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1936 On the Continent

1936 On the Continent

Titel: 1936 On the Continent Kostenlos Bücher Online Lesen
Autoren: Eugene Fodor
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touring tickets which are valid for from eight to fifteen days. It is an important condition of these concessions that the foreign visitor can only enjoy them if he stays in the country for at least a week. But, of course, it would not be worth anybody’s while to go to Italy for less than a week.
Types of Trains
    Although all trains run well and to time, the “
rapido
,” composed of first and second class carriages, is best. “
Rapido
” trains only stop at the more important towns and travel at speeds of from forty to sixty miles an hour. Reduced fares are valid on the “
rapido
” trains, but excess fares have to be paid according to the distance run. Considering the speed and comfort the “
rapido
” offers the traveller the excess fare is small and does not exceed 40 lire even for the longest distances. The next best type of train is the slower, but quite good, “
direttissimo
.” The “
diretto
” is still slower, while the most humble positions in the hierarchy of trains are occupied by the “
accelerato
,” the “
omnibus
” and the “
misto
.” The two latter types can only be recommended to those who do not like to travel at greater speeds than about twenty miles an hour and are particularly enamoured of signal-boxes and the flower-beds of wayside stations. For the “
accelerate
,” “
omnibus
” and “
misto
” stop at all such places and in view of this leisurely mode of progression it sometimes happens that these trains are late. For those who can afford it, there are sleeping-car trains between the large towns. The cost of a sleeping-car ticket, including tips, is from 100 to 130 lire.
Railway Restaurant Service
    On “
rapido
” and “
direttissimo
” trains there is always a restaurant car at the principal meal times.Prices are fairly moderate, lunch or dinner, including wine and tips, costing about 20 to 22 lire. Those who cannot afford this amount can lunch or dine magnificently out of a “
cestino
” or “nose-bag.” The “
cestino
” is a paper bag containing a complete lunch or dinner, and the price is only 7 to 10 lire.
    On some routes a portion of “
pasta asciutta
,” the indispensable hors d’œuvre of Italian principal meals, is also included. The “
cestino
” meal itself consists of meat, cheese, an orange or other fruit, one or two pastries and wine. A small tin fork for boiled paste, salt, a toothpick and a cardboard cup for the wine, are provided in the “
cestino
,” but no knife.
    At first the foreign visitor will find it queer to see, round midday, six or eight people in his compartment lunching out of a bag resting on their knees, perhaps wrestling with a sizable chicken bone, but later he will get used to this sight.
    A warning in connection with the “
cestino
”: do not buy them, except at the big stations. The “nose-bags” of Turin, Rome, Milan, Venice and Florence stations are noted for their excellence. At the smaller stations, where few “nose-bags” are sold, it is a matter of luck what you get. If you are a gambler you may purchase your lunch at such stations, but careful people are advised to refrain.
Sleep in Trains
    In one respect all Italian trains are alike: they are always crowded. Owing to the low fares everybody is travelling, and after a night spent on a train the foreign visitor might be under the impression that the entire Italian people has suddenly decided to migrate. This passion is not limited to certain hours. You may arrive at a small station at three o’clock in the morning and the chances are that even at that unearthly hour a number of people will board your train. Unless you are a special favourite of fortune do not expect to get any sleep in a second or third class compartment. Thus if you can afford it—and if sleeping-cars are above your means—it is best to travel first class at night.
“Milizia Ferroviaria”
    But if you have any complaint to make, whether it concerns the crowded condition of the train or the conductor, or anything else, remember that every train carries a special representative of the State in the person of a black-shirted, green-uniformed member of the “
milizia ferroviaria
” (railway militia), to whom you can always turn with confidence. He may not be able to speak English, but within five minutes he will find someone among the passengers who can, bring him to you, and attend to your complaint. The fact that he carries a revolver and looks as grim as if he were just going

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