Trading Cities 1

“Proceeding eighty miles into the northwest wind. you reach the city of Euphemia. where the merchants of seven nations gather at every solstice and equinox. (...) You do not come to Euphemia only to buy and sell. but also because at night. by the fires all around the market, seated on sacks or barrels or stretched out on piles of carpets, at each word that one man says--such as "wolf." "sister." "hidden treasure." "battle," "scabies." "lovers"-the others tell. each one. his tale of wolves, sisters. treasures. scabies, lovers, battles. And you know that in the long journey ahead of you. when to keep awake against the camel's swaying or the junk's rocking. you start summoning up your memories one by one, your wolf will have become another wolf, your sister a different sister, your battle other battles, on your return from Euphemia, the city where memory is traded at every solstice and at every equinox.” (Calvino, 1974, p. 36)