Train Travel Through Italy Takes You to Wonderful Cities and Sights


We traveled by train north from Salerno after our wonderful stay in the Amalfi area. We made it to Pompeii but had to tour the ruins in a somewhat rushed fashion because of an unanticipated change in our planned itinerary. The local train there wasn't much better than what you would experience on Chicago's L system. Many of the carriages were covered in graffiti. As an extra bonus, a punk kid on the adjacent platform found enjoyment in spitting into open windows of our passing train as it slowly pulled out of one of the pass thru stations.


We joined the thick crowds as we descended upon Pompeii. Our visit was short but we did see the more notable sites within the ruins - the plaster cast bodies frozen in their death positions when the ash descended, the brothel with the naughty pictures describing what services one could buy in the room adjacent, and views of columns and artifacts framed by blues skies, puffy white clouds, and Mount Vesuvius as a back drop






What followed were several days of touring and tricky logistics of trains, transfers, and luggage storage. The challenge of it all is what sometimes drives us to take on our travels independently without the safety of a tour company to guide and watch over us. And, it reminds to have an overall plan, knowing that you may have to divert from it given unforeseen circumstances, but having such a plan serves as a basis from which to make alternative arrangements, routes, and itineraries to ensure just as an enjoyable trip.

The train moved along at a fast clip. While not one of the high speed trains, it still moved along at over 100 miles an hour. MK snoozed. She'd snore and snort once in a while. The woman across from me grinned. I smiled back.

I nudged MK awake as we approached Rome. Our hotel was a short walk away from the Termini Train Station. It wasn't much, but it was nice enough for us. As is normally the case, we don't require much as to our accommodations. We spend so little time in them, that it doesn't make economic sense to stay at fancy, more expensive locales. Simple, cheap, and unadorned works very well for us. The old school elevator added to the charm.

We freshened up and walked south to the Colosseum and the Roman ruins in the area. Great late afternoon light made for wonderful picture taking. We were warned about pickpockets so took extra care of our belongings. Even with such precautions, MK's strap to her purse was ripped and torn away, the after effects of someone's attempt to steal it. Luckily, that was the only damage for the rest of the purse, and all of its contents, were still intact.






Trevi Fountain was a bust. It was under renovation. The pool was drained of water and the sculptures were covered in scaffolding. As with other iconic sites we've been to around the world, our timing is such that we arrive at the time a renovation is being undertaken.

The next day’s early morning Metro ride brought us to the Vatican where we met our guide and 6 others for our tour of this sovereign state.  The museums, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, all of it was fantastic...no.... it was magnificent! Sculptures, paintings, frescoes, and tapestries by Michelangelo, Raphael, and others, the most famous pieces of art in the world were all packed into a series of buildings, halls, and rooms.







The Basilica, the largest in the world, was indeed enormous. As if to make sure this point is clear, there are markers on the floor indicating where other large Basilicas throughout the world would begin and end within this larger edifice.




After three hours, and no sighting of the Pope (he was in the U.S., ironically), we were out onto St. Peter’s square along with thousands of others. We were foot sore but kept to walking through the city instead of taking the Metro and an easy way back to the hotel.



On walk took us through the old Jewish ghetto and to the trendy Trasteverde neighborhood, with stops along the way to refresh and refuel. After a walk through the ancient Circus Maximus area (where the chariot races used to be run and are now in ruins with barely a hint of what used to be), we were bushed, so off to the nearby Metro station we headed for our trip back to the hotel.

The next morning’s train took us north to Pisa and Florence, our next destinations. A large family of Australians descended into our carriage. Many of the pre-teens in the group loudly complained that they won't be able to sit together, since they want to share their video games. The family patriarch called out harshly, "Wait until we get settled, you can change your seats in a bit after we are underway. I heard him mumble to his wife, "It's all I can do to not swear right now."

Two grandmotherly types sat down across from us, sharing our space. They were the textbook Italian grandmothers; somewhat short, big bosomed, and friendly, although they kept to themselves, whispering and pointing out things and people all around us.

After using the bathroom, I walked back to my seat. The train had stopped as I looked behind me. I saw a woman on the floor, tugging mightily at her over-sized suitcase, trying to bring it up the steps and on board. I turned and hurried back, saving her and her luggage from being abandoned at the station platform as I helped her and her belongings onto the train.

We clickety-clacked along and eventually made it to Pisa.  We dropped off some of our luggage at the train station and from there walked the mile or so to the Leaning Tower. I stubbed my toe very badly on a marble step, too busy looking up at the buildings and architecture to notice it before jamming the nail really good. I may lose the toenail.

The tower and surrounding area is touristy but, it is indeed something to behold. Along with many others, we posed for cheesy photos where we hold up our hands making it look like we're stopping the tower from leaning any further. We ate lunch sitting on a ledge of the adjacent Duomo which was in the shadow of the tower. Pretty cool.






When we retrieved our luggage, MK called the baggage attendant signora instead of signor. He seemed perturbed by the slight and gruffly handed over our bags. On the way to Florence, MK got yelled at by the train conductor for having her feet up on the adjacent seat. He scowled at her. In trying to demonstrate she’s being a polite and respectful American, she’s now 0 for 2 for the day.

Our Florence hotel was nice but our room was very tiny. I guessed that it might have once been a storage closet, since converted with an attached bath added. We walked to the Duomo, a stunning piece of architecture. Many people, throngs of them, filled the square in front of it. In the twilight, we strolled through the back streets and medieval lanes, soaking in the flavor of this wonderful renaissance city.

An early morning walkabout allowed for less crowded streets and a more enjoyable viewing of the sights. Through neighborhoods and quiet sectors we walked, our feet clicking along the cobblestone surface. We tried to follow our guide book's suggestions on what to see and do. For the most part, it proved rewarding to do it this way. For example, we discovered a museum we probably would have easily missed, but that we found most enjoyable and interesting all because of the guide book. Great statuary, paintings, and renaissance period artifacts filled the display rooms.








It was early afternoon when we made our way to our tour guide company's office where we were part of a group that was scheduled to tour the Uffizi Museum. Some of the world’s best pieces of art, paintings, and sculpture are located within its walls. Having a guide helped us understand and interpret what we were seeing and experiencing.





At a short break at a nearby cafe, we forgot the lesson that many tourists succumb to. That is, it is much more expensive to sit down at an outdoor cafe and order from the menu that it is to stand up at the bar and order from there instead. We paid 18 euro for a pasta salad, a soda, and a mineral water. It probably would have cost only 10 euro had we been smarter.

We headed back to the company's office and commenced our second guided tour of the day, this time to see Michelangelo’s statue of David. How impressive this piece of art is! The intricate detail in the carving is what makes this priceless- the musculature, the veins in the hands, the knee bones and tendons - all carved out of what once was a solid block of unremarkable marble.




Our full day ended with a nice dinner at the restaurant adjacent to our hotel. We slept soundly with our stomachs full and our hearts content.


By early afternoon the next day, we rolled into Le Spezia where we waited to connect with a local train into Riomaggiore. A big dollop of pigeon shit fell right on my hand while sitting on a bench outside of the train station. Nice. MK got a good laugh at my expense. A young couple next to me looked for tissue from their handbags, trying to help me out. They also smartly moved off of the bench we were all sitting on, knowing now that it lied directly underneath a window ledge on which other pigeons were roosting, waiting for their next aerial assault.  

A video of this and the rest of our Italy tour is at the following link:


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