Travel

Of it's very nature a passenger train exists to serve. The service that a train might reasonably be expected to provide is to safely transport passengers from one location to another according to a time schedule and in some comfort and security.

One such passenger train that does not meet this criteria is the Viterbo to Roma line that has it's main station at Flaminio in Roma.

The fact that the stations along it's only line completely bereft of a discernible time table seem to have more to do with the operators hedging their bets. If you don't know what time a train is supposed to arrive or leave then they seem to think it's less likely that you'll be disappointed when the expectation isn't met.

A case in point based on my experience would be the first train of a work day from Morlupo station to Flamino. This train is supposed to arrive at Morlupo at 5:25am. Given that this slug on wheels normally takes 45 minutes to creep along the windy track to the city leaving on time is important if you intend to catch an 6:30am international train from Rome's Termini station.

So much to my disappointment but not surprise it arrived at Morlupo about 7 minutes late, and then continued this trend all the way to Flaminio station at Rome ultimately arriving about 20 minutes late. The net result? Well, I missed the only connection to an international fast train.

The trains on the Vitterbo line are not only slow, but also grotty, covered in skill-less graffiti and contain no external and little internal indication of where they intend to go. The LED signs on the platform don't help much either - a kind of vacant attempt at technology that's actually useless.

The only sure way to work out what a train's intention will be, is to ask the driver or a well frustrated passenger who regularly depends on this "service".

While it's lovely to see a statue of the Madonna on the platform of this line's main station, one can't help but wonder how bad the service would be without divine assistance.

After having travelled a few times in the past to various parts of the world, this was the first such occasion for me to be leaving Australia alone. It seemed a waste to have this kind of experience and not share it. Thankfully Blogs can assist with that.

Packing for me can take an enormus act of will, especially when you work up to the day of departure and buy last minute presents. However starting the process of putting things into your luggage 2 hours before you need to be at the airport is somewhat lacking in prudence. On the plus side, I did get to Mass & buy a new pair of shoes. I also managed to catch the flight too!

The 'road' to Rome for me was in three parts; a Qantas flight from Brisbane to Singapore, A long KLM flight from Singapore to Amsterdam, and a comparatively short connection from Amsterdam to Rome.

I normally prefer on an airline flight to sit behind the main wing, with a window seat. On the Qantas Airbus A330 flight from Brisbane to Singapore the best I could manage was a middle seat in the middle column of seats. This would normally be most unpleasant for me, but thanks to a delightful young lady from the Sunshine Coast by the name of Eliza Palmer, it was better than bearable. We conversed about Italy, as she was bound for Milan, about the transfer at Singapore (Her first ever) and her work in the fashion industry. She was very young, probably not much more than 18, and yet was ready to travel and learn.

Here's a tip however: If you have the opportunity to watch various movies made available via the aircraft entertainment system, don't watch "the Downfall". Undoubtedly it's a brilliant movie excellently told with exceptional acting, but all together too disturbing - especially in a confined space. I did much pondering after watching that!

After arriving at Singapore, sorting out the transfer and waiting for the next flight I was gob-smacked and delighted to discover that one of the airport electronic stores was selling a key-ring WiFi detector! Just the device I attempted to buy in 2004 in London in vain. Having put off the purchase of such a device since then I immediately jumped at the opportunity to have one for this trip! All WiFi networks are now belong to ME!

Amsterdam to Rome was uneventful enough, and we by no deliberate act of Eliza or myself ended up sitting together again. This aircraft was an ageing KLM 747-400 with no interactive entertainment system to speak of, though it wasn't missed. To my surprise and benefit, and thanks to industrial grade earplugs, I managed to lightly sleep a generous portion of this 12 hour leg.

Toss a few coins in the Trevi fountain, and you'll keep returning to Rome again, and again, and again ... not that I'm complaining.

Although it took me some convincing from friends who I'll meet up with in the first week of my three week Northern hemisphere visit, I eventually agreed.

Weddings bind people, families and nations together, and it's for a wedding also that I'm travelling to the eternal city.

A significant reason for my reluctance was my lack of ability to fulfil a request made of me by my Italian relatives in 2004. "The next time you visit Italy" they asked me, "bring your Father with you".

It's understandable that they would like to see their infrequently communicated with Brother, Uncle & Cousin, but sadly he's not so keen to reciprocate. On three separate occasions an all expenses paid offer was gently made to travel, but Dad would like to stay at home.

The world is both amazing and small. It doesn't take that much effort any more to get from one side of it to the other - at least not with a half decent aircraft.

After 2 and a half months, from the mists of Ireland, to the Abbeys of France, the waltz of Istanbul to the angst of Israel. From new friendships to the death of my Grandfather, it's been a journey of significance.

If there was any one treasure that I brought back with me from our pilgrimage, it was the knowledge that God is good, and so are most people most of the time.

If fact I'd go so far as to say that the default attitude of your average human being is to desire good for their fellow human being. This is a comforting thing to be reminded of, and makes all the hardship of travel worth while.

After quite some time I've put enough time aside to update the itinerary.

This will give you an idea of what we've seen and what locations lie ahead of us.

We have a collection of comments and Photo's that I'd be happy to post, just as soon as I find some cheap internet access... like a free wireless network - hmmmmm..

A word of advice to those considering travelling and looking for free wifi access - Invest in a kensington wifi detector, or the like. It's a must, and very very very difficult to buy from computer shops in Europe.

A week passes quickly when you travel to a new location every day.

During our entire stay here in Ireland, this is the first occasion we've come across free wireless - in the departure lounge of the airport...

However our stay in Ireland has been blessed with mostly clement weather, magnificent treasures like the book of Kells, and the ancient manor & seat of clan Rynne.

Here are a few observations before the plane leaves - Ennis is lovely, Castlebar is not, and Westport is a town that people immediately fall in love with.

In exactly a month from today, Life 2 the Full writers, Emeritus and Dante Jones will be hopping into a streamlined lump of steel with four Rolls Royce engines and a few hundred seats, and fly to the other end of the planet, while switching to Perigrinus 2004 mode.

There's that word again - Peregrinus.

From the very beginning Christians made pilgrimages to holy sites, and to the Holy Land in particular. There is a very valuable perspective that can be gained from literally walking in the footsteps of Christ. After the Romans killed Peter, his tomb also became a place of pilgrimage.

A little while after Peter, there was a Roman citizen, who's name was Peregrinus. It seems he travelled a lot. All over the Roman empire in fact. He wasn't happy in fact unless he was going from A to B. or M to N. or U to V... you get the idea.