I should have brought my glasses. I like to brag that I really don’t need glasses as I have a near-sighted eye and a far-sighted eye. They work together so I can see pretty well both near and far. But if I want to read really fine print or signs at a distance, I need my glasses. But, as anyone who wears them knows, they’re a pain. They’re always dirty and often irritating. So I didn’t bring them along on my trip around the world. I usually only wear them when I’m driving and I wasn’t planning on driving. I didn’t consider that I would need them for reading the numbers on approaching buses or the display board at the train stations.

The display boards at train stations are amazing. They list the train company, the number of the train, the final destination and the platform number from where it will depart. The departure platform is usually only displayed 15 minutes before departure, so passengers stand, staring up at the board like worshippers looking for a sign from God, waiting for their train’s platform to show up. When it does, a herd of people (what’s the word for a large group of people?) move en masse to the platform. It makes for great people watching. When the train is departing, a little dot flashes beside it, and stragglers run through the crowd as the train doesn’t wait.
I’m in Milan. This is from the website:

“Milano Centrale is the main train station for this major northern Italian city. It was opened in the early 1930s, replacing an older and smaller station. The imposing design of the building’s facade was intended to showcase the dominance of then-Prime Minister Mussolini’s fascist regime. It’s the second-largest station in Italy, behind Roma Termini.
There are 24 tracks at Centrale, with a soaring glass and metal arched roof over the platforms. There is regular daily service to cities throughout Italy, as well as international destinations in other parts of Europe. Over 320,000 people passing through the station daily.”

https://www.italiarail.com/train-station/milano-centrale-train-station

It is an imposing structure and I’m taking it all in, with my eye on the board. My train is to leave at 11:10. It’s 11 and still no platform number. But my train was 5 minutes late arriving, so I assume it’s just late.

Then I notice that the flashing dots are only on the far right of the board. I move to get a closer look at the board and realize that the column that I thought was for the platform number actually says “delay.” And the dot is flashing for my train. OMG! And it’s on platform 20, which is at the far end of the station.

I race, well, maybe that’s not the accurate word for my panicky rush through the crowd and down the platform to the first open door on the train. I’m not really fleet footed any more. But I manage to climb on board, dragging my suitcase behind me. I wasn’t in the correct car, as this was a train with seat reservations, but at least I was on the train! And it was a short train so I only had to drag my suitcase through one coach in order to get to my assigned seat.

Whew. That was a little too close. Next time I’ll stand a little closer to the board. And the next time I take a trip, I will bring my glasses.

But I do like train travel. I liked it in India where the passenger trains are about half a kilometer long with more than 20 coaches and thousands of people crowded onto each platform. They have an online reservation system and your name is on a printout taped to your coach and the ticket collector comes around with a long printout and checks off your name. Another person comes through and takes your order for food – vegetarian or non-vegetarian – and the orders are relayed on to a later station. When the train stops at that station, your order magically appears.

European train travel isn’t as colourful, but it is relatively easy and efficient. I bought a 5-day global eurail pass that I’m hoping pays for itself. I have 5 travel days within the month that I can use to go anywhere. I’m only using it for the longer trips – trips that cost more than $80 Cdn. The catch is that some segments of a trip may require seat reservations which you pay extra for.

Even though I love train travel and travel in general, I still get anxious on travel days (and the night before). Every station is different with different departure display boards!! Some of the display boards are out of order. Once you’ve determined which platform your train leaves from, then one has to find an escalator or a lift (I don’t like to have to carry my suitcase up and down stairs to get to the next platform. It can be a bit chaotic.

Some stations, like the one in Barcelona, also have their subway trains leaving from the same station. And the high-speed trains have a security system in place similar to airports. I stood in the security line once, thinking my train left from that area, only to get to the front of the line and be told that I was in the wrong place!

And every country seems to be different. Before Spain, I always made my reservations online and got an eTicket. In Spain it seems like I have to have an agent at a station make my reservation. In Barcelona I went to the station the evening before my trip to Alicante to make my reservation. I thought it would be simple, but I had to take a number, sit for an hour and wait for my number to appear on the screen. I sat close enough to so I could read it! After getting my number and sitting down, I wasn’t sure that I was in the right place, so I asked the young man sitting next to me, who spoke perfect English. He was from Romania and has been working in Barcelona for some time. He was waiting to buy a ticket for the next day to go to Madrid. He didn’t want to buy the ticket online because if your phone dies, so does your ticket. And he didn’t want to use his credit card at the ticket machines as he didn’t like to have his movements tracked by credit card companies. So he was waiting for an hour in line. I guess that’s how he deals with his travel stresses.

Once on the train, you’d think I could relax! And I do, for a while. I like to watch the landscape change, listen to podcasts, go from car to car to find the cafe car where there are often nice tables that you can sit at and big windows to look out of. But as we get closer to my stop, I get a little anxious again. When the train stops at a station, you only have a minute or two to get off. Often the next stop is announced and then it gives one time to gather your belongings and head for the door. Making sure that, if it’s a larger city, you are getting off at the correct station as some have several.

Then there’s the stress of making the connection to the next train. One time I had 11 minutes to make a connection. I barely slept the night before. I researched the station, found the departures listing so that I could check before hand which platform I needed to go to. Went over the scenarios in my head! (Crazy, I know. Maybe I need therapy!) As it turned out, the train had been late leaving the starting station because of a security incident, so it was actually 45 minutes late!

You’d think I would just stay home and save myself the stress, but I think I’m addicted to travel. Maybe it’s like people who seek out risky adventures for the thrill. I like the logistics of it! Selecting the next destination, finding the hotel, the way to get there. And then learning about the place: the history, the culture, the food. Discovering new things every day. Being surprised and delighted. And I enjoy sharing my experiences with my friends and writing about what I learn along the way. So, for now, I’m not ready to return to a regular routine. I have more places I want to see. And more food I need to eat! I’ll just take a deep breath, remind myself that things always work out. And plan the next train trip.