Mon 24.Jun.2013
Italy
At Sea
The good ship Regina Della Pace sails from Split just before
sundown, bound for Ancona, Italy. Because of the locations of the two
cities, we follow the coast For a couple of hours before leaving sight of
Croatia.
I usually put out the extra €4 or so for a more comfortable airline-style
seat. The lounge for thse seats is just a bit funny-looking, with its
cellular mirrored ceiling.
Sunrise, afloat on the Adriatic.
Italy is still a couple of hours away.
Italia Firma
As is all too often the case, getting out of Ancona took far more time and
hassle than I would have wished. This time, the express train that I wanted
was sold out - standing room only. My primary credit card was denying all
charges. The ticket machine would only do domestic tickets, which got me to
Venice for the afternoon, but I still needed to wait in line to see the
agent about the night train to Vienna. etc
This too is Italy, the Po river delta, agricultural heartland and all that.
The normal-speed train that I ended up riding had some benefit for me. It
allowed me a couple of hours extra napping, sparing me some subsequent
discomfort as the day wore on.
You fight the ticket machine long enough to get a ticket to Venice, and
where does it get you? Right first time!
As always, there are plenty of worse places to amuse yourself for the
afternoon.
I keep thinking I should put out for a real map some day, but part of the
joy of Venice is getting lost in the maze of lanes, channels, foot bridges,
et al.
Enough with the carrots! Prosciutto!
I was all set up to do a nice photo sequence, zooming up on the reflection
in this little canal. Then a kid in a speedy outboard rowboat changed all
that to chaotic wave patterns instead.
If I had gotten my camera out and focused just a little bit faster, I'd have
gotten a second photographer shooting this photographer shooting her
companion. Actually, the fact that this picture exists means that I was a
second photographer. The guy I missed would have made me the third. Oh well.
Some of these figures are live humans, standing on the ferrovia
bridge.
A few are statues on the roof of a building by Santa Lucia station.
By contrast with last year, the night train to Vienna departed on time,
with no hassles, from Santa Lucia station right at dusk.
That was it?!? A single day for a whole country!?
I love Italy too much to tempt fate by giving the country time to get on
my nerves.
Anyway, Vienna and Bratislava lie ahead.