal.** We didn’t hear anything about my VISA application for 25 whole days**! (it should not take more than 15 days unless there are ‘some special circumstances’). We asked the Embassy to expedite the process a day before our flight and we missed our flight (obviously). Funnily. enough, we got the VISA a couple days after that! 😂
We quickly saw the flight listings and saw them getting finished left and right! Luckily we got ours for the very next day and after that, we had to speed-run across the next 12 hours to get everything packed up. ✈
In Italy
Before starting, I need to mention the food at the flight was AWESOME! I really don’t get why people don’t like the food offered in the flight, the Ukraine airlines were kind enough to provide additional helpings too! 😋
After a bus ride from Bergamo Int’l Airport, we got to Milan Central at exactly midnight, and were first off amazed to see many of the ice cream vans open for business. I was first off taken aback to realize a medium sized cone costs Rs. 240 ( EUR 3.00). I am more used to the cones we get to eat in Delhi, the ones that cost INR 50 for a double scoop. I did not take into account the possibility that the gelato would be so much overloaded onto the cone! Those two scoops were looked as they were about to fall off the cone itself! Roaming around, trying to find a cab to the hotel, I had a really hard time finishing my lemon gelato. 😝
We were provided a stay by the KDE e.V. at Hotel degli Arcimboldi, a really awesome ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hotel! The receptionist was very cool with us checking in late, and provided us keys for our rooms. I got to my room, and was immediately received with a warm hug by Kai Uwe Broulik, the de-facto awesome maintainer behind KNotifications, the KDE Frameworks package to render notifications on Windows and Linux alike. 🤩
A good sleep calmed my mind and prepared me for the awesome 6 days in Italy that were about to happen! Yes! I went to Akademy 2019💓
