The cruise is now finished and we said farewell to free ice cream, swimming pools and steaks the size of our heads. No more Tony (our server) and no more sleeping in. As we got off the boat and got to the train station, we were completely on our own. Good bye mom and dad and hello to reality!
We had a lot of mishaps along the way. A lot of learning lessons for us about how the European system works. This story is my particular favorite...
We arrive to the train station with our bodies relaxed and tummies full. All was going well since we got off the boat. We get in line to reserve seats for a train to Paris. Life is good, until we come to find out that the seats are full and the only way to get there is to take another train to Milan, then hope to catch another one from there. No worries. This is an adventure right? So we buy the tickets to Milan and think, "How wonderful, now we will get to see Milan!" 6 Hours go by and we hop on the train. Its packed, a little hot but sure that once the train starts moving, the AC will kick in. The train starts moving. No AC. Ok. It's summer time. We can just open the windows. Nothing. Windows were locked. Are you kidding me!? 100 degree weather and 100% humidity. Even Satan would have been uncomfortable. Sweat is dripping down our faces as the man selling snacks and drinks walk past. $10 for a water? Fine. Whatever. We would have paid ANYTHING to make things a little bit better. At one point Scot wasn't moving. All I could see were sweat marks in his shirt getting bigger and bigger. I looked over and just prayed that he would make it. 9 hours of hell. 9 HOURS!!!! Thank you Europe for welcoming us with a slap in the face!
By the time we reached Milan, it was dark and we were in need of a place to stay. Anything with AC. So we take a walk down a street in hopes to find a decent place that wasn't too expensive. Phil, the brave bargainer, got us some great rooms for pretty cheap. Is there AC? That's all we cared about. "No problem," they said. "We have AC." Fabulous. A nice cold shower and turned on the air while we went to grab some food. When we came back, we noticed a slight change of temperature in our room. 20 more minutes and we'll be fine. 20 min go by. 30 min go by. 2 hours go by. Still nothing. As we layed on the bed, praying to God for a miracle, Krystal pulls out her "she-bear" and heads down 4 flights of stairs. I kept hearing her insist that we get some type of ventilation in the room or she is going to explode. The next thing I know, we are all huddled around a tiny fan until the sun comes up. What a night. What an experience. I have to say, it sure made me so grateful for those little vents that shoot out cold air. Boy are we lucky to have that or what!?
We decided not to go to Paris. It wasn't worth the risk.
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