The Real Question Is...What Mistake Can We Make Now?

We have made some mistakes...there was the pedal, the money exchange, the late reservation at the Borghese Museum...but everything turned out just fine.  Can I say it always does?  This morning we headed back to the Serenissima train station over a more direct route that was actually quite pleasant. I have found that divided roads...which act like one-way streets...are quite nice.  We covered the route quickly and had time for a cup of coffee and a bite to eat before our 10:50 departure.  We even stopped for some fruit.

I had gotten online and found a 2011 train schedule.  What, nothing newer?  I reasoned that it must mean that the schedule has not changed.  Haha, I am a hopeless, unapologetic optimist.  When we actually got to the train station and studied the schedule, we would have to wait an additional hour.  No worries, we were having fun talking to an older man.  I think we understood about three words that he said.

When we got to Tivoli, we were going to try and catch another train to Sulmona, which would put us very close to Patty's friends and mean that they would not have to drive the winding roads through the mountains.  The views of the countryside out the train windows were pretty amazing.  We parked the bikes and went to the ticket office.  We had very little time, the train we needed to catch was due at the station in about 8 minutes.  Patty had to resort to some pantomime so that the agent knew where we wanted to go, but the clerk was soon adding the necessary value stickers to the ticket.  We rushed back to the platform and within minutes, the train was pulling into the station.  We were looking for the bicycle symbol on the outside of the car...nope, not on the front car, nor any of those that came screeching to a stop past us.  Patty started walking to the rear of the train and I saw a train conductor come out of the front car, look towards the rear of the train and blow her whistle with a couple of short, loud bursts.  Uh-oh.  I grabbed Pattys's bike and swung it around to the train.  She motioned for me to put it on...with a look of "and be quick about it".  Then I grabbed my bike and rolled it onto the train, Patty stepped aboard and 3 seconds later, the train started moving.  The whole scene would be funny, but that conductor came through the train wanting our tickets...and the tickets for our bikes.  We had forgotten to ask if tickets for the bikes were required on this train.  As per the guide books, we played the ignorance card.  And she graciously manufactured the tickets for our bikes.  We laughed, and Patty said, "The real question is what are we going to do wrong next?"

Patty's friends Pete and Shirleen were waiting for us at Sulmona.  What a delight they are!  They loaded the bikes and our bags and we were at their place ten minutes later.  I want to tell you the story of their house, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.  What I will tell you is that we had a magnificent feast.  Something called Raclette cheese...a Swiss cheese that is grilled and then put atop potatoes, with grilled steak, chicken, and sausage.  There were antipasta dishes of stuffed peppers, and grilled eggplant, zucchini, and asparagus.  And wine.  A white wine called Peccorino and a red from the region of Abruzzo.  I am stuffed.  And now I am going to bed and hoping that Italy wins their World Cup match.