Translation of assail in German

In the that time of the year, when I used to go to school, I had to get up very early and leave the house at around seven o'clock in the morning. At this time it was still night, dark and cold outside.
The writer describes this situation by putting the persons into a natural environment. On one side there was no shade and there weren't any trees, he says. This description can be interpreted.
We paid for the taxi and waited thirty minutes for the driver to arrive. Again, Argentina reminded me of Italy. We drove into town and were looking for a place. The town made a great first impression.