Bilious Blog…Around Europe in 80 days#18

Me and my big mouth yesterday saying everything had been peachy and you lot must be getting bored…more of which later( it’s not too bad…and it also has just this second improved my mood!

Anyway train from Trieste to Venezia was fine,a bit full but I didn’t think too much of that,there aren’t that many trains out of there…the journey to Venezia is about two and half hours long and after a detour in and out of Slovenia(I wouldn’t have known but my mobile phone operator felt I needed an update ) the last two hours are basically fields and fields of grape vines & maize for as far as the eye can see.It occurred to me what hard work that was and reminded me of cracking up at something Lorenzo said.We were discussing the north south divide.He said the north were the workers,the artisans and the south the dreamers,the artists.I asked if they had a “ midlands” and he said “ oh yea Tuscany,tha’s just the fucking English” I nearly fell off my chair…

So Venezia? Once again it had’nt occurred to me what a draw Verona would be for a certain kind of fuck wit Shakespeare loving backpacking gobshite as it obviously is.Hundreds of them everywhere on the station changing to get the Verona train.With me…first off I was going up the stairs to the platform behind a double backpacker( one on the front,one on the back.The apex backpacker) she did a dead stop and an about turn pinning me to the wall,I just got a glance and an “ harrump” when I protested.Then on the platform I lit up a smoke next to the ashtray and received some “tit tit thet’s tirrible”( a pair of Kiwi bp’s) I reminded them it was an ashtray thereby I was allowed to smoke…

By this stage the platform was packed and then they announced a platform change.Boom! the stairs were suddenly chocker with jostling bpers like deformed self righteous turtles and I was doubly pleased to see not only the girl who body slammed me earlier get a right doing but the mozzies had also feasted on her legs…I just had another smoke and left em’ to it,the train hadn’t even arrived and it was one platform over…

Of course the train was mayhem and rammed, many normal punters couldn’t find seats,not because there weren’t any but because the bpers had decided one seat wasn’t enough,they needed two or three.I stood over one deliberately who had not only placed her ersatz house on the seat next to her but had her feet on the seat opposite too.She relented and I also made great play of putting my bags on the rack mentioning how roomy they were…oh I also received some mammoth man spreading from her partner but by this stage I didn’t care…

The thing is we’re all tourists to some degree and yes we all hate other tourists but at least most of us contribute in some way to the local economy even if that means staying in low grade hotels and drinking in dive bars…not pitching up a tent in a lay-by and drinking from a water fountain for three days…all this to gawp at a balcony made famous by some medieval paedophilia fan fiction…it’s good to vent.

Ho hum.Staying in a lovely place in a rufty tufty part of town,it’s gated which should be a clue,had a walk round and they’re all gated…oh dear.As I walked I found nothing and I’m miles from town.Then I saw two blokes drinking outside a modern place that looked shut but they confirmed it was open.The guys were nice and then they bought out the standard bar snacks along with half dozen open sandwiches…an oasis.Of course I’m having another beer or more and will have a proper look at Verona tomorrow trying to avoid my new mates of course…

Ciao muckers…

Ps Massive electrical storm in the small hours,no rain or thunder though,just lightning.Lit up the room occasionally like an old black & white horror movie…wonderful.