Day 36 - August 3rd
Trip Start
Jun 28, 2008
1
36
42
Trip End
Aug 08, 2008
Nice,
Provence,
France
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Luckily when the train started moving it started cooling down a little bit...I don't know if the freaks on the train with me were warm-blooded or what but they kept closing the window...I said NO, you will keep that open. They smelled bad...and it was hot. It was late and I was cranky...I had no desire but to be off that train. A Nigerian lady next to me signaled to me to keep my backpack close to me (it was on the ground in between my feet)...so to make matters worse, I had to sit with the backpack and my purse on my lap.
To say the least, I counted the minutes and didn't sleep longer than maybe 10 minutes the whole ride. I was wearing sneakers, jeans and had no luggage. This was horrible. I got off in Genova Bignoli (which I later found out was the wrong stop) and attempted to ask someone how to get to Nice. They pointed up. Ahhhh! I remember the internet telling me something about getting to some city with a V (I think Ventimiglia) and then taking that into Nice. And that's what I did. I went on a whim, without a ticket and got on the train to Ventimiglia. (My ticket was for 2 pm and I didn't want to stay in that area one more minute, I wanted Aunty Nicks...so I decided to go...). The train was air conditioned, thank God! I still had my bags in my hand and slept with both eyes open. I finally made it into Ventimiglia and then found some Spaniards (who I was able to communicate with) that were also looking for the train to Nice. Between the four of us, we were able to figure out which platform headed for Nice. Once again, on a whim, I got on that train and headed for Nice. (Yes, without a ticket...).
10:45 AM, I got off the train in Nice Ville and called Aunty Nicks to tell her where I was. Thank God! I was safe. When I saw her, so much emotion came over me...I was with her...and all was going to be okay now, with or without my luggage.
She took me to the center of the old city and we enjoyed some pizza (which was wonderful, by the way) at a restaurant. After that, we headed to the airport to find out about the status of my luggage, to no avail...and then headed back home. I took a shower and got in some of her clothes (thank God we wear the same size) and laid down on the couch for what I thought was a few minutes. A couple of hours later, we decided we should get the internet to find out the status of my luggage...the calls that we kept making throughout the day weren't working.
We went to her friend Tim's house who was nice enough to let me use his internet. While on the internet, I decided there was no chance in hell I was going to take the train again...not in those conditions. So I found a flight that left on the morning of August 6th back to Rome...at least I would have two days to look around in Rome...I would have to go back another time...but at least I wouldn't have to take the train and I could enjoy Aunty Nicks a little bit longer.
After Tim's house she showed me her little village in Nice...very nice and without any other way to describe it...very "European"...high buildings, very narrow roads, windows that basically stared right into their neighbor.
We made it back to the house and Aunty Nicks whipped up what was, to me, the best meal I had had in the longest time. She made a whole-wheat spaghetti with meat sauce (fyi...Aunty Nicks doesn't eat Turkey and they don't sell ground turkey here, so she hand grinds her turkey). She kept saying it had no taste because she really needed some fresh onions. It was the best meal, ever! Whole-wheat pasta...yummm...the spaghetti sauce was wonderful...I was in heaven! I'm not sure if it was Aunty Nicks' culinary abilities or the fact that I had been food-deprived. Regardless, I was in heaven...
As exhausted I was, it was definitely my bed time after that meal...so I got in my "Alitalia" tshirt and headed off to bed....
