Day 63 Venice to Zagreb
Wednesday February 6th.
Tonight we are leaving for Zagreb so we pack our bags and leave them in the lobby of the Hotel.
The day is absolutely stunning – Bright, Clear and warm – we can only wonder at it the sudden improvement n the weather and I feel sorry for the people we saw packing their bags to the train station yesterday that they should miss seeing the city under these conditions. If it is possible I fall in love with the city even more seeing in the new light.
We stroke out and simply start walking – no real destination in mind. We walk to the stadium and parks west of San Marco – we see the naval academy along a beautiful promenade along the ocean.
I believe I am joined in sadness at leaving having to leave this city. It has been amazing– but I am a little relieved to think that Croatia will be a little less expensive.
I trade in some of my paperbacks at the Hotel and get a Book written by a Professor in Venice. It is a murder mystery that set in Venezia and the surrounding area. I am excited to explore it.
When we stop for lunch we are a little nervous about ordering meat now that Lent has begun, especially in a country where 90% of people are practicing Catholics - but it goes smoothly with no stares or gasps or denials of having any meat. It reminds me that Carnivale is a celebration of excess in order to use up the remaining foods, wines that cannot be consumer once Lent begins. I think egg throwing was also once popular, fortunately replaced by confetti in modern times – I guess eggs were also forbidden during Lent? Seems strange – I wonder about milk – it too comes from a cow?
Pam does not want to get to the train station too early but I am nervous about arriving just in time. We compromise and get there at 7:45 as the train is scheduled to depart at 9:45. We travel by water taxi on expired passes (my conscience nags at me) but the tickets are not checked. We lug our bags into the station and Pam goes to the counter to make the purchase. Almost immediately I can see there is something wrong in her body language and as the volume of her voice is rising. She comes over and says "The train is closed." Closed? What does that mean? Full? She indicates that they stop selling tickets 2 hours before the departure even though the information booth had told her since the train never fills up it is only necessary to arrive a few minutes before departure, purchase the tickets and board. She heads over to the ticket counter and I head to a self-service ticket kiosk. I hope Pam has more luck then I as the kiosk reports that I must purchase tickets at the counter. I see the information person escorting her back to the ticket counter as thoughts of sleeping in the cold station start to drift across my mind. The next train is not for another 24 hours – is there another destination we might choose? What are we going to do?
After what seems like an eternity Pam returns. She has been told to purchase tickets for tomorrow but to still board tonight. This seems like a fine plan and we are relieved. We can only get second class tickets – not a couchette or sleeper car since the reservation is for tomorrow. That also means that we do not have assigned seats – this fact escapes me until after we board and find seats but are forced to move a few times as people board after us with seats assigned that we have chosen. I am relieved when the train finally pulls out until the first stop a few minutes later where more people board and we are in fear of moving again. I can see this is going to be a long night. There are many stops, the overhead lights are not turned off until after midnight – the only person that seems to be able to sleep is Allysha – I envy her – she can sleep anywhere.
The seats we choose are right by a sliding door that sticks and the water closet. There is a lot of foot traffic and I find myself often showing people how to negotiate the tricky door. I no sleep but do put a large dent in the novel I am reading. I keep reminding myself this is better than the train station floor.
There are also 2 early morning stops where our passports are checked – I wonder if we actually passed though Slovenia?
4am arrives very slowly.
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