A great travel partner is one who compliments you, between Jim and I at least we eat everything on our plate..... I eat his peppers, he eats my mushrooms!
The trip back to Italy had more adventure than I had planned on. I was scheduled to depart Calgary on the 12th, after 3 hours sitting on the plane at the gate, at midnight, British Airways deceided that the mechanical problems with the brakes couldn't be repaired. They unloaded us and put us up at the airport hotel. April 13th - plane repaired, off to London I go.
We flew RIGHT over that volcano and it looked perfectly fine to me! Thursday morning I head to Gatwick airport at 5:30 am unaware of the hullabaloo awaiting me....... oh my word!
No planes flying! Rebooked for the next day. After re-checking back into my hotel I took the train for a 45 min ride out to the ocean at Brighton. Fun beach town, I wanderd on the boardwalk for miles in the sunshine. Still on a different time zone I was asleep around 6pm!! For the night!! Well, at least till 4:45am when I had to be up to see if the planes were flying. Still a no go and looking like it would clear in a day or two I decieded to reschedule for the Sunday morning flight (I figured I'd fly after all had settled down...... Hahaha) Packed my bags and headed to Bath. Might as well tour while I'm here! I had met a great couple on the plane from Calgary who lived in Bath and had been in Calgary visiting their son. Monika had given me their contact info for when we would be in England in June to look them up....... I was a tad earlier. They graciously put me up in their beautiful 110 year old house. Derek showed me the original title, with the name of the house...... Kelowna!! Yes, Kelowna!! Hahaha I told them on their next trip to Canada they needed to see the beautiful city!
I had a great time temporarily being adopted into the family. They have three grown kids living close by, with famlies, and were in and out of the family home. Plus another house guest, a friend of the youngest daughter, she lived with them during the week to cut down on comute time. With 7 bedrooms there was still loads of room :)
It was a fun time of seeing Bath thru everyday life! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful city! Weather was gorgeous too..... Ash may have been falling, but it wasn't blocking any sun.
By the end of the weekend and still no jets flying in the north I cancelled my ticket and deceided I'd better get back to my honey over land. So, Monday afternoon I took the train back to London (1 1/2 hours) puttered around and found my way to the bus depot. Again, a zoo!! The fast train to Paris is normally around 35 euro , but like flying, best prices are when you book early, last minute tickets where now 179 euros!! Yikes! So, being frugal I reserved a seat on the overnight bus to Paris..... 40 euro. We had a 90 minute ferry ride across the chanel at 1:30 in the morning. It was a nice ship, smaller than BC ferries but with larger open spaces with tables and chairs, a snack bar, and larger regular bar. We arrived in Paris at 7:30 am, I made my way to my down town hotel, a funky little place with friendly staff. My train to Italy wasn't departing till the next morning so Paris was mine for 24 hours. I rode the hop on hop off tour bus for more 7 hours, getting off to have a fun little lunch at a famously old street cafe called Les Duex Magots. Paris is HUGE!! It's a lovely city and so fun to see in person all the famous land marks...... but it's huge! Haha again the sun was out for my little solo adventure.
6:25 am I'm on the train bound for Zurich. It's a slightly longer way to get where I was going but more scenic......thru the Swiss Alps. They were amazing, I thought they looked like our Rocky Mountains but with Shuswap Lake at the base, and beautiful patches of bright green pastures. Little A framed chalets dotted the landscape almost all the way to the top. I was sure I saw Heidi and her grandpa with their sheep! Hahaha
In Zurich I had scheduled a VERY tight connection on to Milan...... 9 minutes!! Fortunately my train was on time and I jumped off one train and hopped on the one across the platform, whew! Made it! Now I could relax. In hind sight booking such short connections is too stressful :)
But aboard after settling my stuff in my seat I made my way to the dinning car. There I sat, eating my wonderful lasagna (almost as good as the one Nella made us Kath!) at a little white linen covered table, looking out at the passing country side, sighing contently. Oh what a marvelous way to travel.....
Once in Milan, I booked another train to journey farther south to Naples. There Jim met me to make the final 70 min leg into Sorrento. No offence to Naples, but with their very high unemployment, crime is quite an issue. And train stations are a favorite hang out for the little thugs! I needed my man by my side! Hahaha I must say, as we headed downstairs around 10pm to catch the train, I was very glad for the foresight to have him meet my train in Naples! When the train pulls into the station and most of those waiting rush to the front car to be close to the contuctor and the remaining 5 or 6 cars are empty ....... You get the picture?
But finally, after 17 hours on the train I am snug back in our little apartment in Sorrento! The next morning when I see our landlady, Anna, I'm greeted with a bear hug and kisses on both cheeks, and a florish of Italian I don't understand!! This is living.....
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