Today is a travel day. Got up at 6, showered and met the cab in front of the hotel at 7.

I like riding the train. The scenery can help pass the time and it’s something we don’t get to do that often. I packed my bike bag a bit lighter. It’s easier to haul the weight around on wheels that are cooperative. I had to park my bike in the aisle between cars and feel ashamed that I’m making the passengers going to the bathroom in the car behind me have to crawl over it both coming and going. There’s an older American couple sitting in front of me. Apparently my bike and bag are blocking their suitcase and for the entire 4 hours they periodically discuss their concern over how they are going to get their bags so they can get off the train and make their connecting train to Florence. It’s bordering on an obsession.

So not to get down on the Italians – I love this country – but I’ve ridden several trains in France now and they are extremely punctual. If it says it’s leaving at 11:21 that’s when it pulls out of the station. If it says it’s arriving at 3:42 that’s when it pulls into the station. We go through a tunnel that separates France from Italy. Five minutes into Italy and we stop at a train station – for 20 minutes. We start up again and the conductor gets on the loudspeaker and says we’re now 20 minutes behind schedule. So, is this not being on time a religious thing with the Italians? Five miles and five minutes in the country and we’re 20 minutes late.