Anyway, so here I am in the town of Santa Margherita. It has so far proven to be a picturesque little town, with interesting fresco paintings on all the houses.

Not that I've seen much today. After booking into a hot for tonight and a different one for tomorrow (due to when rooms are available), I jumped back on that damned train to go back and get my photos.

Let me rewind a little here. I missed the fast train this morning by a minute and had to wait for the next one. Guess which one? All stops. EVENTUALLY the train got to Santa Margherita Ligure, but by this stage I was in la la land from the boredom and didn't get off in time. So I got off at the next station, which turned out to be one of the stations that 99% of trains don't stop at. I got a ticket back to Santa Margherita and did my hotel booking.

So then I went back to the station, got a return ticket to La Spezia and waited around, had a beer and some lunch – which incidentally said Roast Pork sandwich and turned out to be a BLT with mayo – and the machine you zip your tickets through mangled and ate my ticket. I spent time rapping on the ticket guys window trying to get his attention, which was tied up with a photocopier. He had absolutely no intention of serving me or the people lining up for tickets. I saw the train I wanted to catch pull up onto the station. EVENTUALLY he came over, saw my mangled ticket and went ballistic and started shouting at me in Italian, and afer a good shout, came out and got the rest of my ticket back, then had another go at shouting at me. I got somewhat fed up with him and stomped off, to find the train – you know, the direct, no stops one – pulling out of the station. Next (and only for 2 hours) was of course, all stops.

Not only was it half an hour late, it had about twice as many stops as there were stations. For no obvious reason it took a break in the middle of tunnels, 100 metres from platforms, and so on.

EVENTUALLY it got to La Spezia and I nipped down to get my photos (damned overnight development) and back to the train station, only to find I had just missed the direct train back – the only one for one and a half hours.

So I got the next one – you know, the all stops one...

I'm beginning to repeat myself, aren't I?

Well, it's been that kind of day. What really set me on edge was the shouting-for-no-reason guy. I felt like giving hima good kick up the bum, but it could have adversely affected my ability to buy tickets there anytime soon, so I didn't!

Tonight I had spag bol and a beer. It calmed me down nicely. It's still early but I think I'll pull up a book I've already read and read it again until I fall asleep. I'd love an espresso right now, but them when don't I want them? Maybe tomorrow between walks I'll make my way from cafe to cafe on espressos and crossiants. mmmmm

2005-01-31T19:29:47