Around the World: Milan & Venice

March 16, 1992

Milan doesn't offer much for the wayward tourist, but still interesting to wander around for the morning.  Explored a small museum / fort and "Duomo", a beautiful cathedral. 

Milan's Duomo Cathedral

The detail in the cathedral's interior and the stained glass windows for each station of the cross are brilliant.  Found a little grocery and bought some supplies to eat on the way to Venice.

Interior of the Duomo Cathedral

 Venice is a stunning city full of artsy boutiques and oozes with creativity.  Everything from finely detailed trinkets to glass work, to jewelry, paintings, clothing, Carnevale masks.  The only way to travel around Venice is by foot or by boat.  The first floor of Venice's older houses are completely submerged leaving staircases and windows under the water line.  The city continues to be threatened by floods that raise the water level by a few inches following certain tides.

Venice Gondola and Gondolier.
Photo by SwilkArt

I'm happy to have finished my tour of Italy in Venice.  At least I'll leave Italy knowing there is much that is good about this boot-shaped country, most of it north of Rome.  Accommodations for the evening will be another overnight train that arrives in Austria come morning.

At the train station, I join a large queue of people trying to make travel arrangements or, like me, trying to figure out why their train is late.  The timetable says my train departs at 8pm, but there's no sign of it.  The young Japanese girl and her mother in line ahead of me want to take the train to Greece, but the clerk won't let them.  He tries, patiently to explain that there is no service on this line, but the daughter doesn't understand and keeps showing him that there is, in fact, train tracks that go from here, through Yugoslavia to Athens.  Finally, both parties in this discussion are exasperated with each other when the mother finally asks, "Why can't we take the train to Greece?"

"Because," the clerk bellows, trying to contain his frustration unsuccessfully, "There's a war on!"

Now, it's my turn.  Amused from the previous exchange, and trying to lighten his irritation, I approach him with a welcoming smile and inquire about the train delay.  "This is incorrect," he says, scribbling on my timetable, "The train will arrive at 8:30 and depart at 10 p.m."

So I wait.

A typical couchette car provides seating for 6 people.
The seats on one side meet up with the seats on the
opposite wall to create beds for 3 people.

When the train arrives, all the doors to the couchettes are locked.  Finally, a conductor informs me that there are seats available in the car ahead of this one.  The train is full and I am sharing this couchette with an older man from Miami and an American soldier, both on their way to Munich.  The other two girls sharing this couchette preclude the possibility of stretching out for some sleep.  

• ¤ •

"There's something beautifully soothing about a fact - 

even (or perhaps especially) if we're not sure what it means."

~Daniel J. Boorstin

Around the World: Pompeii

March 15, 1992

Preparing myself for the trip to Naples to see the preserved ruins of Pompeii.  I remember the story of Pompeii from my grade 2 Italian teacher who showed the class a movie about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79AD.  Now, it may seem an odd thing to show a bunch of 8 year olds, but at the time, I was already fascinated with hurricanes and tornadoes.  I was captivated watching a recreation of Vesuvius being able to destroy in seconds that which took generations to create.

The train to Naples takes longer than I anticipated and a few delays add to the travel time.  It's almost 3pm when the train pulls into the station and I quickly figure out how to take the subway to Pompeii.  When I finally get there, a little after 4, the site is closed for the day.

I see what I can through the locked, iron bar gate.  I'm disappointed that I won't get any closer to the ruins than I am, but also a little glad.  I learn at the gate that not only is there a charge for admission, there is an additional charge to hire a guide and you kinda have to take the whole tour.  I don't think I could handle an entire day devoted to death.  My morbid curiosity is satisfied with the purchase of a few postcards.

Plaster injected into voids in the ash layer
recreates the forms of Vesuvius's victims.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Creative Commons

Naples is filthy.  Dogs and birds have marked everything possible.  Street signs, sidewalks, benches, even the subway platform is not immune.  On the way to the station, I pass an elderly man walking through a park.  Pinch! With only him and me in the park, there is no mistaking who is the culprit.  Irritated with Italy and fed up with men handling my behind, I drop my bag of water and oranges and chase after the pervert.  He obviously knows what's in store for him and wisely runs faster than I can.  Content at delivering an assortment of obscenities and insults, I walk back to collect my bag, regretting that I hadn't thought to bring a few oranges with me.  Picturing myself chasing after an old man while pelting him with blood oranges makes me burst out laughing.  I get a few odd stares from the other people I pass on the path, but at least they keep their hands to themselves.

• ¤ •

"I think the next best thing to solving a problem is finding some humour in it."

~Frank A. Clark

Around the World: Florence & Pisa

March 14, 1992

Found a cheap pensione in Florence last night and washed the experience of Rome down the drain in a wonderfully hot, steamy shower.  I was pleased to discover the bed was fairly firm and didn't fold up around me.  Actually had one of the best night's sleeps I've had in a while.

A grocery store not far from the train station supplied my breakfast of cheese, bread and juice, plus a few oranges to snack on while waiting for the train to arrive in Pisa.

Pisa is a very small town, and easy to find the touristy attractions, like the leaning tower.  The tower is being reinforced to prevent it from leaning any further.  Without this work, it would eventually just succumb to the effects of gravity, destroying the town's economy.  At one point, visitors could climb the tower, but that option has been suspended until the efforts to save the tower have been completed.  I did manage to take a couple pictures and buy a little touristy trinket.  Tower seen, leaning confirmed, I headed back to Florence.

Florence is a very pretty city.  The Ponte Vecchio bridge offers beautiful views of the river and gondolas that carry passengers through the canal.  It's difficult to absorb though, as I have to be on alert for dog droppings, pick pockets, butt pinchers and other pedestrians while trying to orient myself with my map and look for street signs.  I find the whole exploring thing quite stressful, actually.

Florence is preparing for Carnevale.  Shops have masks and costumes on display in the windows.  So beautiful, so colourful.  Florence also has pedestrian dedicated areas with wider passageway that make it easier to avoid the hazards and annoyances of traveling on foot.  I decide to stay another night in Florence. Tomorrow, I will brave Italy's dirty and perverted south one more time.

• ¤ •

“Do not insult the mother alligator until after you have crossed the river.”

~Haitian proverb