60 Days in Europe…#22 Bologna—La Spezia.

Going to Florence for the day,just hopped on the train now.It’s heading down to Napoli from Milano so that’s a fair old run.Luckily the station indicates which coach will be where on the platform.Good job too as these things are huge,I’m in coach 11,had no wrangling to find my seat either which was a bonus.Last thing a Brit needs is to argue about a train seat especially in another tongue…if you’ve not been to Bologna station it’s massive.Not particularly up top but downwards .Caught my train from the 3rd floor down I think…if you need the toilet by the way they’re so far away you’ll need to go to the toilet before you find the toilets…

Anyway in the hotel bar last night I asked for a drink and as usual said please and the barmaid had a strange crooked smile on her face when I said please in Italian.I asked about it and she said “ why are you asking please in Spanish?” Oh shit ! I had seen it written down and just went for that version without checking.hahaha, the more you know…

I was a bit cheesed off when I discovered my seat on this train was an aisle seat as I like to gawp out of the window.Twenty five minutes into a forty minute journey and it’s all been in a tunnel…nearly there and apart from small five second gaps of open air it’s all tunnel between Bologna and Florence.An amazing feat of engineering but boring as hell for the passengers…

So then Florence? Well it’s difficult to make a snap judgement but not impossible…first off had a great meeting with my nephew Joe & his partner.A family reunion in Italy was not on my bingo card at the start of this trip.The city is obviously teeming with history but man alive it’s also teeming with tourists (loads of Americans) and whilst in places like Rome,Paris or Berlin it’s easy to escape in a city centre as relatively small as Florence it’s not but in saying that I wouldn’t mind having a longer mooch around…

My only touristy things was to visit Ponte Vecchio as I’m fascinated by “ living bridges” with shops & houses etc I would have loved to have seen old London Bridge in it’s pomp but probably not to have died of pox at 25…Ponte Vecchio looks great with both sides dominated by jewellery shops.So they’ve stuck with the original ( Bridge of Gold) and not sold out to big corps.I was there or about for an hour or so and it was rammed.Not sure how much of this the place can sustain without incurring serious damage…I’m sure the city has considered this.

Florence also seems fairly expensive too.Not London expensive.Not enough to make you go “How much?” but enough to make you bridle a wee bit.Also I’m used to seeing fairly ornate railway stations around Europe,some are even architecturally outstanding but Florence station is “meh” at best or “ Sweet Jesus that’s fucking ugly” at worst.S’pose they don’t have to try too hard…anyway I’m back here tomorrow changing trains for the coast..,

Not sure if I have been unlucky with the Italian trains or if they’re constantly fucked.My original train from Florence to Bologna (one stop approx 40 mins) was 45 mins late.Asked the guard if I had time for a drink & he said as I’m English I had time for two.Haha all very good etc.Had a bevvy expecting to get my train and it was now 200 mins late! ( yep 200 big minutes) all the other trains were messed up too…

Tried to get on one that was going my way but doors were closed and wouldn’t open but on the next platform was yet another train going to Bologna which was from about two hours ago and my “fuck it “ head kicked in “ I’m getting on this fucker no matter what” anyway stood in the buffet with a bottle of beer hoping we get to Bologna before the guard shows up…gotta do this line tomorrow.The beer’s good though..,

Laters alligators…

Ps Next stop La Spezia on the coast.A quaint little fishing village apparently that also happens to be the headquarters of the Italian navy…