Post by Kim on Jan 30, 2002 22:32:09 GMT -5
30 January
Sienna, Italy
Howdy one and all,
Came face to face with Italian ways this morning, in a big way. Was up early, very early to watch the Prez give his address and then the only station that carries FOX just stopped broadcasting it after about 45 minutes and decided to show some more porn.....I was throwing things at the TV! But i did hear most of it I think. Won't know till tomorrow at the earliest as all english papers are one to two days behind. But that was not the adventure.
Got myself ready and down to the station in fine time, hopped right on the 0833 train to Sienna, due to arrive at 1005. Perfect. Today is my gals b'day and I wanted to be able to phone her about 0700 her time, so no problem. Off we go.....for 27 minutes that is. The train stops in a little bitty station/town and stays there. I look around, seems everyone is getting off. Everyone! In this little place? I luckily caught the conductor as he was passing through and he blithely tells me I must get off. Why? There is a train strike. What! Here! Now! Not to worry says he, it is over at one and then I can be on my way. But, from 0900 - 1300 they are having a strike. Is that not silly? So, for four hours I sat on a stone bench outside a station in a town so unmentionable that even my Lonely Planet doesn't list or mention it. And, promply at 1300 they opened the doors so we could get back on the train, and at about 20 after we were on our way.
Really almost too late to do much once I arrived here but have a trip to the TI and a walk around. A beautiful old city indeed and I am looking forward to doing some serious exploration tomorrow. A very unusual town 'square' that is not square at all, but more a half moon sort of shape. With a huge town hall at the bottom....oh, it is very slanted as well...and guess whose family crest is adorning this building? You got it, the Medicis!
till next time,
ging
Sienna, Italy
Howdy one and all,
Came face to face with Italian ways this morning, in a big way. Was up early, very early to watch the Prez give his address and then the only station that carries FOX just stopped broadcasting it after about 45 minutes and decided to show some more porn.....I was throwing things at the TV! But i did hear most of it I think. Won't know till tomorrow at the earliest as all english papers are one to two days behind. But that was not the adventure.
Got myself ready and down to the station in fine time, hopped right on the 0833 train to Sienna, due to arrive at 1005. Perfect. Today is my gals b'day and I wanted to be able to phone her about 0700 her time, so no problem. Off we go.....for 27 minutes that is. The train stops in a little bitty station/town and stays there. I look around, seems everyone is getting off. Everyone! In this little place? I luckily caught the conductor as he was passing through and he blithely tells me I must get off. Why? There is a train strike. What! Here! Now! Not to worry says he, it is over at one and then I can be on my way. But, from 0900 - 1300 they are having a strike. Is that not silly? So, for four hours I sat on a stone bench outside a station in a town so unmentionable that even my Lonely Planet doesn't list or mention it. And, promply at 1300 they opened the doors so we could get back on the train, and at about 20 after we were on our way.
Really almost too late to do much once I arrived here but have a trip to the TI and a walk around. A beautiful old city indeed and I am looking forward to doing some serious exploration tomorrow. A very unusual town 'square' that is not square at all, but more a half moon sort of shape. With a huge town hall at the bottom....oh, it is very slanted as well...and guess whose family crest is adorning this building? You got it, the Medicis!
till next time,
ging