Sunday, November 3, 2013

29 April 2013, Travel Day

I'm on the train for Parma. I was up early at 6 and totally ready when Mario arrived at precisely 7.20. He dropped off Marta and the baby. Marta will leave for work soon. She walks just down the street. We all said our goodbyes last night.

I validated my train ticket immediately as soon as I walked into the Cremona train station.

Until the train schedule is changed again, I can easily find my way down to the 7.55 Parma train. It wasn't yet showing on the electronic station board, but the binario sign was displaying. The train is full of students and judging by the many small overnight bags, they've been home visiting for the weekend.

A nice young man lifted my bag into the car. The connection between Parma and Bologna is short. I hope I can find either the elevator or a gypsy right away. I'll put some money in my pocket now, so I don't have to open my purse in the station. I'm carrying my passport in a pouch under my waistband, as usual. It's my most valuable possession. I needed to use my emergency iPerCoop shopping bag this trip. I've done too much grocery shopping, but I have no regrets. 


Parma. There are no gypsies or elevators at Parma! Per fortuna the train to Bologna was late. Two girls helped me with my bag. Really it's easier to navigate up and down the stairs alone. I'm off balance only holding one end.  As I was checking the paper board of departures, I thought I had missed the Bologna train. The train at binario 4 was for Leccio I think. Then as I turned back, the board changed to Bologna.  I might  be arriving in Firenze at 11 after all.


I haven't decided in a taxi or not. It might be easier on the luggage wheels with this extra weight. I had to leave my bottle of olives in my room. I hope Marina can use them. Primo texted me a picture of those olives, thinking I forgot them. So sweet!!  I love love my family.


Shades of green yellow and brown are passing by outside my window. It's raining once again. I can see the vineyard plants, mostly showing brown trimmed trunks with sprouts of green showing on top.

Rubiera -- a small station but they are un-crating an automated ticket machine outside the station. I'm sorry if this means job loss, but the automated machines make traveling so much easier. You can use your own language and see all the choices for connections. I also love my idea of snapping a picture of my trip connections. It's had more information than the printed ticket.

Marina suggests I take the train and then the bus next time. It only requires one connection and that's at Piacenza.

Modena - sitting in the side rail, a long long train filled with New Holland tractors.

Bologna - car 10, seat 1 which has a place next to it for luggage. I must remember the luggage rack is on the side of the car behind the way the seats  face. It's fast to enter the correct door, unless of course you're late. Then it doesn't even matter to me which car I jump into.

Yes, there is an elevator in Bologna. We patiently waited, three of us with heavy luggage, checking our watches. Its door did not open. I wonder how many people were stuck inside. An attendant came quickly with a door override tool. He was struggling to get the door open. We decided to take the stairs down to the underground corridor. It's not too hard descending with a heavy bag, as long as one holds tightly to the rail. A young girl offered to help, I thanked her and said it was too heavy.

The next elevator door was still open to go up to binario 6. No room for me, so I just pushed in the bag and said I would take the stairs. I reached them just as the car arrived.

Luckily for us the train was 5 minutes late, which makes all the difference. Once in the station, the train does not linger. The seats are reserved. This is the FrecciaRossa line from Milano to Roma, with only two stops in between.

The magazine says this is the fastest train ever produced in Europe. Its maximum speed is 400 km/hour. It's quiet with minimal vibration. It travels to Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Belguim and Olanda.

I see this train departed from Torino this morning, not Milano.

Nice! There is now a display to show departing trains from Santa Maria Novella (SMN). This is such a quick trip from Bologna!  No time to even read the magazine, so I took it with me for reading later.

I walked slowly back to the hotel, saving 20€ can fare. It was not raining, bit warm and a little muggy. I see it was 82 here today while Cremona had 72 and rain.

At the hotel, Asumi, Alessio and I talked about aging parents. His father is almost 8 years younger than my mother. They both have similar memory  issues.  I dumped everything I have here on the floor and organized things by weight.



With WiFi blessedly back on, I arranged a trip to Arezzo for tomorrow, a meet up with another friend today and tea with Emiliano and Caterina. One cannot function overseas without WiFi. 

I walked to the Borgo San Lorenzo street vendors carrying the hand woven basket I bought last Sunday. I found a bag it will fit in for 18€. I started in the direction of Alessandro's friend's workplace, stopping to get yogurt at the market. I was thirsty and hungry. Lots of businesses are gone here, including the Herbal shop, which carried hand lotions. It was about 5 when someone walked right up to me, waving his arms.  He was taking a 30 minute work break, so we walked to the park and sat on a bench and talked. He gave me a hug when we met and when we parted. It was great seeing him and we really did enjoy seeing each other. Nice.



Getting hungry and tired, I walked back toward Ponte Vecchio and bought milk and food in the Conad grocery store.  I selected a chicken cutlet and cooked artichoke from the deli section. There are too many people here! I love off season Novembers best.




I'm in for the night at 7.00. Time to eat and start some packing. I pack by weight.  All the heavy things will go into my new cheap bag. It's small but will be dense with weight. The bag will only survive the trip home. After that, I'll have to throw it away.

For dessert I'm finishing off that wonderful chocolate I bought from last week's Mostra.  I need to take a trip to Lucca in November and find the chocolate shop!



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