Week 2 of my 5-week interrailing trip round Europe

Some of this was written on my phone on trains while travelling. Some of it was written on Sunday night, with my laptop lying to me and saying it was only just gone 8pm, when actually it was 9pm. Here. Obviously. It was 8pm in the UK, and in (some parts of??) Portugal (huh, who knew?). I haven’t adjusted tenses and so on to compensate. Mostly because I’m too tired, but also because it perhaps adds authenticity and a feeling of being there, too. (Or it’s just confusing, in which case sorry, but, like I said… too tired!)

Monday

Up VERY  early to get the 7.30 train from Munich to Bologna. Note to self: only need just over an hour, even if you’re not at all packed.

Long train journey on an EC train. Not as comfortable as the ICE train was, but still fine and I had an actual view through the window, which was particularly useful for seeing all the mountains we were travelling through. The scale was mad. They seemed really close but then you could see there was a whole big town of teeny looking houses in front and realised they were quite far away.

As always (how am I already saying ‘always after a just a week of doing this?), I was fascinated in the changes along the route of house types. We actually went through Austria for some of the journey and I could imagine Heidi in lots of the houses.

The temperature also climbed as we travelled further south, from below zero in Munich in the morning to, I think, 16°C by the time we got to Bologna.

I switched trains in Bologna, to a Regionale (they don’t need reservations but are still valid with interrail pass). It’s a double-decker. How exciting for someone from the UK where we definitely (right?) don’t have double-decker trains.

Reached Ferrara and had a long walk (actually not hugely long, but felt longer with a backpack and dressed for further north) to the hotel. It’s a beautiful little hotel, though definitely not modern. Fortunately they have one socket that takes the general European type plugs (my research assured me that you rarely find the old-fashioned ones in Italy any more). The room smells a bit damp, but I will accustom to that, I imagine. The heating is on! What? It’s too warm for heating. I have a shower and then go out in search of food.

I went out far too early for food. Should have had a siesta and then gone out. I walk round and round and round. Oh my goodness, Ferrara is so beautiful. Just my kind of place. Loads of old buildings, small windy streets. I saw at least ten bookshops – maybe Ferrara is the Hay on Wye of Italy? I love it. But could I find anywhere to get dinner? No. I could have had multiple Aperol Spritzes, or teeny tiny shots of strong coffee. But no food. This may be one of the times when not being solo would have been useful. I probably would have happily sat down for a drink and a chat if I were with someone else and passed the time until dinner was being served. But I was too tired and I can’t chat to myself and it’s too dark to read a book. So I went and grabbed some stuff from a Co-op (called Co-op, I’m not using it generically) and then went to McDonald’s, which apparently hasn’t moved with the times as much as German McDonald’s, because there were no veggie options. So I had fries and a mixed salad (which was actually really nice and my body will have appreciated the vitamins, I’m sure).

Back to the hotel, where I had a quick chat with Chris and then dozed off before setting everything up to charge and going to sleep properly.

Tuesday

I slept really well. Only woke once to go to the loo (that’s the way I measure these things). Woke naturally at 6.40 and looked at stuff on the internet for a bit before grabbing a shower (the water pressure isn’t brilliant, but still refreshing) and getting dressed. Got stuff ready for a day at the fair, including getting my portfolio loaded up on the iPad just in case someone asks, though am mostly going to soak up and be inspired. Had breakfast (which is included at this hotel – I never pay extra for breakfast as I’m not usually able to eat much that early) – a croissant and a cappuccino – which was lovely, and read my book while eating. There were multiple nationalities in the breakfast room, which I love. French, Japanese, American and English (me). I love being surrounded by people talking in loads of different languages – though I must say the Americans drowned everyone else out quite well.

Then time to walk back to the station and head to Bologna. Walked on the other side of the road this time to get a different perspective. Lots of bikes her too. And I noticed how a lot of the women are riding the bikes with amazing posture – completely straight upright backs like there’s no effort at all (though, it’s really flat so maybe it actually is no effort). But of a wait at the station and then onto the Regionale (this train goes between Venice and Ferrara – I think Ferrara would make a brilliant base for exploring – Bologna, Venice, Verona and Florence all quite close by). The train has USB chargers so I give my phone a boost without running down the brick and type this.

A packed bus from Bologna station took me out to the book fair. (I’ve written a separate post about the book fair, as not everyone will be interested in that – given lots of friends and family will be reading the posts about my trip and they’re not necessarily interested in thoughts about an illustration-heavy book fair, like my illustration friends and colleagues probably are.)

After wandering the book fair for a few hours, I headed back into the centre of Bologna to wander (love it – little streets, old beautiful buildings, lots of terracotta colours, parades everywhere to shelter pedestrians from sun or rain) and to look for some lunch. I wandered quite a bit and in the end just decided to sit at one of the tables in the streets (I did check that there was something I could eat on the menu first).

I’d been really looking forward to eating Italian food in actual Italy for the first time in a while (actually, in just over three years, as Rome was my very last trip overseas, a srprs.me on with my youngest daughter, who was only 10 then); prior to that it was 1995! Sadly, it did not meet (or come close to meeting, if I’m honest) expectations. In the middle of a very touristy area, I suppose that’s not a huge surprise. I had vegetable tortelloni and caponata with baked cheese. The tortelloni was not freshly made, and it was very undercooked (NOT just al dente – but about a third of it was still dry). The caponata on the other hand was so overcooked you could barely distinguish the vegetables in it and the cheese wasn’t hot enough so not really melty. But worst of all, I felt strongly that I could taste chicken stock and so I couldn’t finish it because all I could think of was that it was cooked in chicken stock (it may well not have been, but once I start thinking it, I can’t unthink it). [If you don’t know this about me already, I am a third generation vegetarian; never willingly eaten meat. I also try intermittently to become a vegan and currently finding it a lot easier not to try until I go home, when I may well be ready to COMMIT!]

After that, I wandered a little more but then decided to head back to Ferrara. I got a bus, then got off it a couple of stops away, having realised it was going in the wrong direction (in my defence there was building work going on in the street I got the bus and the bus stop I should have been able to get it from was not functioning). Got on the correct bus and went to the train station and thence back to Ferrara. Long walk back to the hotel and a fairly early night.

Wednesday

Wednesday was spent in Ferrara. There was a train (and other public transport) strike in Italy. It’s quite possible I could have got places but I decided exploring Ferrara would be perfect. And it was indeed very enjoyable.

I browsed bookshops (there are LOADS of bookshops in Ferrara – including a bookshop full of Catholic masses and with a nun greeting you as you come through the door and a very academic bookshop that seemed to be full of people’s theses, but also plenty of ‘normal’ bookshops). I didn’t buy anything. I only found one shelf of English-language (and French and German, actually) books but nothing jumped out and wanted to be read by me. Plus I still had books to read.

I sat in a café drinking cappuccino and aranciata (fizzy orange) and reading my book and then I went and had a gelato (my first ice cream of the trip). Then I wandered out to look at the river, which wasn’t hugely impressive. And managed to completely miss seeing the old city walls (I walked alongside the river a while, having seen what looked like a big park on the map, hoping to find an entrance and have a bit of a nature bath, but it was very hot and I gave up and turned back. When I looked later, I realised if I’d walk a bit further I would have got into it and been able to see the walls. Ah well, that’s something to do on another visit.)

I had some snacks for lunch and a slice of (not very nice – threw half of it away) pizza and a bit of a siesta. And then I went out for dinner! I looked stuff up and found a place literally around the corner which sounded nice, so I walked round there, opened the door and asked if they had a table for one. They were very nice and welcoming (and didn’t sit me by the loo – apparently lots of solo women diners get plonked next to the loo or at the bar, but thankfully neither of these has happened to me). I had a full four courses, and a 0,5 litre carafe of (fizzy) white wine and a litre bottle of fizzy water. It was Delicious. Truly. And I can now say I have eaten proper Italian food (not vegan, but vegetarian – I can’t speak for the cheese, actually, but I have usually not worried too much about that for some reason).

Thursday

Thursday was Venice! About an hour and a half on the train, so not too difficult. Loved the morning, when I wandered out toward the edges and through lots and lots of quiet, peaceful little streets and over bridges and canals. Sat down on a bench and soaked it all up. Loved loved loved the lack of cars. And there weren’t any bicycles either, which was pleasant – Ferrara has a lot bikes and I felt like I was going to be run over by one every couple of minutes!

The afternoon wandering was a lot busier, as I ended up in more central areas and walking in throngs of people down some of the streets and across some of the bridges. I still enjoyed seeing what I saw, but the crowds were a bit much for me. I ended up grabbing a pizza and a cold beer down a street near the station as I had a long wait for the next train (though it turned out a longer wait ever, because there had been an accident and all the trains in and out of Venice had been delayed). The pizza was actually lovely, and so was the beer. They were just exactly what I needed at the moment, including the chance to sit down and read for a bit. On the train, I ended up chatting to an American (I think) couple who live in Switzerland but were on a little break and staying in a spa hotel in a spa town (can’t remember the name) and doing little day trips in the mornings and then enjoying the spa in the afternoon. They were very nice. Back to the hotel and then yet another quite early night. All this walking is exhausting!

Friday

A moving on day.

Ferrara to Bologna. Wait about 50 minutes.

Bologna to Parma. Wait about 50 minutes.

Parma to La Spezia.

This was to be a short stop. Just one night. Because I couldn’t quite make it all the way to Nice in one day, from Ferrara. But also because La Spezia was on my list of places I’d like to see. I got there early enough to be able to take a wander before it got dark. And it was lovely. Nice big old buildings. And the sea!!! I my goodness. I just stood there and breathed it in and with it came such a feeling of calm and peace. I love the sea. And there were a lot of lovely plants too – loads of cactuses and succulents and palm trees.

Oh, and I sat in a café near the sea and had an Aperol Spritz. Because I kept seeing everyone drinking them (there seems to be a rule that you drink one or two of these in Italy at around 5 or 6 o’clock) and they look so pretty. But I hadn’t had one because I know I don’t like them. I decided I would try one anyway, because maybe I do like them now. Tastes change after all. Nope. Still don’t like them. I like sweet flavourings in my fizzy wine – Aperol is so very not sweet. Ah well, I did it. And now I know.

I did eat dinner in La Spezia and it was fine. Nothing amazing and probably paid more than I should for it, but it was what I needed at the time (spaghetti ala pomodoro and tiramisu and a glass of white sparkling wine) and then another of those early night things. I seem to have a lot of them on this trip!

I was quite wheezy in the night for an hour or so. Realised, with hindsight (and talking to Chris) that it was being by the sea. The same thing happened to me my first couple of days in St Ives, and then I acclimatised. It’s very unpleasant though. But I slept better once that had dissipated.

Saturday

And moving on again…

La Spezia to Genoa.

Genoa to Ventimiglia.

Ventimiglia to Nice.

All three trips alongside the sea but with a lot of time in tunnels, too. Pleasant. Genoa to Ventimiglia train was a quite old one and had dirty windows (not that you couldn’t see through, but that you couldn’t take good pictures through!) and was a bit uncomfortable by the end of the two and a bit hours.

Arrived in Nice and spent most of the walk from the station to the AirBnB in digital conversation with the AirBnB host who was explaining how to get the keys and exactly where the flat was both on the street and within the building. Thanks to her excellent descriptions, I found it fine, but barely took any photos while walking.

I will be in Nice until early Tuesday morning. I decided stay a day longer than planned and get a home-like place, rather than hotel room, for various reasons, including needing to use a washing machine, having some work to do and wanting to really wind down and feel a bit settled briefly.

The trip so far has been amazing and nothing awful has happened. But it has been quite fast paced and I’ve done a lot of walking and a lot of taking in new sights. And a lot of discombobulation, albeit on a fairly minor level since Europe as a whole (especially western Europe) is very familiar to me. I love the train days, and I love the walking round discovering a new place days. But I needed a mostly sitting and being day or two.

After dropping my things off at the studio, I took a quick wander and found a Spar, where I bought VEGETABLES, and pasta, and passata, and tomato and vegetable puree, and haricot beans, and cheese, and milk, and beer. And I came back and cooked myself a meal. Nothing fancy or complicated, but reasonably healthy. And just what I needed. And I put a load of washing on. Bliss.

Sunday

I had a lie in until gone 9am! Though that may be because I spent all night blowing my nose. Woked feeling full of cold (though there’s a good chance it’s hayfever not a cold – and yes I am taking my antihistamines and brought enough with me to last the whole trip). Put the sofa bed away, showered, ate some cold pasta (of course, I made enough for four meals!) and then sat at the table with my laptop and did some work.

Took a break around 1.30 pm to wander down to the sea (there’s sea here, too!) and sat in the lovely long park they have here, live sketching (something I almost never do, but thought I would somehow miraculously be doing the second I got off the Eurostar, but it was fun, so hopefully I’ll find more time and inspiration to do so again) and chatting to a beggar about learning languages and architecture and how annoying it is that everyone pays for everything with cards these days (I must get some cash out and turn it into little coins so that I can actually give out some money). He was very nice, anyway.

And that reminds me about the beggar in Venice who pointed me in the correct direction (to the railway) after I’d walked past him (and sadly ignored him) three times. I stopped and chatted to him and gave him some money (the last of my coins, in fact) and apologised for walking past him three times. It’s difficult in busy tourist areas, because there are a lot of people asking for small change. I have found myself switching off and not seeing them, which is not who I want to be. I’m not sure where to go from that thought, though. Make sure I have lots of small coins in my pocket? Somehow fix the political system in every country I come across so no-one needs to sleep or beg on the streets? Or keep turning away? Will have to see. [Side note: Don’t remember seeing any beggars or obviously homeless people in Amsterdam. Are they doing something right? And, if so, why aren’t other countries, including ours?]

Back to the studio for more pasta and more work. Then more pasta and more work. It turned out to not be quite as small an amount of work as I thought, but I think I should be done with it by tomorrow lunchtime and I’m enjoying getting my brain working in a different way, so should still get some nice Nice exploration done (see what I did there?) Now I need to put this up on my blog and then get the sofa bed out and get a not so early night. And hope that I wake completely snot-free, and ready for Week 3.

Follow me on Find Penguins

A reminder that you can follow along with my trip on Find Penguins – you can see a map of where I’ve been so far and see ‘footprints’ with lots of photos and some words and ponderings (some longer than others). If you’re into it, you can sign up yourself and share your own trips and also get notifications whenever I post a new footprint (that may be a bit excessive if you’re not a member of my family).