The trip out

January 3-4

This is a how the adventure began for Professor Chimenti, his family, and the nine students traveling with him.
Everyone met at LAX at around 7 am for our 9 am flight. It was revealed at this point by one student that she was petrified to fly. She had many tears of panic prior to takeoff but the five-hour flight was uneventful except for several bits of choppy air about midway across the US, but arrived in Philadelphia safely.
The eight-hour flight from Philadelphia to Rome was crowded and the coach seating on the Airbus was uncomfortable, making sleeping difficult. However the sunrise over the snow covered French Alps was a treat. The temperature in Rome was 35 degrees with sun and our entire luggage arrived safely, it was 9 am local time. To our bodies it was 11:35 pm and we had been traveling for 17 hours. It was then that a different student revealed she suffered from chronic vomiting and was feeling sick.
We now needed to get tickets from the Rome Airport to the main terminal in Rome. This was accomplished with little incident and we arrived safely at the main terminal needing to get other tickets for the Eurostar train bound for Florence where our hotel and beds were waiting. So dragging our luggage from a remote spur we eventually found the correct place to buy tickets. We then went looking for our platform to catch our train. The electronic signs telling which platform had not been updated as we had an hour to wait. We instead read the giant official printed poster that said it was platform one. This was our first big mistake. The giant official printed posters are incorrect, something every Italian knows. So we waited at the wrong platform for almost an hour before we decided to double-check our platform with the electronic sign, which said platform 10. This is when the “fun” really began. We had around 10 minutes to get from platform one to ten. In order to get from one to the other you must go downstairs (literally) there was no elevator or escalator, and up stairs to get to the next platform. So imagine hurrying with your carryon and a suitcase ranging from 35 to 60+ pounds up and down stairs. Wheels fell off, bags overturned, and stress levels rose. See picture. All thirteen of us made it on to the train in the nick-of-time but we were in the wrong coach and as the train was leaving we had no time to pick which car to get on. We boarded the one directly in front of us. We then had to try and stow our entire luggage as the train was pulling out of the station and beginning to accelerate up to speed. The train is swaying, baggage is shifting, people are moving between cars right where we are trying to “hang on” and create a “space” for ourselves.
Several of the group found seats, some even making it to the coach where we had seats. Others had to stay with the bags and make sure they were not stolen or damaged. The train ticket checker was pleasant and understanding of our situation; another member of the train personnel was obviously irritated by our entire luggage and us. The ride from Rome to Florence takes over an hour and a half.
We arrive in Florence and as the train comes to a stop we 13 are trying to remove our entire luggage with the rest of those disembarking, meanwhile more people are pushing their way onto the train with their belongings. Mass confusion and disorganization reigned, miraculously we all got our luggage and off before the train left the station again. We then made our way to the white taxis for rides to the hotel. The cab ride was brief, as was the distance the cab driver kept between him and other vehicles, objects, and pedestrians. Between 3 and 4 pm we arrive at our hotel exhausted, the time is not precise, as we have now been traveling over 24 hours. The sign says that the hotel lobby/check-in are on the floor above, we are confounded by the very narrow elevator that doesn’t seem to work, there are stairs (argh) but upon mounting them an alarm goes off…
… everything was sorted out at the worlds most unassuming hotel entrance, we finally drag our belongings and ourselves into our rooms. It is time for some rest, food, rest, and bed.