This post starts off kind of dry, but stick around because there are some nice pics of the Italian countryside later on. And there is a rare lesson in this post: a semi-scam run at train stations in Europe.
We checked out of our Sorrento hotel about sunrise so we could make sure we reached the train station in Naples in plenty of time. And we did - we actually had between 2 and 3 hours to kill once we arrived, but that's okay. Better early than late. Before the trip, I had read many warnings about how dangerous the area around the Naples train station is, so we were on high alert while we were there. Wallet securely hidden, very attentive to our luggage, eyes constantly scanning.
But to tell you the truth, it didn't feel any more dangerous than any other train station to me. There was even a helpful fellow wearing a conductor's outfit who came up to us and offered advice...where to go to kill time (he was right!), where our train would be arriving, when to get ready for the train. I thought it was nice for the train company to help us confused tourists out. Once it was about time for the train to arrive, we sat right at the edge of the tracks, as the conductor had instructed.
And then the train arrived! It was an extremely long train, very beautiful, very quiet, it looked like it would be a very pleasant ride. And whoosh! Out of nowhere the conductor appeared and grabbed the handle of our luggage to help us load it on the train. But we were at the wrong end of the train...this man hustled our luggage to the other end walking so fast that I had to run to keep up! It was amazing! He found our seats for us, stowed our luggage. And then...the outstretched palm. It was then in one dazed moment that I realized he did not work for the train company. I don't recall exactly how much he was demanding but I think it was around ten euros. He repeated his demand two or three times a second...my mind was reeling. While I didn't appreciate being shook down like that, he had provided a service and I really didn't want a scene on the train, so I paid him. It took me several hours to get over my anger and the fact that I didn't negotiate that down, but the truth is I paid it. The reason I'm saying this is so that YOU can be on the lookout for a man in a conductor's outfit at the Naples train station. Keep your hand on your luggage and be on guard! Of course if your luggage is heavy, it may be worth ten euros for him to help you...your call.
But we were loaded and seated and the train started rolling out of the Naples train station...
...and we started to catch glimpses of the southern Italian countryside. Please forgive the blurriness in a few of the posts as the train was moving at a very high rate of speed. I am actually impressed that they came out as good as they did.
The only stop on the way was in Rome. We didn't have to switch trains or anything, but we did have to pause to let people get on and off.
I hadn't expected to see Roman ruins on the edge of the tracks, but there they were!
..and some more ruins...this appears to be an aqueduct. Note the very high white section to the left.
This building states it is the Rome Terminal, though this is probably an older part of the terminal and I doubt it is still in use.
As we waited for folks to board and unboard, vending machines sat just outside the window, calling our name.
And we were off again! Let's see some of the countryside north of Rome.
The train is now on the outskirts of Firenze, Italy (known in English as Florence, Italy...why did we choose to change the name? What's wrong with Firenze?)
...and just was quickly as we arrived, we breezed on through Florence...
The farther north we went, the greener and wetter it became.
Now passing through...Bologna!
Here is one of the best reasons to visit Italy in May: the Italian red poppies are everywhere and as vibrant a red as you're ever going to find!
The official name(s) for these are the "Tuscan poppy" or "Corn poppy".
...and finally...about 30 minutes outside of Milan, we come across this stunning field of poppies. We disembarked the train at the fabulous Milano Centrale, aka Milan Central Train Station. This is known as the most opulent and beautiful train station in Europe and I certainly would not disagree with that. Unfortunately, I did not get any photos as it was packed with people, we were struggling to find the subway, and it had such stunning heights in the building that my European dizziness was returning. In the end, we gave up and found a taxi to take us to our hotel. I think that was a smart move.
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