Bought an International New York Times from the edicola (on the station (3 Euros! - it is cheaper to buy breakfast). Train is in at the station and, on time, we depart. Bill WILL be pleased - no sciopero (strike)!
Lovely coastal trip - very pretty as we came into Augusta: early morning light swirling in the water around pretty fishing boats. Very picturesque. No photo though - dirty windows!
Inland to the pretty station of Lentini with Mt Etna (or "A Muntagna" as the locals refer to it) looming ahead. At this point we are heading for Catania, Sicily's second largest city, back on the coast. The city doesn't look particularly appealing as you enter, but majestic and old - if somewhat unloved - buildings came into view as we arrived into the station.
With Mount Etna so close it is no wonder that in 1669, the city was covered in lava and then, just 24 years later in 1693, an earthquake shook the town down to its foundations. The reaction to this latter catastrophe was amazing: the entire old part of town was rebuilt in Baroque style, with large, wide open squares and avenues. The most remarkable aspect, however, was the building material used: lava! Catania is essentially a "grey" city and unique in the world for this.
We had been travelling for an hour and, as we expected, plenty of people boarded here. After a quiet journey to this point it was now noisier with chat.
The track then swung under Etna to the town of Acireale, then Giarre-Riposto. We are still heading north up the east coast of Sicily.
We pass orchards and, with Mt Etna now behind us, we approach Taormina where we were a week ago.
I'm getting lots of Italian listening practice - the cabin is full of Italians, talking!
By 11:30 a.m. we are on the mainland at Villa San Giovanni and waiting for the train sections to be joined.
The Elderly woman who joined us at Catania very out of breath has spent the time since in demonstrative conversation with a Middle Aged Italian woman travelling with a younger man who I presume is her Son. Elderly woman intersperses this dialogue with her fellow passengers with energetic conversations on her mobile phone - I presume with family. I have got the impression that she has required help from family that is not forthcoming; this is likely given her age and she is certainly getting plenty of sympathy from the others, but I obviously don't have the full story.
There's lots of talk of mama, figlia, figlio, ragazzi, bambina, basta. The Middle Aged woman is a mother too and seems to be saying she understands, this is her esperienza also. By the time we reach the mainland, the younger man also in our cabin (NOT the Son, but another Younger Man - YM) has also been drawn in, albeit somewhat more reluctantly; I think he is asked if he has a job, what does he do, etc. I only half listen.
Finally, the Elderly Mama - EM - has slowed to draw breath but the conversation continues amongst the Middle Aged Mama - MAM - and the YM; the Son contributes a little. They are all like one big family by lunchtime having shared all the problems of the EM by now.
Despite the announcement over the intercom to speak quietly when using mobile phones, there are several prontos ("hello") when the mobile of the EM rings and her voice volume increases along with her hand gesticulations. The fact that I suspect she doesn't have many teeth doesn't assist the textural tone of the aural experience.
We pass along the coast past pretty rocky outlets and turquoise sea but then turn inland through a series of tunnels. I am not expecting much in the way of scenery from here and we still have 6 hours to go. Finally the others stop talking but EM keeps either answering the phone or making calls. I wonder if she is going all the way to Rome???
There is peace at last: the EM is eating her lunch and she knows I only speak limited Italian so I am spared, although she keeps looking at me as if tempted to engage me; the others have fallen asleep. I make sure to keep looking out the window or read the paper.
My Friend is finally making progress with the Midnight in Sicily book; he should have it finished by Naples is my estimation. Slowest I've seen him read a book but then again, there hasn't been much time for reading on this trip.
Olive trees absolutely laden with their crop and vines laden too with red grapes line the route into Lamezia. More people board; it's getting very crowded. Our cabin comes to life again and the EM's mobile phone comes out again. I hope she's not going all the way to Rome.
It's now about 1 pm and our focaccia bought at the market in Siracusa yesterday is definitely more spinach than cheese.
We are back on the coast passing nice beaches, pretty blue, little white waves breaking on the dark sand. The dark clouds are less dense and the sun is warm through the windows.
At Paola, the mobile phone is back out again. OMG. EM uses the word tranquilla; I could do with some of that.
The Intercity hurtles on. Our NY Times is split between the two of us to share and it's nice to catch up on the news, although much of it is negative of course: the over 700 deaths at the pilgrimage to Mecca; deteriorating ties between Serbia and Croatia as borders close due to the Syrian refugee crisis; VW has been caught out fiddling the figures on diesel emissions.
We cut across inland for a short time but are quickly back at the coast: islands, beaches, resorts, and looming mountains not far away.
The pattern continues inland: tunnels then gorgeous bits of coast, villas, blue-green sea, dramatic cliffs now too. Looks like it'd be nice for a holiday here!
Sapri is the next stop. I thought the announcement was Capri (!) even though I knew that didn't make sense.
A quarter to 3: rattling on. I wish Trenitalia would wash the windows of its trains!
We had used the WCs on the ferry but My Friend has succumbed to the one on the train and reports no paper: it is by now all on the floor and he emerges with paper stuck to his shoes.
Mountains out to the west are the Massa Lubrense on which the Amalfi coast and Sorrento are situated. These jut out into the sea before we progress northwards beyond this to Naples.
But first, Salerno - and we must be waiting awhile because the smokers have alighted. It's a whole hour before we come into Naples.
In fact I now have the "good bye" conversations with our fellow travellers. MAM and Son leave at Naples; so does YM who leaves so quickly I didn't even see him go. But the train props just short of the platform so we answer questions about where we are from, where Albury is, discuss my upcoming travel plans for Rome, discover that MAM and Son are changing trains here for Milan (they come from a town just 5 kms out of Taormina).
We still have EM who is getting out at the next station and is visiting new grandson - 15 days old. So she is in fact Elderly Nonna.
So endeth my Italian lesson.
EM gets out at Aversa and I help her with her bag but son-in-law (?) is coming along the platform anyway.
Black guys - who have been trawling the carriages since Naples selling socks, water, coffee, whatever - depart the train here and split off into all directions disappearing through the shrubbery as opposed to the regular exits.
Two more stations to go: Formia-Gaeta, Latina then Roma Termini. Another hour; we are due in at about 6:30 p.m. It is raining as we approach our final stop but then clears. We navigate through to Line B of the Metro system, buy tickets and sardine-like squash ourselves onto the train. No doubt we were very popular with our suitcases ... Not!
We meet Kathryn coming towards us with Sophie as we emerge from the Metro - at Circo Massimo station. They arrived into Italy mid-afternoon and both are very tired after a sleepless flight from Panama via Madrid.
We have a quick bite to eat and let Kathryn try to settle Sophie while we get a wash on - yay! Clean clothes! The AirBnB house is just down the road from the FAO building where Kathryn will be working this next week. It seems nice although the steps will be awkward with the stroller!
Quick meal at Rosso, a local restaurant not far from "home".
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