Empoli ~ Firenze ~ Bologna ~ Bari

A rather wretched 10 days' hiatus over Christmas during which I didn't even need the camera handy: I have pics of the Italy place and it never varies.

Ill-lit and faintly depressing in its bankruptcy of owt to distract a non gardener.

Superbly cooked meals but of such richness that nights were writhings of indigestion

Booze booze booze for every meal ... and more booze and more witless twitterings as the drink too effect.

Apnean grunts and sleeplessness each night.

The only thing that saved me and made my room a sanctuary was the well-channeled TV. Lifesaver.

I kept a calendar on the wall and counted down the 10 days til it was time to catch that 0718 train from Firenze and ride, at which point I took the camera out and clicked.

From Firenze, I changed at Bologna for the long ride down to Bari, and here my fellow passengers were the stuff of novels.

My neighbour across the table looks a bit drowsy but he's listening to his iPod and was great company, catching my eye when a frosty old fogey clambered on and complained about everything, and also translating for me when the chatter picked up.

 

At one of the stations en route, a punkish figure joined us and sat next to Signor iPod, much to our joint dismay. But he turned out to be a decent sort and even mocked himself for all the calls he was taking and his mass of tattoos.

He had a belt with some English pop group's name emblazoned but i had never heard of them so i was one big failure and poor representative of my musical race.

 

This chap was reading Marquez' 'Time of Cholera' and was clearly some sort of business honcho if his important calls were owt to go by.

Post-script pics: In my ungracious way, I had to check out Sinbad's commentarial links (as I choose to name him) in case they were as deadly dull and self-serving as I feared. As usual, I was completely wrong.

• Wonderful bustling carriage, exactly capturing the spirit of my journey.
• A charming and evocative portrayal of two young ladies, uncannily mirroring my companions and whom I would certainly have pestered and chatted up in their day.
• Thirdly, an endearingly donnish self-snap of Sinners himself that I leave to anyone interested to look up for themselves,
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/sibadd/2117698916/
• This blog is here to stalk and feature comely damsels, not housemasterly types who could have been on duty at either of the loathèd schools in which I did time.