You don't want to jinx a trip by claiming that you have hit the zenith (when the trip is still in progress) and you presume that from now on, it is going to be entirely downhill. That's what I said two blogs ago and I am forced to eat my words.
We took a train from Thalwil station (where our friends stay) to Zurich City station. From the City station, we took a train to Milan (Milano), Italy. From Milan, we had a connecting train to Venice.
Our suitcases are fairly big and don't fit in the overhead luggage rack. Hence, over the last few days, we've travelled by placing them in the common luggage rack just outside the seating area in the compartment. Today, was no exception. Our biggest suitcase was stacked up against the side because a formal luggage rack did not exist in this compartment. An Italian lady was struggling with her suitcase. She spoke no English but conveyed in an animated way that she needed help with her suitcase at Milan. Her suitcase was stacked next to ours and I let her know that I can get her suitcase down at Milan.
Several times she repeated in Italian that we need to be careful if the suitcase is out of sight. I didn't take her seriously.
We were yet to cross over from Switzerland to Italy. She reminded us once more that she needed help at Milan. Went to the baggage area and found that there was just one suitcase. Hers was missing. It was shocking. She was really upset. There was not much that we could tell her in English. A few other passengers took over and tried to console her. Soon, a kind of panic seized everyone in the compartment. Possibly, the thief was still on the prowl in the train and every effort had to be made to ensure the safety of the luggage.
(Please read the Amar Chitra Katha titled Mahiravana. The vaanaras knew that Mahiravana was around and could come in any form (including there own!) to try and hoodwink them. The vaanaras were on a high alert. Presently, we were just like those vaanaras!)
We tried some alternate methods. May be, I can wear my back-pack as a front-pack. But it didn't work. The bag kept falling over and my hands were not free to lug other suitcases. We finally settled for the following: I would wear the back-pack normally. But I would have my jacket over the back-pack so that it would be completely covered. So here I was, with a bent back more like the hunched back of Notre Dame! But I can live with this image if it means that the luggage will be safe.
We felt uneasy already but more anxiety was in store for us shortly.
As we approached Milan, it was clear that the train was running late and we would miss our connection to Venice. We had no idea when the next train to Venice was, as well as whether we needed new tickets to be bought as well.
We enquired at the customer care office and they allowed us to take the next train to Venice in an hour and a half with a caveat: the seats are not reserved and the train guard would do the needful. A little seal was put on the ticket. Travelling unreserved in a foreign country with spouse and kids on your dream vacation- that's the last thing you want!
Our survival skills are fairly sharpened in India. We got into the last compartment and placed the luggage around us. By a quirk of fate, our bag was again next to the remaining bag of the same Italian lady. It looked as if baggage also has a destiny of its own. Further, destiny has a wry sense of humour and makes connections which you absolutely don't want!
The train guard came by. Though he had initially brushed us away saying that we needed reservations, he gave us seats a couple of rows apart. That would work just fine!
Whew! We were finally back on track, on a train to Venice.
Compared to the dramatic incidents earlier in the day, the landscape from Milan to Venice was not so dramatic. Gentle hills in the distance and plains in the foreground. If there was something which caught our attention, it was just the names of the station, with that special Italian ring to them.
Got down at Mestre, a suburb (in the mainland) of Venice. Had a quiet dinner and allowed the day to come to a quiet end. Many times during the day, we prayed like the protagonists in the movie "Jab we met": God, yeh din bilkul boring banaa do! We've had enough excitement!
We took a train from Thalwil station (where our friends stay) to Zurich City station. From the City station, we took a train to Milan (Milano), Italy. From Milan, we had a connecting train to Venice.
Our suitcases are fairly big and don't fit in the overhead luggage rack. Hence, over the last few days, we've travelled by placing them in the common luggage rack just outside the seating area in the compartment. Today, was no exception. Our biggest suitcase was stacked up against the side because a formal luggage rack did not exist in this compartment. An Italian lady was struggling with her suitcase. She spoke no English but conveyed in an animated way that she needed help with her suitcase at Milan. Her suitcase was stacked next to ours and I let her know that I can get her suitcase down at Milan.
Several times she repeated in Italian that we need to be careful if the suitcase is out of sight. I didn't take her seriously.
We were yet to cross over from Switzerland to Italy. She reminded us once more that she needed help at Milan. Went to the baggage area and found that there was just one suitcase. Hers was missing. It was shocking. She was really upset. There was not much that we could tell her in English. A few other passengers took over and tried to console her. Soon, a kind of panic seized everyone in the compartment. Possibly, the thief was still on the prowl in the train and every effort had to be made to ensure the safety of the luggage.
(Please read the Amar Chitra Katha titled Mahiravana. The vaanaras knew that Mahiravana was around and could come in any form (including there own!) to try and hoodwink them. The vaanaras were on a high alert. Presently, we were just like those vaanaras!)
We tried some alternate methods. May be, I can wear my back-pack as a front-pack. But it didn't work. The bag kept falling over and my hands were not free to lug other suitcases. We finally settled for the following: I would wear the back-pack normally. But I would have my jacket over the back-pack so that it would be completely covered. So here I was, with a bent back more like the hunched back of Notre Dame! But I can live with this image if it means that the luggage will be safe.
We felt uneasy already but more anxiety was in store for us shortly.
As we approached Milan, it was clear that the train was running late and we would miss our connection to Venice. We had no idea when the next train to Venice was, as well as whether we needed new tickets to be bought as well.
We enquired at the customer care office and they allowed us to take the next train to Venice in an hour and a half with a caveat: the seats are not reserved and the train guard would do the needful. A little seal was put on the ticket. Travelling unreserved in a foreign country with spouse and kids on your dream vacation- that's the last thing you want!
Our survival skills are fairly sharpened in India. We got into the last compartment and placed the luggage around us. By a quirk of fate, our bag was again next to the remaining bag of the same Italian lady. It looked as if baggage also has a destiny of its own. Further, destiny has a wry sense of humour and makes connections which you absolutely don't want!
The train guard came by. Though he had initially brushed us away saying that we needed reservations, he gave us seats a couple of rows apart. That would work just fine!
Whew! We were finally back on track, on a train to Venice.
Compared to the dramatic incidents earlier in the day, the landscape from Milan to Venice was not so dramatic. Gentle hills in the distance and plains in the foreground. If there was something which caught our attention, it was just the names of the station, with that special Italian ring to them.
Got down at Mestre, a suburb (in the mainland) of Venice. Had a quiet dinner and allowed the day to come to a quiet end. Many times during the day, we prayed like the protagonists in the movie "Jab we met": God, yeh din bilkul boring banaa do! We've had enough excitement!
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