Milano Centrale
Last time I wrote we were on the train to Strasbourg. A man we had met in Durham on the boat trip had done this train trip. That Sunday (yesterday) was a day of some drama, as it turned out. We successfully got to Gare de l’Est, and got the right train to Strasbourg. I managed to eat a croissant and drink some coffee before we got on the train. JD caused me great anxiety by his repeated delays, leaving me with the small suitcase and two back packs so I couldn’t go anywhere. But he did show up with a bottle of Orangina, so that was nice. There were ticket checks, and then we got on the train.
It was a short trip to Strasbourg, and the connecting train to Basel SBB was at the next platform. There weren’t allocated seats, but the train wasn’t full. It was another short trip to Basel, where there was a 50 minute interval. So far, so good. JD congratulated me on having organized this, and printed the tickets. The architecture changed as we left France- German then Swiss; it was different again in Italy.
Basel was a big station, and confusing as large stations are. We went past a restaurant where JD wanted to go, but I needed to find a bathroom, and where our next train went from. It wasn’t at all obvious where the restroom(s) were. I guess all large railway stations have their own logic. I asked at an information desk – it was platform 6, but we needed to go down two levels to the WC. It cost €1.50, but it was clean with thick toilet paper and warm water, soap and paper towels to wash your hands.
Then we set about getting something to eat, and wandered into a German sausage place! I couldn’t cope with the smells from that that but had a double espresso and another croissant. We went to buy some food to eat on our next train trip – I had told JD I wanted a baguette with ham and cheese, but we were no longer in France, and this was not to be. I am missing French food already!
We bought some food at a convenience store, a long baguette which had ham, lettuce, tomato and egg but not cheese. It was so long I thought we could share it, but it wasn’t very nice and was very tough to eat. I gave up after I reached my the slice of hard boiled egg. I had thought this was cheese. JD bought more cut fruit. And then we went to board the very long train to Milano Centrale, coach 6, seats 21 & 23.
Or so we thought. JD directed me to this coach! All went fine, and fast, until strange things started to happen. The train stopped at Lucerne, and then went backwards! There were no ticket checks. It grew dark outside. We were warned that Italian border guards would be coming through to check passports and baggage, but in the event three guys walked straight past us. The train got slower and slower once it reached Italy. There were no ticket checks at all until about two hours into our almost 5 hour journey. A guard then shocked us by advising that we were on coach 16, whereas we should have been in coach 6. Our train would terminate in Chiasso, not Milan. There was a very short stop coming up, but the next one, Bellinzona, would be longer (4 minutes). We would have to get off the train and reboard it, as the current one terminated at Chiasso, not at Milano Centrale.
We loaded our bags and proceeded through the train to coach 11, and could go no further – we’d come to another train engine. So we sat down and waited anxiously for the next stop. When it came, we hurried along the platform and got on the train again, coach 6, just as the doors were closing. Phew!
Then we proceeded to Milano Centrale, stopping at Chiasso but then carrying on. From now on it seemed a very slow trip indeed. I would have liked to use the toilets, but didn’t want to on the train. JD did use it, but claimed there were no hand washing facilities there. We were tired, hungry and apprehensive.
Finally, amazingly we arrived in Milan on time, according to the schedule I had booked. Milano Centrale is another busy station, and it wasn’t easy to find our way out, but we did and although it was very dark by now, it was easy to find our IH hotel. It was luxurious by previous standards – a big room, and a lovely bathroom with bidet and good shower space. What a joy! Our fee included breakfast too.
We went across the street to an Italian restaurant, Pianeta Luna, which was far more upmarket than the picture JD had showed me. He had mushroom risotto, and I had ravioli with spinach and ricotta and sage butter. There was bread, too, of course, and JD asked for olive oil. We were given a large bottle, and one of balsamic vinegar too. Afterwards we shared a beautiful tiramisu.
Breakfast was great. Beautiful orange juice; they even had scrambled eggs and bacon – better than the English bacon, I thought. I struggled with the toaster, but got it to work, although it was slow. They had croissants with jam, and without, and butter; they also had tinned peach halves, and stewed prunes!
There are many things to do in Milan: see da Vinci’s Cenacolo, see Michelangelo’s Rondanini Pièta; see the lovely Pinocoteca di Brera again, but silly me, they’re all closed on a Monday. And I have seen them before. I’d like to visit the beautiful Duomo again, but rather than it being near the railway station it’s about ½ hour’s walk. Our train too Venice leaves at 11:30 am, and we decide to take it easy and not try to see the delights of Milan. There is sunshine! It’s a beautiful day, and the first proper sunshine we’ve seen since we were in Singapore, although it was almost sunny in England sometimes..
The young women in France and Italy were well dressed and beautifully made up; the girls in England looked a tad overweight for the most part. I wish that I’d brought makeup: I did bring some, but left it in Canterbury.
We did not attempt to visit the beautiful duomo again: I had thought it was nearby the station, but it was 2.3 km away. JD had a shower, and we checked out by 11 and made our way to the station. And then it was easy to find the right platform, and board – first class this time. It’s been a beautiful fine sunny day, and we had an enjoyable train ride to Venice – about 2 1/2 hours’ ride.
When we got there, we had to walk quite a way, and then through the shops to the Grand Canal! It actually seemed very crowded and commercial, not as I’d remembered it. JD decided we could walk to our hotel. We set out, and the crowds lessened, but we ended up taking a vaporetto to Rialto and then walking some more.
What a treat when we got to our lovely hotel. There’s a lovely big entrance foyer. There’s a big bedroom, with a window that opens; a bathroom with bath and bidet and two handbasins and lots of nice toiletries, including cakes of soap. That’s a relief, since I left my tubes of shampoo and conditioner back in Milan. Oh, and there’s a fridge too, as well as tea and coffee making facilities, even chocolates. There are scuffs in the wardrobe.
But no rest: the advertised free laundry doesn’t exist, and JD wants to walk about 15 minutes to a coin operated laundry. So I put my shoes on again, empty out one of the backpacks, take my phone off the charger, and ask him to bring me drinks of water.
Interlude
We’re back in New Zealand now, and getting over heavy colds. It’s frustrating but seems a small price to pay for having such a wonderful trip, where we weren’t held up by strikes or delays or extreme weather events or even extreme turbulence.
Having said that, it is a bit frustrating to be back. Currently the WCC is considering whether to demolish the famous City to Sea Bridge, and even the Begonia House! How can they? Apparently the Khandallah Pool is to be saved: the Khandallah Community fought very hard for that one. But what a sad place Wellington is: when we go to New World Supermarket in Thorndon, we now have to navigate bike lanes when we drive out. So what are the road rules for bikes? Do cars have to stop for them? I do sympathise with bike riders, but really, it’s just so hard to get around the city, and when you do, what shops are still open? While we were away, New Zealand seemed just so very far away. Although I live here, it still does. I don’t know that I’d like to live in Europe, but I wish it were a bit easier to get there! Having said that, it was nice, while there, to know what we wanted to see, and not to feel obliged to do things all the time.
That’s it for now. Slava Ukraini! Ngā mihi nui.
Classic Barbarian 