Reflections on a train

We are on the train for the next 3 hours, headed from Rome to Pisa. It is nice to be able to just sit and not really have to think and plan for a bit. I am loving my trip, doing things I never imagined I would ever do but it is physically and mentally exhausting. You want to make sure you see all you can see and do everything, you don't want to miss a thing so it's lots of late nights, running around here and there making sure you get it all done. There isn't much time for reflection so I am glad to be able to just sit for a while and do it now. 

In the past 10 days I have visited 3 of the major cities in the world, London, Paris and Rome. We have been constantly comparing them. I will admit first off that I have a bias towards London. It is in England which means it has a peice of my heart. But I will try to do this as analytically as possible. 

First off let's look at cleanliness- London comes in first with Paris a close second. Rome is a very dirty city. In  London and Paris you actually see people cleaning the streets daily, emptying the garbage, sweeping the streets, we saw street washing trucks in Paris. In Rome there were overflowing garbage cans everywhere and lots of litter on the street. There is graffiti in all 3 cities, in London it is areas where it is hard to get to, out of the way or in a tube tunnel, that kind of thing. The graffiti in Paris is more noticeable, along the side of the roads, in the alleyways and in Rome graffiti is everywhere, there is hardly a space at street level that is not painted.

Let's talk about food. I love steak pie, fish and chips and 99 ice cream treats but they are nothing compared to the deliciousness of the food in Rome. We had lasagne, spaghetti aoli, pizza, gnocchi and gelato, oh the gelato! The food in Rome has been amazing and also very reasonable cost-wise. It has also been a very fun experience, eating in the little street cafés with the checked tableclothes. The food in Paris was very expensive. We had a great breakfast that came with the cost of our hotel, baguettes, croissants,meat, cheese, yogurt and Nutella ( a staple everywhere in Europe it seems) we managed to make picnics from breakfast most days with some fresh fruit we picked up at the market. The crepes and the macaroons were absolutely delicious  but the cost of the food in the cafés was extremely overpriced. 

Each city has a vast transportation network. I am amazed at how intricate they all are. I want to investigate more when I have the time as to how it was all built, and when, at what cost. Again I think London comes first in this category. I realize that it was easier for us in London because all the signs are in English but the is not the only reason I think it is the best. In London everything is marked, labeled, announced and on time. Each train has a map you can follow, each station has many people you can ask for help. Paris is a very close second. They also have great maps, many things labeled, they announce trains in both French and English and there is usually a person you can find who will be able to assist you. In Rome there are no people to help you, some of the trains have maps- not all, it is not easily marked where you need to go and the trains and busses cannot be counted on to be on time or even to show up at all. I know they are not required to have English posted anywhere but being a major tourist attraction you would think there would be some English somewhere to be found. 

Green spaces. Paris and London both have amazing gardens, easily accessible and free to the public. We had picnics and wonderful walks through areas in both of these cities. Rome has no such thing that we encountered along our travels. We did see glimpses of green courtyards in the middle of some buildings but they were not for public use. Now keep in mind here I am only speaking about Rome not all of Italy, I know there are many beautiful green places in Italy I am driving by some right now!

I felt very safe in London and Paris. I know there is crime in both those cities, I know to keep my belongings close to me, to be aware and cautious everywhere I go but for the most part I felt safe and unthreatened. Rome was different, I felt very unsafe. It didn't help there there were signs everywhere talking about crime and pickpockets. I kept my backpack on my front every time we were in a crowd of people (which was a lot). Even the fact that there was a very large police presence didn't help, it just made me feel like there were just way more scary people around. There are a lot of street vendors in Rome, in you face vendors who follow you as you walk down the street, goading you, it is very intimidating. Every one of the cities has street street performers, people dressed up or singing or playing instruments. They are very fun to watch and to listen to. There was an old toothless man in a square in Rome just singing his little heart out, he was so happy that it made you happy as well. 

The sights in all three cities are extraordinary. I am going to give Rome top marks for this one. There is something to see everywhere you turn. Every corner has a new treasure, there are fountains and monuments, amazing feats of architecture everywhere. It is extremely impressive. France comes in second, the opulence of Versailles, the stature of the Eiffle  tower cannot be beat. The hugeness of every space of Paris is amazing. London is third, they have amazing sights but they are a bit more commonplace and stately, no grand opulence or size. 

I am having a fantastic time. It is great to be sharing this experience with Nicole. I have missed her so much this past year while she has been living in a London. I love all our daily talks and getting to connect with her again. I know she is growing up and will soon be leaving me and our home but I am glad to have her all to myself while I still can. If she hadn't been brave enough to leave home and go and teach in a London this trip would have never happened so I am greatful to her. It hard to believe that our trip isn't not even half over yet. We still have parts of Italy to explore and 3 other countries still to go :)