i got up late , soaked lazily in the enormous bathtub down the corridor with its roughened surface-worn enamel , shared a tiny coffee with signora reale and listened , less than half understanding , to her flow of words and walked her little dog , armed with a scooper in case of accident , stopping off in a small caf near helenas workplace , the kind for busy people with no chairs , just a counter , where i drank more coffee and maybe ate a cornetto , giving the dog a crumb or two , waiting for helena to join me .