Two weeks in Western Europe by Train
Apr 13th, 2011 | 07:38 AM
#22
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 52
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Northern Italy - Oct 27-29
Shortly before 9:30 AM on October 27, a gorgeously sunny day, we bid farewell to Innsbruck and began the marathon trip that would take us to Tirano, Italy.
The ride through the Brenner Pass lived up to its reputation. It was a lovely ride through valleys and along mountainsides. We marveled at the highways and bridges that seemed to cling precariously to the mountains on the other side of the valley. Then, when we realized that we were actually looking down on some of those precarious highways we decided, for the sake of sanity, that it was best not to think about it too much.
At one point in the Brenner Pass, we stopped for about 45 minutes – seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Eventually, we managed to figure out that this must be the border between Austria and Italy and we were waiting for a crew change. As we waited longer and longer we began to lose confidence that we would be able to make our connecting trains.
Finally, we started to roll along again and we stared out the windows as the landscape gradually began to change and the snow was replaced by row upon row of vineyards and groves.
Miraculously, when we arrived in Balzano our connecting train to Verona was waiting for us. That’s when we realized that the military precision of the German train system was long behind us. In this case, it was a good thing.
The train between Balzano and Verona was rather rundown and had clearly seen better days. It was fun to watch and listen to the people who got on and off of the train at every little town and village of our milk run. We were sitting near the front of one of the cars when a couple of frazzled looking teachers boarded with a group of school children. The group stayed out in the space between train cars and my husband and I took turns smiling and making silly faces at the children who pressed their faces up to the glass in the door. When they were about to get off the train, one little guy sheepishly came back to wave and gave us a big gap-toothed grin before racing off to join his friends. It was a sweet and perfect example of bonding and communicating without saying a word.
Once we arrived in Verona we changed to one of the shiny, new, super fast trains that would carry us to Milan in style. As we sped through the Italian countryside we were both rather underwhelmed. As we got closer and closer to Milan that underwhelmed feeling turned to dismay. The humdrum scenery gave way to the dilapidated buildings and dirt that seem to be staples of urban rail systems everywhere. Surely THIS couldn’t be the Italy we had imagined.
Of course, we have travelled enough to know that it is impossible to judge an entire country by one small part and we were hopeful that at some point during our brief stay we would find at least a glimpse of the Italy that so many people rave over.
In Milan we waited about an hour for the train that would bring us the rest of the way to Tirano – the town from which we would be taking the Bernina Express in a couple of days. While we waited for our train we strolled through the open-air market outside of the rather impressive train station and stocked up on delectable Italian treats since by this time it was late in the afternoon and we hadn’t really had anything to eat since breakfast.
Now, I’m sure that Milan is quite lovely and that there is plenty to do and see. However, we were quite happy to leave the city behind.
As our train travelled slowly northward out of the city, the Italy we had imagined came to life. In the relaxing warm glow of the setting sun, we twisted along through beautiful Italian villages nestled like a kiss between the lake and mountains. Perhaps it is needless to say that we enjoyed this train ride as much as any other part of our adventure.
We arrived in Tirano just after dark, checked into our hotel, and went in search of a meal. At that time of the year, at that time of the evening, our options were limited. We walked around the town in search of a meal off the beaten path but ended up back at our hotel’s restaurant. Fortunately, my husband had been brushing up on his Italian a little bit. As it turned out, our waiter spoke no English. Still, we managed to order with no problems and had a very pleasant meal. If I remember correctly, I had a risotto that was quite good.
The following day, we decided to head down to Varenna for a taste of the Lakes region. The train we took, shortly after 9 AM, served as another example of the stark contrast between the German and Italian trains. This train was on time, sure, but there was no heat! We could literally see our breath and by the time we reached Varenna, my feet were numb chunks of ice inside of my thick socks. Brrrrrrrrr...
Once we stepped off the train in Varenna, though, all was forgiven. It’s impossible to say whether it was the heat of the sun in the cloudless sky or the beauty of the town that warmed us up more assuredly than a cup of hot cocoa. I could say that the day was perfect or magical and I still wouldn’t be doing justice to the time we spent exploring the charms of this captivating little town.
I imagine that in the high season, Varenna would be quite a different experience. On a mid-week day in late October, though, we once again had practically the whole town to ourselves. We strolled cobblestone paths and made up romantic stories about the people who had walked here hundreds of years ago. We clambered up the steep path to the fortress and, after some debate, decided to pay the entrance fee to access the grounds. The view from the fortress grounds, with sweeping views of the lake and mountains, was well worth the price of admittance. Incredibly, for most of the time we were there we were the only two people on the grounds!
After we had our fill of the fortress, we slowly wended our way back down to the village through a hillside olive grove. The view of the town from the grove was breathtaking. Through the silvery foreground of the olive trees, we saw that the sparkling path the sun traced on the water was interrupted only by the pretty little town itself, jutting out into the lake. The whole scene was then tucked within the protective embrace of the mountains. Yes, it was every bit as romantic as it sounds.
We joked that it is rather unfair for one little town to hog so much of the world’s beauty.
Back in the town and with limited dining options at that time of the year, we ducked into a small pizzeria that we shared with a few locals and had a leisurely lunch. Then, we struck off for more adventuring. We strolled along the waterfront, ventured into a small shop where I bought a couple of beautiful Italian scarves for presents (the perfect gift for light travellers), filled up on gelato, and just sat for a while to watch the world go by and soak up the atmosphere.
My one regret is that the monastery grounds were closed while we were in Varenna. Of course, it’s probably just as well…I may still be there taking pictures otherwise. Aside from the monastery, though, I don’t think we left any stone unturned.
Finally, just before sunset – with feet aching from a day on the cobblestones, bellies full of yummy treats, and hearts smiling from a wonderful day of beauty and exploration – we boarded a train back to Tirano. Following a late supper and another stroll through the town, we called it a day. The next day would bring us to Switzerland for the final stage of our adventure.
Ciao Italia!
Shortly before 9:30 AM on October 27, a gorgeously sunny day, we bid farewell to Innsbruck and began the marathon trip that would take us to Tirano, Italy.
The ride through the Brenner Pass lived up to its reputation. It was a lovely ride through valleys and along mountainsides. We marveled at the highways and bridges that seemed to cling precariously to the mountains on the other side of the valley. Then, when we realized that we were actually looking down on some of those precarious highways we decided, for the sake of sanity, that it was best not to think about it too much.
At one point in the Brenner Pass, we stopped for about 45 minutes – seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Eventually, we managed to figure out that this must be the border between Austria and Italy and we were waiting for a crew change. As we waited longer and longer we began to lose confidence that we would be able to make our connecting trains.
Finally, we started to roll along again and we stared out the windows as the landscape gradually began to change and the snow was replaced by row upon row of vineyards and groves.
Miraculously, when we arrived in Balzano our connecting train to Verona was waiting for us. That’s when we realized that the military precision of the German train system was long behind us. In this case, it was a good thing.
The train between Balzano and Verona was rather rundown and had clearly seen better days. It was fun to watch and listen to the people who got on and off of the train at every little town and village of our milk run. We were sitting near the front of one of the cars when a couple of frazzled looking teachers boarded with a group of school children. The group stayed out in the space between train cars and my husband and I took turns smiling and making silly faces at the children who pressed their faces up to the glass in the door. When they were about to get off the train, one little guy sheepishly came back to wave and gave us a big gap-toothed grin before racing off to join his friends. It was a sweet and perfect example of bonding and communicating without saying a word.
Once we arrived in Verona we changed to one of the shiny, new, super fast trains that would carry us to Milan in style. As we sped through the Italian countryside we were both rather underwhelmed. As we got closer and closer to Milan that underwhelmed feeling turned to dismay. The humdrum scenery gave way to the dilapidated buildings and dirt that seem to be staples of urban rail systems everywhere. Surely THIS couldn’t be the Italy we had imagined.
Of course, we have travelled enough to know that it is impossible to judge an entire country by one small part and we were hopeful that at some point during our brief stay we would find at least a glimpse of the Italy that so many people rave over.
In Milan we waited about an hour for the train that would bring us the rest of the way to Tirano – the town from which we would be taking the Bernina Express in a couple of days. While we waited for our train we strolled through the open-air market outside of the rather impressive train station and stocked up on delectable Italian treats since by this time it was late in the afternoon and we hadn’t really had anything to eat since breakfast.
Now, I’m sure that Milan is quite lovely and that there is plenty to do and see. However, we were quite happy to leave the city behind.
As our train travelled slowly northward out of the city, the Italy we had imagined came to life. In the relaxing warm glow of the setting sun, we twisted along through beautiful Italian villages nestled like a kiss between the lake and mountains. Perhaps it is needless to say that we enjoyed this train ride as much as any other part of our adventure.
We arrived in Tirano just after dark, checked into our hotel, and went in search of a meal. At that time of the year, at that time of the evening, our options were limited. We walked around the town in search of a meal off the beaten path but ended up back at our hotel’s restaurant. Fortunately, my husband had been brushing up on his Italian a little bit. As it turned out, our waiter spoke no English. Still, we managed to order with no problems and had a very pleasant meal. If I remember correctly, I had a risotto that was quite good.
The following day, we decided to head down to Varenna for a taste of the Lakes region. The train we took, shortly after 9 AM, served as another example of the stark contrast between the German and Italian trains. This train was on time, sure, but there was no heat! We could literally see our breath and by the time we reached Varenna, my feet were numb chunks of ice inside of my thick socks. Brrrrrrrrr...
Once we stepped off the train in Varenna, though, all was forgiven. It’s impossible to say whether it was the heat of the sun in the cloudless sky or the beauty of the town that warmed us up more assuredly than a cup of hot cocoa. I could say that the day was perfect or magical and I still wouldn’t be doing justice to the time we spent exploring the charms of this captivating little town.
I imagine that in the high season, Varenna would be quite a different experience. On a mid-week day in late October, though, we once again had practically the whole town to ourselves. We strolled cobblestone paths and made up romantic stories about the people who had walked here hundreds of years ago. We clambered up the steep path to the fortress and, after some debate, decided to pay the entrance fee to access the grounds. The view from the fortress grounds, with sweeping views of the lake and mountains, was well worth the price of admittance. Incredibly, for most of the time we were there we were the only two people on the grounds!
After we had our fill of the fortress, we slowly wended our way back down to the village through a hillside olive grove. The view of the town from the grove was breathtaking. Through the silvery foreground of the olive trees, we saw that the sparkling path the sun traced on the water was interrupted only by the pretty little town itself, jutting out into the lake. The whole scene was then tucked within the protective embrace of the mountains. Yes, it was every bit as romantic as it sounds.
We joked that it is rather unfair for one little town to hog so much of the world’s beauty.
Back in the town and with limited dining options at that time of the year, we ducked into a small pizzeria that we shared with a few locals and had a leisurely lunch. Then, we struck off for more adventuring. We strolled along the waterfront, ventured into a small shop where I bought a couple of beautiful Italian scarves for presents (the perfect gift for light travellers), filled up on gelato, and just sat for a while to watch the world go by and soak up the atmosphere.
My one regret is that the monastery grounds were closed while we were in Varenna. Of course, it’s probably just as well…I may still be there taking pictures otherwise. Aside from the monastery, though, I don’t think we left any stone unturned.
Finally, just before sunset – with feet aching from a day on the cobblestones, bellies full of yummy treats, and hearts smiling from a wonderful day of beauty and exploration – we boarded a train back to Tirano. Following a late supper and another stroll through the town, we called it a day. The next day would bring us to Switzerland for the final stage of our adventure.
Ciao Italia!
Apr 14th, 2011 | 11:14 AM
#24
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 52
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I'm still in the process of writing the last installment. At the moment, I'm also putting some of my photos up on Flickr and thought I would share them in case anybody is interested.
The first set is from Copenhagen and Malmo. It's just a small sampling of the many photos I took while we were there:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vict4ia...66250065/show/
The first set is from Copenhagen and Malmo. It's just a small sampling of the many photos I took while we were there:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vict4ia...66250065/show/
Apr 14th, 2011 | 11:20 AM
#25
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 52
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These are the photos for Germany:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vict4ia...7626366911911/
I am working on putting up the photos from Austria now.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vict4ia...7626366911911/
I am working on putting up the photos from Austria now.
Apr 14th, 2011 | 12:45 PM
#26
Original Poster
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
These are the photos for Austria.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vict4ia...7626372524305/
I hope to get the Italy photos up there tomorrow.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vict4ia...7626372524305/
I hope to get the Italy photos up there tomorrow.
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