We took the train from Rome to Lucca. The first leg of the trip was a high speed train to Florence. We were at the platform well ahead of time but then I made the mistake of taking a short walk just before the train arrived so that we ended up at the back of the line to get into our car. The last two people ahead of us consisted of a big man with a small wife and 4 very large heavy suitcases. After he struggled to get the 4 suitcases on board and we got on the train we found an elderly couple sitting in our seats. It appears that they had sat down without checking their tickets. After I got that sorted out, the couple with the 4 large suitcases thought we were in ‘their’ seats until I pointed out that they were in the wrong car. I have to say that the man had a very easy-going disposition because he thanked me and he, his wife and their four large suitcases headed into the next car.
The train car on this first leg of the journey was advertised as a quiet zone but the other passengers had other ideas and it was quite loud and noisy.
The next train from Florence to Lucca was much quieter. It was a regional train. The train cars were designed as a compromise in favour of commuters rather than travellers. There was no luggage compartment and the racks above the seats were large enough for a small briefcase but even my small packsack was a bit of a squeeze to keep from falling off the rack. We chose the first set of seats with one seat facing two and put our suitcases on one of the three seats. A lot of other people got on the train and also seemed confused as to what to do with their luggage. We kept thinking a train conductor would come along and ask us to move our luggage off the seat but none showed up for the entire trip.
When we arrived in Lucca, I contacted Eduardo who was to meet us and show us the apartment. We had in mind that Eduardo would be an older man who maybe lived out of town and we were wondering why he didn’t just pick us up at the train station with his car. When we finally met Eduardo it was a bit of a surprise. He was much more recently hatched than we had anticipated with ear piercings, leather pants and a baby face that seemed barely post-teenager. He lived in an apartment across the street and apparently didn’t own a car. Despite his youth, he was quite competent.
WR Foster 