Once Mowgli has finally arisen, we head into town. I'm dropping my bags off at the station's left luggage and then we are going to kill some time in town, catch up on some email and get some food.
We know there's wifi in a little Dutch bar in town, so Mowgli takes his 15" Powerbook along. When we get into the bar, it's pretty dead, but it's playing some good music. We both catch up on various email and internet activities while we enjoy some pilsner's. The Dutch barman is very friendly and I show off my Dutch to him. He seems quite impressed and comments on how good my accent is.(He MUST want a tip)
Eventually, we're settled enough that we decide to just stay here and get food as well. We're talking to the Russian volleyball twins on MSN, and generally enjoying having nowhere to be. We're now the only people in the bar and Mowgli convinces the barman that we should just play grunge music. we get various ALice in chains, Soundgarden, screaming trees, PJ Harvey, Kyuss, Pearl jam, early REM. Generally a great mix. It's a good way to relax, and catch up on the stories of the weekend.
Soon, it's time for the Prague adventure to end. Adventures can't last for ever, and our livers probably need a rest too. We settle our bill and head off to the station, collect my baggage and find the platform.
This is my first time on a sleeper train, so I'm not really sure what to expect. When I get on my carriage, I have a littlr room to myself with a bad, a sink, and the greatest gift - a power connection to keep the Apple products alive. I say cheerio to Mwogli out of the window in film style goodbye - there's even steam coming out of the frint of the train making it look like an old movie. The next time we're together will be Christmas in Scotland, so we don't have too long to repair the livers before we assault another city.
Once I get on the train, I stick on a DVD, but the five pints of pilsner dictates that I'm out cold pretty soon. The conducter is going to wake me up, but I set my alarm for 5.30 anyway as I change in Vienna. I wake up about 5am. The train is crawling through Austria, and I can only see snow outside. It's all quite exciting.
When the border guard chaps my door, she seems quite surprised that a scotsman in boxer shorts with hair everywhere greets her with his passport - I doubt you're meant to dress in a tuxedo or something before you open the door at 5am.
I slept quite well, but given that it's 6am and my body isn't sure if it should be drinking or sleeping, so I'm a bit brain dead when I head into the bakers in Vienna station for some Bretzels, Cola light and Chocolate Croissants.
I find my place on the Vienna to Venice train, and feel bad at having to wake up to beautiful Czech girls too take my seat. I start out by trying to watch DVD's on the powerbook, but before long, I'm out cold just like the Czech girls. I doze on and off until about 10.30, when I wake up and I'm surrounded by snowy hills and fir trees. This must be the alps(Or as much of the alps as I'm seeing). I try to get some photos, but it's not really possible through the windows:
I head back into movie watching mode and while away the hours. I try to read some stuff for the conference, but I'm too brain dead. I'm not too bored, but I'm in a zone where I can't really think. I just want to vegetate - it feels a bit like a sunday.
When the Italian border guard get on the train, they glance at my passport and hand it back. The Czech girls get a much more rigorous check. He then returns with some colleagues and they ask the girls for their tickets, and check over them. One of the girls then launches at him in full colloquial Italian. Whatever she does in Italy, she's already learned to be a good Italian woman. Go Girl!!!
Before long, the girls have disembarked, and I commandeer their side of the carriage to use the power outlet to charge my powerbook.
I'm getting off to change train in Venice, so I'm ready to get off and board my final train of the journey. It's been pretty painless so far. I send a few text messages to try to ascertain if I know anyone who can tell me how far my station is from the watery bit of Venice, but I can't come up with any info. It's an open ticket, so I could head into venice for an hour, but given that I'm too brain dead to appreciatte it and it's pouring, I decide to just get on the 13:36 to Napoli and head to a bed in Firenze.
This trips much tougher. The train isn't luxurious, I've ran out of battery and films to watch, and no matter what I chose on my iPod, I just want to get to Florence and settle for the night.
My brother was in Prato last year, and I know that when we leave Prato, we can't be far away from Florence. It still seems to take an absolute age. My bags seem heavier, my back wants a flat surface or a thai massage and I could do with a beer(Or at least a diet coke)
When I get out and into the station, I get a little more energy. It;s a great bustling station with lots of little italian things. Everyone is running about, and it feels like a train station set in the 1930's.
I get outside, and it;s pouring. Lots of people offer to sell me an umbrella, but I decline and head to the taxi stand.....
......checkin.......find room..... lie down.......
I really need food. I've not had a straight meal since Mowgli cooked dinner two nights ago.
I wander aimlessly in the rain. I'm too tired to work out where I am. I should have got something in the station. I just assumed I could find a 24 hour spar and get a tub of pringles and a sandwich. Theres nothing about. There's restaurants where I can't tell the difference between full on candlelit dinner for two and one that'll give me a take away pizza. I did this in genoa. I'm not very good at Italy. I am too tired to eat, so just need to munch something, I couldn't hack sit down meal. You kind of need to ask for everything and go to the little man that sells pizza or the little man that sells pasta. You can't just go to Tesco's. I'm too used to modern life.....
After realising I've been almost staggering around for 40 minutes with only Nine Inch Nails downward spiral keeping me sanding, I find a little booth that sells pasta from a vending machine, along with crisps and various other munchie level food.
I take it back to the hotel and munch away - it is extremely uninspiring, but its enough to fill my belly before I collapse on the bed ready to go to a conference the next day.
My third country and language in as many days......
buona notte!!!!
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