On my way to Reggio Calabria

I am on the train on the last leg to Reggio Calabria. I caught the train at 8.50 this morning, it is now 4.30pm and the train gets in at 6.pm Sick of it? - not much!!!

Eventful morning with me asking the receptionist yesterday to book my cab for 8.15 this morning, it hadn't arrived at 8.20 so I said to the idiot at reception can he ring the taxi again, he came out with a piece of paper and said your taxi has been booked for 8.50!!!!!! Jesus. So I told him to hurry up and get me a taxi straight away. The taxi came about 10 minutes later, I got in and said 'advanti, vai, andiamo - hurry perfavour' (go, let's go, hurry please). In between him ringing someone on his phone and talking to them while at the same time talking to the office on the walkie talkie (no hands on the steering wheel) AND opening a book and reading from it AT THE SAME TIME!! I was doing a little bit of a panic and said 'can we just get to the train station please' he wet off his nut, and said he has 'problemo' and was taking me to polizia!!!!! I'm thinkiing, ok take me to the polizia and let's see who wins this battle - idiot, but I'm also thinking that means I will miss my train and be stuck in this shyte hole of a place another night so I sat back in the taxi and didn't say another word, the whole time concentrating on not throwing up because I felt like I was going to! Long story short, we got to the train station, I gave him the 10 euro that was on the meter, got out of the taxi, got my bag out with him abusing me, I turned, smiled and said 'grazie, arreviderci!" and flew down to the platform, got on the train and just sat for a while 'gathering myself'.

There were a few ladies in my compartment and one older guy (like I haven't had enough of them after the last couple of days!!) who it turns out was one of their hen-pecked husbands. The husband and wife were lovely, offering to share their food etc, he learned English at school so understood 'yes' and 'no'!!!!! she understood nothing, I could understand a very very little of what they were saying but we had a good conversaion for a few hours until they got off. She did understand that I come from Australia because he has an aunty who lives in Sydney (do I know her???) and she looked at my stomach and patted her own belly. Others in the carriage laughed. I thought she was saying I had a fat guts, turns out she was taking about a kangaroo!!!!!! They all know kangaroo here, not many know about koalas and I haven't even tried to mention a bilby!

Before they got off she made me write down two numbers that she is going to use for lotto, if the numbers come up she is going to ring me! And then with a couple of big smacking loud air kisses, a big hug and another big air kiss, she left about two hours ago. I then barricaded myself in to the carriage so no-one else could get in. A couple of guys stood at the door looking in but because I am facing the window and don't look and make no attempt to move my case out of the door way they kept going.

Barricaded in!

I have since arrived in Reggio Calabria, one dirty old taxi driver tried to pretend he didn't know how to get to this address and told me when he put my bag in his car it would cost 20 euro. I said you don't know where to go, how do you know it is going to cost that? Again he said 20 euro - I shook my head and said NO!!!! Got out of the taxi, got out my bags and found a lady driver who knew exactly where to come and it cost 10 euro. We chatted the whole way here- Lou, my Italian actually IS getting better! By the time I have saved up to come back in a billion years I might actually be able to have a flowing conversation!!

Reggio Calabria train station with Sicily in the background

My B & B is run by two of the most magnificent ... gay ... guys. Tomorrow I will be asking about their straight brothers. The B & B is lovely, and I have a beautiful four poster bed, balcony, fridge, kettle, food and coffee laid on - 50 euro a night! They also booked me a table at the restaurant down stairs for dinner - if they could only all be like this!! Dinner was THE best!! I had grilled cheeses 4 different cheeses - couldn't tell you what they were apart from bloody delicious! - then I had spaghetti carbinara which was just magnificent, then as I was having coffee and paying my bill of 20 euro I booked a tavola per pranzo domani, loro sono ciuso per cena Domenica. I am back to loving Italy!

I have a few photos taken from the train so quality is not fantastic but they are better than niente!

Castle on a cliff