Train to Florence

 For the four-day Easter holiday weekend, Emilie and I decided to visit Florence. The train ride took about six hours and offered nice views as we passed through the Alps, the lakes in Northern Italy and down into Tuscany.

Upon boarding the train in Lausanne, we experienced the typical chaos that ensues as hundreds of people scramble to find their assigned seats while often hauling massive suitcases down a cramped single aisle.

In theory, you should board the specific train car that you’re seated in, though that doesn’t seem to be the standard practice. As such, the first 15 minutes on the train tend to be a bit hectic. And it’s amazing how many people aren’t able to sit in their ticketed seats. God only knows why this happens, but it definitely adds to the confusion once the rightful seat owners arrive.

For the first two nights we’re staying in a boutique hotel not far from the train station. It’s actually more of a converted apartment building that has been re-formatted (the “staff” consisted of one person at any given time; effectively a doorman). As a whole it’s nice, though the main entryway is in the process of being repainted so the smell of fumes is a bit potent.

Since we arrived a bit late, our first evening in Florence was limited to dinner. Fortunately, Emilie found us a very nice place that had a family-owned feel to it. The food was very good, though with Italian food I am very easy to please.