New Bright Electric Train
See Italy while traveling on the train
The first train arrived in Italy he was completely different from any place that we had traveled. Was the summer of 2000 and I had been traveling on a nearly 2 weeks. I was more than relieved when the train pulled out of Nice on that bright August morning, what a name inappropriate, Nice was not very nice in my eyes at all. So when the train made its way on the rocky slopes, passing over the coastal rocks below the I put my mind and concentrated on the electric blue waters of Medicine and the thought of my first genuine Italian cappuccino.
From my window seat could see the vibrantly colored flowers hanging from trees cling to the banks above the bays, bright flowers in pots along the platforms of the stations small train, and the comforting vision of an Italian Nonna out sweeping the porch, his house sitting by the railroad tracks. As I was later to travel this topic many times who became my 'Nonna Italian,' and I looked for it every time they passed by.
Arriving in Ventimiglia, the first real stop through the border of France (Monaco was also along the way) in Italy, I had the pleasure of seeing a clear difference between the local Italians and French who had left ago. It is true that there is a real sense of Mediterranean life all the way along the Riviera, with people pretty relaxed, all you have to take the sun and wine but the locals seemed even more. The Carabinieri on the platform as they were stopped seems so relaxed as to appear almost asleep, not even sniffer dogs seemed at all worried that 15 sweaty backpackers had just arrived. No one moved, no passports were happy few 'OSASD "and" Benvenuti.
After leaving our luggage to the guide to the mind set off to explore for an hour before catching the next train. After having spent the best half of the last hour practicing how to order a cappuccino in Italian that he was eager to try it. We found a café curb and sat down. To my surprise waiter understood my request on the first go and duly brought me coffee. He was still smiling when we got on the train.
The trip to Cinque Terre which leads through innumerable tunnels carved in the cliffs hanging over steep cliffs and rocky beaches. Every time we come to the darkness, flapping curtains insane at the windows open, I could still see the blue water printed on the inside of my eyelids. Nowhere else I have experienced in this regard.
Locals and we were chatting among ourselves, until a guy asks me where we are all in Italian. I answer Rio Mayor. Then I asked where we all are. I explain that I am a guide and my group are from all over the world. He's going to Calabria to see his mother and was in Milan. He works in a factory making cars. Another lady opens the thermal trip for coffee with ice in small plastic cups of coffee with the two Korean girls in my group, and another strip of some 'dolce' sweet cakes to share with Canadian girls.
In all my travels by train in Europe found Italians to be the most generous to backpackers, in terms communication and share the contents of their bags in the cold. Especially in the train to Calabria from the north.
Once past the first leg between Pisa and Rome trapped in a hall with a 60 years old, a phrase book and a lot of sign language. He was eager to tell their family history and was very impressed of a kiwi "Lontano" was trying to speak Italian. She even gave me lessons in grammar and correct my pronunciation. That never happened in a French train.
More recently on the train to Florence from Pisa I sat next to a girl from Romania to get a full itinerary of what to see and do in Florence from the man opposite her in Italian. The interesting part is that they only spoke a few words, but seemed to capture most of what he was saying. It was great to see the passion he was talking about what was, obviously, his hometown.
On one trip I managed to meet the wishes of a rather shy Chinese girl who had a thing for men in uniform. She was trying to collect all the photos of them as possible in Europe. Some children had managed to Italian Navy in La Spezia, obviously, the naval base there, go to Rome with a couple of guys from the Air Force. Filled the hall outside the dining car, laughing and shouting, all more than willing to pose for some pictures with my passenger now tomato-red face. We believe that the jackpot when some army boys were seen at platform Ostiense in Rome, but wait for another train. She has a photo through the window in place.
The most frustrating time of trains can be Florence SMN letters can easily stand for many new platforms "instead of Santa Maria Novella, as they have an annoying pastime you change tracks. You to listen to announcements carefully. They do both English and Italian but as soon as a train arrives late start to shuffle the rest of the platforms like a deck of cards. With a group of 12 people one day we were waiting an extra 45 minutes for the train to Venice, is supposed to come to the track 11, then it was track 9, then was back to the track 11 in the last minute. We broke the rules and ended up throwing packages over the railroad tracks at the end of the car as the guard blew his whistle for exit and we had some stragglers who had not heard the change of standing behind the bar sandwich. Everybody makes a final sprint.
By Conversely, in Venice, the train guard was very helpful when I had lost an American passenger luggage from the train and in the short space of 10 minutes. I explained that it was late and he smiled and said well, and waited an extra 5 minutes with me. Finally touched the clock and we had to leave. This was the last train out of Italy to Austria that day, so I was not sure when I'll see her again. When she finally had an incredible adventure to tell, but that is completely different story.
To the extent that it can not go about beating the Italian trains good value, not only on price, because a train ticket to get more than one seat. Sometimes not even always get a seat, especially if it is in the middle of August, but you get a fantastic opportunity to experience local culture can not have a guide or inside a bus.
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Metra Electric 316, 315 at 71st & South Shore Dr.
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 New Bright 375 Electric Train Set $25.00 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 5d 12h 42m |
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