Just a few notes:
I found out that the custard filled doughnut I ate yesterday is called a Bombolone. I found that out because I went back to the same cafe this morning for a final 'cornetto', and someone in front of me ordered one.
I have to say I am loving ordering food in Italian and getting what I want. It boosts the ego. Although, knowing a bit of Italian can also be a curse because I start a conversation in Italian, and then the response comes in proper and fast Italian, and I realise I have got my knickers in a knot and understood...well...nothing! Haha, that'll teach me for being a smartarse!
Yesterday when I was in Riomaggiore, I was just having a relaxing moment watching people walk by when I saw a female tourist struggling with her luggage up the steep incline of the Main Street. She had to stop and wipe the sweat off her brow. I nearly laughed out loud because I had the thought that maybe there were lots of lifts scattered around the place, and that the locals took great pleasure in directing tourists via the hardest, longest route possible, all the while having a good ol' laugh at us.
Out of the five towns I think Monterosso is probably the 'least steep'. So if you're planning on coming, there's a tip for you. Or at least book a hotel right near your arrival point. I also think it is my favourite, but that could simply be because I have stayed here and explored it the most.
I am currently at the train station waiting for my train. I sit here with a very heavy heart! Raffaela said before I left that I should be happy as I'll be going to Ireland (after Milan - she doesn't like Milan). Also that it was going to rain for the next two nights. Perfect timing! And so I should (be happy)! Also huge shout out to Jon who carried my bag down the stairs. I'm going to have to do something about that excess luggage.
Arriverderci Cinque Terre.
xx
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I'm on the train now and on my way to Milano. What a debacle with my luggage. First, no lift (that I could see) so I had to haul my ~22+ kg luggage up 2 flights of stairs, then when the train arrived I needed carriage 4, but as I was making my way down the platform (running by the end), all the carriages seemed to say 1..then 2.. I saw an actual official train guy (the first one I have spotted to date), and he told me I was at 7. So I then had to trace my steps, running again. I had been reading the wrong number. Doh!
Any how, the real story is, I finally got my seat on the train and the young guy next to me immediately started chatting. Within minutes he was chatting me up. No, seriously he was, I kid you not! I don't have tickets on myself, but I know what was going on... Then came the killer question, "do you have a boyfriend?". Bahahahaha. Yes I said, and then wondered how the conversation would have ensued had I lied. Then he asked "how is life in Australia?", and just to rub salt in the wound, I responded with "bellissima!".
A few stops later he got off, and I was quietly relieved.
A family of three then got on and next thing I know curtains are being drawn, and the buxom lady is getting changed in the cabin - skirt off, sitting in her knickers. Then a struggle to get the jeans on, then top off, top on, no... that won't do, top off again, another top on. Ahh we are settled now... Lets see how the rest of this train ride unfolds. This is turning out to be quite an eye opening trip!
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Back again, and still on the train. The little boy from the family of three is watching me do my sudoku puzzle on my iPad. He is about 4 yo I reckon, and he is so cute and funny. He keeps looking over and as I complete the puzzle I am getting all these oohs and ahs, it's all very cute and has the whole cabin laughing. The family has also started talking to the other girls in the cabin. I'm the only one who doesn't understand. I think they're talking a German language. Although, I did hear them say the word Lindt, then the mother describing a souvenir Lindt chocolate you could buy. I understood that! Chocolate, the universal language it seems.
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Another update from the train. It seems the mother is still having clothing issues. I think she is hot and sweaty. The other two girls in the cabin have got off at a stop and two men replaced them. Apparently this doesn't deter this woman. Under her tshirt she takes off her bra and replaces it with her bikini top. Quite an amazing feat. But she has an audience, outside the cabin, a man is ogling her the whole time.
Then I needed to make a trip to the loo (again, sorry for the loo stories), but that was a task within itself. This train is completely 'choccas'. Besides all of the cabins being full, there are fold down seats in the aisle (all occupied), as well as a multitude of people standing in the aisle. I don't know how Italian rail gets away with it! On top of that the food trolley is in the middle blocking any hope of passing through!
All good, got there in the end.
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So I arrived at Milan Central, another loo story which I won't bore you with. Seriously, I must have the bladder the size of a pea. Any way I decided, given the luggage situation that I would just grab a taxi to my apartment even though I figured it wasn't to far from Milan Central, it just wasn't worth the hassle struggling with luggage on the Metro. Glad I made that decision because the taxi ride only came to 9€. I successfully managed the interactions with the taxi driver entirely in Italian.
After I settled into the Apartment, I decided to go for a wander and grab a bite to eat. By this time it was about 4.30 and I hadn't had any lunch. I left the apartment, and about 200 meters later I realised I didn't have my document with me that had the name and address of the apartment. I figured though, that I had my bearings ok from the taxi ride, as long as I could get back to The Duomo. I quickly made a note in my iPhone, from memory, what I thought the name and address was.
I then found a spot for a snack and ordered a bruschetta (classica), and a chinotto (I know, I'm so predictable). It was all ok, but at one stage the owner of the restaurant started absolutely yelling at one of the staff. Now sure, it wasn'lt peak hour, but there were a few customers outside and it was really inappropriate. What a bitch!
The meal, plus chinotto, plus bottled water (water had been free at all the restaurants I had eaten at until now), cost me 19€. Whoa...Time to watch the pennies in a big city!
I think got to the square, decided NOT to take a photo of the Duomo, as the it was right in the middle of the day, and decided I would get up early one morning instead to try and get a better photo, and also to try and avoid the hoardes of tourists.
I wandered to the Galleria, and I think this building is just beautiful by the way. I almost prefer it to the Duomo, then found La Scala, then got a bit lost. Saw a `Magnum' shop (yes Magnum icecreams), and I think you could 'make your own' (in terms of toppings I think), but there were so many people in the store I could barely walk in. Then I saw a chocolate store, which, well I'm not quite sure what it sold, but people were walking out with icecream cones, and again there was some sort of make your own thing going on, but again, so many people I didn't bother. But I think I will go back to that one!
Any way, most Italians you talk to that don't live in Milan, don't actually like Milan. Raffaela was saying she didn't like it because it was a working city, and everyone is busy. So I think it is a lifestyle thing. But as I was walking around, I just fell in love with it, even more than my first visit. It is just so so beautiful. Every building is worth looking up for. As I was wandering I literally didn't know which street to take because each one looked amazing, but then what if I missed out on something down one of the other streets? I did get a bit lost because down one street, I just wanted to explore another, then another. I kept my bearings ok though and made it back to the Duomo.
This is Leonardo:
But I only decided to head back, because a storm was rolling in. The clouds looked threatening, and the weather had started to change. You could feel the air change around you. I wasn't dressed appropriately for a storm, so I thought I better get back to the Apartment. It was a thunderous storm, but it didn't last long, but by the time it all settled, I was settled too...
Tomorrow morning I am booked in to go see "The Last Supper".
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