A slow travel blog by Phoebe--a slow travel lover, and Mon-- a slow travel hater. Follow our journey from London- Paris- Marseille- Hyères-Genoa-Bologna-Venice all done via train without a plane in sight. Our second article, below, is focused on our time in Italy.
Day 11. 7/9/24. Genova to Bologna
M: Now Genova (Genoa in Italian) was a city that took me by surprise. I did not expect much, but we had a pleasant time. Thinking back, we didn’t once eat out for dinner! How cultured are we?! The city invented pesto, and we didn’t even try a Genoese pesto pasta dish. To be honest, we needed a couple nights in… all that slow travel takes it out of you.
We had a wander in and around the city and saw some incredible 13th and 14th century architecture. Streets are so narrow you could shake hands with your neighbour. It definitely wouldn’t pass health and safety nowadays. Cladding? Fuhgettaboutit
We did not however see the aquarium, which is supposed to be quite good--- that was built a bit later…
P: Strictly speaking, this journey did not in fact begin in Genoa, but in Vernazza, one of the villages of the Cinque Terre. It was a secret overnight I had booked for himself in honour of his birthday. After two nights in the city of Genoa, where we primarily ate Focaccia, explored a lot of its labyrinthian old town and ogled an unexploded WWII bomb in a medieval church (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo), we caught a train to Monterosso and from there hiked to Vernazza.
M: Vernazza. This was a surprise trip: I had no idea where we were going but had a faint idea of what we were doing (I wouldn’t say I like Surprises). A couple of weeks before leaving my co-host insisted I pack a backpack. What was wrong with my trusty tote bag? I managed to suss out a few days before we left that the location may have been the Cinque Terre. Potentially a nice, easy hike? But which village? The Cinque Terre is made up of 5 beautiful villages by the sea.
P: If I was completely honest, this present may be classed as one of those ‘this is something I’m going to really enjoy so I will book it for us’ types of present. The hike from Monterosso (the first and largest of the five villages if coming from the North) was two hours of twisty, largely uphill coastal path allowing you to admire the cliffs and seaside villages below and terraced vineyard farms all around. I knew that too much information provided too early was risky--- ‘a hike?’ he might say, ‘dream on…’ but really, I knew he’d enjoy it so quiet I stayed.
M: We came out of the station at Monterosso and were met with stunning views. Wanting to stay a bit more to soak up the atmosphere, my co-host instead is walking in the direction of, I can only assume, the village we will be staying in. I, like a moth to the flame, follow. I’m looking forward to a nice leisurely walk with some lovely sea views.
Five minutes in we are greeted by sweat-drenched, panting tourists coming towards us. It was at that moment I knew I was in for a long ride. On paper, it’s a 2-hour hike, but my god, it felt endless. You’re pretty much going uphill for an hour and a half. We were not equipped for this hike: My co-host is in sandals and I am in Veja’s with no grip. To say I nearly died is an understatement…
P: Needless to say it was beautiful but incredibly hot and the lad was nearly killed off during this strenuous excursion. Arriving in Vernazza he took to the bed and stayed there until well into the evening when the next part of the surprise had been planned: a panoramic boat trip taking in all of the 5 villages complete with an aperetivo (translation: Wine and grub). This, I was sure, would put everything right. Alas no, he did not enjoy the wine and on top of it, felt seasick throughout. Top class birthday organiser me.
M: I’ll save you my sob story, but we finally made it, and I was pretty much out of action for the rest of the day…But now, it’s a new day and I wake up the most excited I've felt on this trip. Why may you ask? It was my non-negotiable city that I wanted to visit again. My beloved bologna. Oh, how your yellow buildings shine in the sun.
P: Returning this morning we got our train from Vernazza to Monterosso, another train from Monterosso to Genova, a quick luggage pick up and from there a train to Milano and onward to Bologna.
M: Fast forward little over an hour from where we stood in Vernazza station, we’re in Genova again!
We collect our bags and find a little café 5 minutes from the station to sit and gobble up some more focaccia. I’m telling you. The focaccia in Genova hits different.
We slowly head to the station, and to our horror, we discover that our train is delayed by 45 mins. In the grand scheme of things, that’s not all that bad, BUT we have another train to catch Bucko, so delays aren’t an option.
P: All was going swimmingly until we learnt of our delayed train to Milan—a whopping forty minutes which would have put our following travel into disarray, missing our next train to himself’s beloved Bologna and pushing our arrival time till well into the evening. This was too much to bear so with the overhearing of an announcement for a different and earlier train to Milan we jumped at the opportunity and hopped on board.
M: I must congratulate my co-host for her quick thinking. We quickly hotfoot it to the platform where this other train to Milan is about to leave, get on board my bag the size of a 12-year-old and sigh. Relief. We’ve f**** the system. Feeling so smug. Yeah, take that Italian train system. You can take your delays and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine. Bliss. We’re heading to Milan and won’t miss our train connection.
P: Unanimously we decided that ‘playing dumb should the ticket inspector kick up a fuss’ would be the best course of action.
M: My co-host and I high-five each other as the other Italians surrounding us look on confused about why these two tourists are celebrating.
P: This smugness was short lived however as himself, about half an hour into our journey, suggests that we just ‘double check’ what station this train was going to. Lo and behold, it would take us to Milano Centrale. You’ve got it, our next train is not departing from here at all but from a station called Milano Rogoredo. After a frantic googling session to determine a) if this train would also stop at Milano Rogoredo (no) b) if Milano Centrale and Milano Rogoredo were close (no) c) if we could travel easily from one to the other and arrive in time for our train (also no).
M: Do we risk it and make a dash for the station on the other side of Milan? Or do we buy another train ticket to go from Milan Central to Bologna?
My co-host is willing to risk it all. I, on the other hand, am not. I persuade her that booking new tickets is the best option we have. You see. I took out travel insurance for these situations, so we were covered on all ends. I quickly nabbed up two seats on Trainline, and thank the lord I did.
P: We quickly realised that booking a new train to Bologna would have to be done. This could have been a very expensive and irritating mistake had it not been for the fact that himself had organised travel insurance. At the time I had dismissed this expense as unnecessary and overly cautious, however sitting on this high speed, highly comfortable train to Bologna, I could not be more grateful.
M: Five minutes later, we pull into Milan Central and get on a breed of train I haven’t sat on in a very long time. The Frecciarossa train. I am so glad we got these tickets, we are travelling at a speed of 298kph or 185mph! In a flash, we are in my beloved bologna. I honestly had a great time on board. Whizzing past the Italian countryside, I could have happily sat on the train for another couple of hours. But then we would’ve ended up in Bari and missed my favourite city.
And here, a reel of our time in Genova and, the Cinque Terre...
Day 13. 9/9/24. Bologna to Venice
P: We are sitting on the swishest train I have ever had the pleasure of riding on. We booked ourselves onto business class as there had been no difference in price way back when we booked all the tickets. Once again, a level of organisation that I am not used to but am quickly learning has serious advantages. I could practically do a cartwheels down the carriage if I was so inclined. Himself was extremely excited by the state and cleanliness of the toilets. I had to see for myself and I can confirm, one could practically eat off the floors.
M: ARE YOU SERIOUS? THIS TRAIN IS F****** AMAZING. Italo Treno, you are what I’ve been missing! Spacious seats? Fuck that. They’re the space of a one-bedroom flat in London. We were greeted by fantastic train stewardesses. Feels like I'm on a first-class flight. Now interestingly, when we booked our tickets, the price between standard and “exclusive” was the same. So, me being me, opted for exclusive. I had totally forgotten we had booked these until we saw our tickets before we boarded. It was a pleasant surprise, but THIS. Oh, my goodness. I cannot compliment the train enough. The toilet was cleaner than our hotel room bathroom, and I thought that was alright!
P: Other benefits include complimentary tea, coffee, snacks and water—you can bet I took full advantage despite the fact that this morning in Bologna I had all of those things plus Gelato and a lunch made up largely of mortadella (their famed ham) and squacquerone cheese (soft and runny, more like yogurt and typical of the region).
M: On that note. LIVE ON SCENE, a lovely train attendant, offers me some biscuits and a drink. You certainly don’t get that on French trains (not in standard anyway, which is what we travelled on throughout our slow travel journey).
P: This does of course lead me nicely onto the subject of Bologna, home to the oldest university in the world and also the city that himself has been most looking forward to on this trip. It was my first time and his second time. Bologna had a lot to live up to as he has been talking about its brilliance consistently for the whole year (as of today!) I have known him. The fact that it has managed to live up to its hype says a lot. Being a student town it has the same vibrancy and youth culture as Marseille but without the chaos. It is significantly smaller and, famously perhaps, made for walking. It is home to the most porticos of any city in Italy and, for that matter, the world. This means that come rain or shine you are protected from the elements.
M: Bologna has such a great vibe. Much more so than any other city I’ve been to. The food.. where can I start? La Grassa. One of many nicknames for the city. The fat one. Why? BECAUSE THE FOOD IS AMAZING. Home of the Bolognese sauce but don’t call it that. It is called ‘ragù’. For all of you who don't know…This ain’t no Dolmio sauce.
Tagliatelle al ragù for days and tortellini, as far as the eye can see. It’s a pretty porky city, so for my halal/veggie brethren and sisthren, be warned, BUT there is plenty else you can eat. My favourite being the Pumpkin Tortelloni in a Parmesan sauce.
P: For a non-pork eater its options were more limited (apparently the true ragù is always made with pork as well as beef---the more you know) so himself was more of a veggie than I have ever managed to be (despite calling myself one for well over a year!).
In fitting with Bologna’s historical beauty, we stayed in a former Monastery called Residenza San Martino--now a two star hotel that looks onto an atmospheric central courtyard (former monks hangout spot?!), boasts clean, simple rooms and is a stone’s throw away from the city centre.
M: Look, you’ll find it hard to eat at a bad restaurant in Bologna. Even the tourist traps have good food. It’s a foodie city. It’s all good. Throughout our stay we went to two notable bars. Don’t even think about it: If you’re in the area, go. You won’t regret it. Vibes and drinks are on point. They are: Camera A Sud on Via Valdonica and Caffè Rubik on Via Marsala. In conclusion, go to Bologna.
P: This train, in contrast to historic Bologna is a shining example of modernity and, as I look up, a screen tells me that the next stop is Venezia Mestre---here we are!
M: We are fast approaching Venice, our final destination on our slow travel journey.
As I sit here in first-class luxury, I can’t help but think, was it worth it? To my co-host, if you’re reading this: Yes yes, the holiday itself was one to remember for many reasons. I think we both can agree that this trip is among one of the best times we’ve had.
But you, the reader. Yes, you. Is it worth it for the likes of you? A person who has 28 days holiday throughout the year. Someone who wants zero stress and a relaxing holiday without the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life?
Well. And I can’t believe I'm going to say this…. Yes. It is 100% worth it.
When travelling around Italy and France, I think their train systems are some of the best in the world. Generally, they’re bang on time, and there are so many links to little towns, villages, and cities cross-country that it certainly beats flying (if you have the time).
I will say. If you decide to do something similar to us, then I would give yourselves some time and maybe then some. Be prepared to be delayed or miss a train or two because that’s just how travelling works. It never really goes to plan and that’s okay.
If you’re reading this and already stressing out, I recommend you stick to one destination and fly to your desired holiday destination and possibly do 1 or 2 train journeys to major cities where the trains are frequent and easy to get to.
P: Well, I always liked this way of travel didn't I? As expected, this trip was no exception. Still, it was full of firsts for me, the eurostar and first-class trains to name some. One thing about slow-travel is, as trite as it sounds, to see the journey as part of the destination. Doing it with a partner in crime makes it even more enjoyable: you have someone else to blame if things go wrong, someone to annoy and, being more serious now, someone to share countless memories with.
Go on. I dare you. Go by train, go by bus, go by ferry.
And, of course, one last reel feat. our time in Bologna to send you on your way...
xoxo
M and P
** One plane was caught in the making of this blog: Our flight home. Because sometimes, even in the name of slow and eco travel, reality bites and homeward bound it must be for work the next day. The aim, always, is to do your best...
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