Day 4 - Italian trains and cash machines.

Today I reached another milestone. I successful made it back to the Lamezia airport, returned my car, bought a shuttle bus ticket (in Italian) and tested the much maligned Italian Railway system. How did I ever fit that into one day?

Today, Saturday, is market day in Tropea. I stopped by the bank to get some extra cash for a taxi in case I needed it if I couldn't work out the shuttle from the airport to the train station (statizone di ferrovearia). After telling literally thousands of people how easy it is to get cash in Europe (all autobanks use English here is my favorite refrain), I found the only cash machine in Europe that doesn't speak any language but Italian. (See picture of me with egg on my face).

I quickly walked down to Cristian's office to do my "what am I doing wrong" act. He gracefully offered to give me cash out of his wallet, which I politely refuse and instead he took me to a cash machine closer to his office.

Have I mentioned that all cash machines in Europe have several different languages? (See pic of second egg on face). Having gotten through that fiasco with 116 apologies for being dumb, we parted and I headed back up towards my car.

For market day, the big guns come into town to compete with the local butchers, bakers and fish mongers. Additionally, there are vendors of household goods, olives, nuts and candy. Since I wasn't returning home I could only drool at the great selection of olives (I can wait a week. I can wait a week, damnit I need olives).

Jumped in the car to avoid a public olive fit and headed out to the airport some 30 miles away. I'm unsure as to why, but there was way less traffic than on weekdays. 49 minutes later I was gassing up just a few clicks from the airport.

(Note to Exxon, Standard Oil, etc. Your profits could be WAY higher). So for 3/4 of a tank of gas for my Fiat Panda. Drumroll.........44 Euros...(A cool 59.75 dollars). Now consider that the car for 4 days was only 77 euros (104 dollars), you see why Big Oil is way maligned.)

Into the terminal after drop off and bought my shuttle ticket to the railway station. It was good to find this out since I talked with Cristian this morning about possibly needing a cab if I couldn't get the shuttle. "Make you  ask for price first. Maybe they see you foreigner and cost you more." Nah, that wouldn't happen. Plus when my friend Joe Depoti arrives on the 16th, I needed to know how to get from the station to the airport. It's a snap. No worries.

A schedule 12:28 departure from Lamezia left at 12:45, not sure why since the train was there when I got there at 12:15, but hey a made connection is a good connection. One thing to remember when traveling the Italian railways, VALIDATE YOUR TICKET. How exactly do you do that? Well I can thank Rick Steves website for that info. In each statzione there is a yellow validation machine that dates your ticket and you're all set for an exciting rail adventure.

I'm happy that the train is heading in the right direction.

I hour later, back in Tropea. Mission accomplished. No worries.

A couple of pics from the journey.

  

A beach front villa from the train.

 

Very affordable I'm told.

So that was a busy and fulfilling Saturday in Italy. I'm thinking pizza tonight. Just have to get my courage up to dine alone.

Buono Sera

PS. This marks the beginning of 10 days without a car, so things might get a tad boring on this blog. I'll try not to fill it up with nonsense so I may not post everyday. Tomorrow being Sunday, I'm not sure just how much I'll have to say, especially since I won't be seeing the Super Bowl, like all of you. Go Green Bay Steelers!! My way of saying I don't care who wins.

Did I mention it was 60 plus today?? 

Later.