Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Mea Culpa and Handicapped Access

The hotel was beautiful and we had an excellent breakfast. HOWEVER, we learned when we got to the train station that we should have made our reservations to get across the track 24-hours in advance. I plead, quite truthfully, ignorance and the same woman who was so helpful yesterday relented and helped out. I got her name and hope to be able to write a thank you letter to her supervisor.

The problem is one of communication. When she said we needed to arrange ahead --- we did so for Venice. But when we got back to the Maestre station the office was closed --- so we came in the morning --- missed our train connection and caused her real trouble in making arrangements all because I didn't understand the "24-hours prior-to" part. Certainly none of what we had done had ever been 24 hours in advance --- until we got to this station we didn't even know about the "Assistenze cliente!"(customer service). It makes good sense. She began an Italian harangue by saying, "As I told-a you yesterday you must make-a your reservation 24 hours in advance!" --- but my mea culpa and throwing myself on her mercy was enough.

She arranged for the same little man who pushed the chair on our arrival to help out again. The lady was still giving us a hard time when we arrived at the baggage section to pick him up. Kathy was quite amused to watch the body language and vocal interchange between them-- this guy started grabbing our bags to put them on a cart since he was carrying bags for another stupid American elderly couple already. She tried to stop him so that I would be forced to carry them as I pushed the chair --- The woman had already made Matt take two of the bags and tote them down the stairs and back up to track 2 rather than accompany us across the tracks.

This little guy was just a happy-go-lucky fellow who looked at her as if to say, "give it a rest, lady. These are just poor ignorant tourists." He took my bags and put them on his cart and walked with us to the appointed spot. By the time we reached the track she was in better humor and even said she would send a man to check to be sure we got on the right train car. Once on she said I would have to find the Train Captain -- this is the guy who walks through to collect your tickets -- and throw myself on his mercy and he would find a place for us. This short little guy was good at maneuvering the wheel chair - so no more carnival rides for Kathy. We waited on the right track close to where the correct car would arrive. I guess if you travelled a lot you would know the arrangement of the cars -- but for us this is just another Italian mystery, and there is often not enough time to find the right car for fear of not getting all the luggage and us on the car before the train starts to pull out of the station. This keeps your blood pumping!

I think we finally get how to arrange for Assistanze Cliente --- now that we are within a couple of days of leaving for Switzerland! I do not want you to think that Italian people are rude -- If you watch the way they talk to each other --- it is this demonstrative -- assertive way of talking -- almost scolding tone seems normal. Once they get past the scolding -- they are actually quite warm and helpful!

After such a rough start it was a comfortable morning -- partly cloudy so the wait was comfortable, but it is set to get quite warm later. However, there always seems to be a breeze which is cooling if you can find a spot of shade. The Italians are geniuses at finding shade. I saw a woman using a telephone and another using a newspaper for shade just steps away from us. They sent a customer service representative to make sure we got on the wheelchair coach as well so we definitely need to write and thank the supervisor of the woman for her help. She went the extra mile to make sure we got on the train, so I did thank her profusely and tell her I hoped the rest of her day would be filled only with intelligent tourists!

This is the first time we have experienced wheelchair trains. The one last night back to Maestre actually had a ramp inside -- of course you had to get into it via steps -- but apparently if you had to have someone lift you into the train they provide this service as well ---but this was the first time in our travels that we learned this. Part of the problem is that rail Europe made all the arrangements -- perhaps if you make your own arrangements you would have this information....but "its always something" as Rosanne Rosanadana said.

Each station is a little different and some of them actually have Assensores (lifts or elevators if you are American), but you never know until you arrive what the situation is.....so from now on we will to to the Assistenze Cliente office and reserve help ahead!

On the way to Florence we passed through beautiful vineyards and lovely landscapes. Most every back yard had a well tended gardens. The farms used the old watering method of a sprinkler which shoots water out a great distance and swings back and forth. We have so much work to do in conserving water around the world. In West Texas farmers who are able are putting in drip irrigation buried in the soil which drips slowly encouraging the roots to go deeper instead of staying near the surface where they burn if it is very hot and dry. (unfortunately the water still comes from the aquifer).

Speaking of water -- I am not drinking enough because I HATE to use the restrooms on the trains or in the train stations -- Though the Eurostar trains may be different. These trains have attendants who go through like those on an airline and offer coffee and drinks and give you a biscuit to eat. There was also an attendant with newspapers -- unfortunately none of them were in English. The car is quite comfortable and is even equipped with an electrical outlet (alas I left the converter in my luggage) for your electronic appliances, a table in front of the seat which folds up or down, and comfortable head rests. The interior was clean and the windows were the first clean ones we had seen in some time.
There was a dining car and a first class section which had leather seats and was an actual compartment -- like those you see in old movies from the 1930-40s.

We arrived in Florence at 1:30 and found the Assistance office to make our arrangements for departure. This was wonderful --- if only I had realized sooner our journeys would have been easier!! They were even able to tell us how much we should have to pay for a taxi and they provided us with a map marking our hotel location! We got to the hotel just a few blocks from Piazza San Marco. You could see the duomo from here and the Academia where David's statue resides was just one block from that.

We got to our rooms and it was obvious that the building was old. The elevator was a shaft in the center and barely accommodated two. When it stopped on our floor (the top) it didn't rise fully to the floor --so you must step UP out of it into a very narrow hall. The room itself was like what I image a garret apartment in Paris might be -- there is a sky light or clerestory window -- but no window to look out. Two twin beds are pushed together and there was room to just get around them. At one end of the room was a ledge on which cushions had been placed Bohemian style there was a lamp and a table of sorts there and on the other side of the "sofa" a refrigerator and on top of the fridge was a t.v. Europeans are good at using every cranny. To get to the bathroom you must climb three steep steps. It has a window to the outside high above the shower. Having said all that it is a lovely clean room and quite comfortable!

We deposited our bags and immediately went to the square to find something to eat. There was a cafeteria -- with excellent Italian foods --where Kathy and I shared a tomato and mozzarella salad (the fresh vegetables and even the mozzarella are no doubt local -- because the quality is high, and cannelloni which they of course did Florentine --with the spinach stuffing. She is obviously back to normal now! Matt had his favorite --- Spaghetti! Then we hailed a cab for the Duomo since it was the heat of the day.

We did not get to go in last time - maybe the church was closed or maybe the lines were too long....but now they have handicapped access and we got right in --without any wait and had to pay no fee! The exterior of this building (which is huge) is stunning green, white and pink marble-- Unfortunately, I can not get far enough away to get a good photo! I can only get small sections. The organ is mostly hidden -- so only a few pipes show. It is clear that a service was held yesterday since there are beautiful flowers on the alter. I asked about mass --- it is celebrated every morning at 7:30. We did not climb to the top but rather remained on the main floor. The dome itself is beautifully painted. The painting would have been dangerous and difficult for it is very high above the ground.
Next we went to Santa Croce where Michelangelo, Dante and Galileo are all buried. It, like the Duomo, has pink, green and white marble in intricate patterns. Everywhere your eye pauses there is beauty, and it was quite exciting to see a genuine handicapped ramp.

When we were here in 2003 their were no arrangements for handicapped at either of these churches! So these are improvements. While I think this is great-- I notice that there are other changes which make the place less Italian. For example, there was never butter, toast, cereal, eggs or bacon for breakfast -- and now almost every hotel where we stayed has these choices at breakfast. That was my only criticism of the cruise. It was almost like being at home and just stepping into the country you were visiting briefly for the day --- then returning to the U.S. at night.

Kathy took Matt shopping for Christmas gifts for his Mother and Aunt Cindy and also purchased his gift, a beautiful leather jacket with his initials on the inside at a shop nearby. We then caught a Taxi to the Academia to see David -- but when we arrived it was closed (many things are closed on Monday) so we went to the square where we had gellato and purchased take out from the same little cafeteria where we had lunch to take back to our hotel where we could eat later. All in all it was a grand day!

Tomorrow it is David and a tour of Tuscany concluding in a villa with dinner in the vineyards.

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