It was a thirty minute ride from Cannes to Nice. At Nice I saw the check in board where you figure out which terminal your train leaves from. Blinking in bold letters next to my train information said, 'Reservation needed!' I waited in the line to check in my reservation for the train from Nice to Milan and Milan to Florence.
Waiting for the train to arrive at the station I met Sammy. Sammy saw me attempting to pull my luggage up the steep steps as he peered down over the railing and began to laugh. Instantly he was next to me, picking up my luggage to taking it up the stairs. We were both getting on the same train. He spoke very little English but enough to have a conversation. He was visiting Milan for his 4th time and was originally from Marseille, France.
Sammy and I
At 10:05 our train was supposed to be leaving the station, but it had not even arrived yet. The clock struck 11:05 there was still no sign of the train. I was concerned it would be canceled like my others were and mostly distressed at the thought of having to carry my luggage around the station. The crowds of people at the station were building up around us, our terminal was now 3 trains behind.
Seriously thinking that our train would not show, I sat on my luggage contemplating what to do next, when made an announcement that it would arrive with in the minute. I asked Sammy what cart he was on. He said 6, I was on 4. I said goodbye and he told me good luck!
This train had 6 people sitting, where 3 people faced each other on both sides, in a glass room. Food was served on a cart for a small fee. I waited for the trains to stop at the station and grabbed a sandwich from the vendor outside. Eating very quickly, I realized I had not had a cup of coffee yet for the day, which normally by this point I have had a few. I felt like I was getting sick as the day progressed and hoped that I wouldn't begin to cough in our little space.
Barely able to keep my eyes open, fading in and out of time, I notice the view off to my left. The beautiful ocean was smiling in all her glory, calm and reflective of the clear blue sky.
I fell asleep for what felt like a few minutes but when I looked up I saw a clock outside and noticed we were stopped. I realized I had been asleep for two hours and asked why we were stopped. I was told the train broke down. This left us sitting on the tracks for almost another two hours.
Finally the train began to move again, I closed my eyes and fell back asleep. I was woken up again, this time to the man across from me telling me, we had arrived. I quickly got off the train as I was anxious to pull cash so that I could buy medicine for my runny nose and soar throat. Getting off the train, I hear a hello coming from behind me, I turn to find Sammy. Smiling from ear to ear, he asked how the ride was, I told him I tried to sleep most of it and that I needed to find a cash machine. He walked around the station with me three times to help me find one. His cousin was picking him up from the station and met us, he told us to follow him. I thought we were going to the cash machine, when we walked into a restaurant. He ordered us three beers and said 'Cheers!' I laughed and said thank you, while eying the room for an ATM. When we finished our drinks we walked out of the restaurant and Sammy offered me money as he thought I needed it to eat. I told him I was okay, but thank you and as I turned around I saw an ATM. I said goodbye to Sammy and his cousin and went to find medicine. There was no medicine in the station, so I decided I would get a sandwich, cough drops and water.
I still had another hour till my train began boarding; I couldn't find a place to sit down so I pushed my luggage against a wall and sat on it. Finally I heard the horn from my train and got on it. On this train I found some of the rudest people I had come into contact with since beginning to travel. I put my luggage in the bin above my head and sat down. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep as I knew I had four hours until I would arrive in Florence.
About three hours later I woke up to the women in my cart laughing and talking very loud in Italian. I understood about every other word they said but just nodded and smiled. When our train stopped the woman the next me pulled her luggage out of the bin, not realizing it had slid over, so when she opened the compartment, it fell on my head. Her luggage was small but complete with a handle and wheels; it was a good 4 foot drop to where I was sitting. I laughed as I couldn't do anything else. She apologized profusely I told her it was okay and knew that now I really had to find a pharmacy for both cold medicine and aspirin. I felt beat up, sick, and tired; wanting more than anything to sleep.
I hopped a cab to my hotel which was located in the center of Florence. It was tucked down a very narrow street and in between two other buildings. The outside didn't look like a hotel but when I entered the lobby, I found five star luxuries waiting for me.
Helvetia & Bristol
They checked me and a very nice gentleman showed me up to my room which was located on the fourth floor. It was a two story room, where the bedroom and bathroom were on the second floor and the living space was on the first. It was so beautiful! There was a window that went from the ground on the first floor to the top of the second floor, which overlooked the city street. It opened and just like that my room was filled with the sounds of Italy and the scent of the crisp evening air.
From second floor in my room at Helvetia & Bristol
