chugga chooo

I wish to take this opportunity to rave about trains because I am currently on one and because every time is a good time for train talk. By the way, I almost made he title of this post “Chugga choo choo- it’s my Train of Thought!”, but I did some really ashamed backspacing, as even I found that to be too much.

On March 30^th, I took a plane to Paris from Rome.  Planes, I think we can agree, are basically always terrible. If you have ever had the displeasure of flying Ryanair, then you especially know how bad planes can be. If you’ve never flown Ryanair, congratulations.

 If someone ever tells you they saw a celebrity on his or her Ryanair flight, that person is lying to you, because no one with a real adult budget would  enter the tin foil  stress generator that is a Ryanair aircraft. I could go on (there aren’t reserved seats, passengers often applaud upon landing, I once saw a man tear the wheels off of his suitcase in order to meet the unacceptably strict size requirements, etc.), but it’s time to talk about trains.

Since my plane to Paris, all of my travels around France and Switzerland have been by train. Currently, I am looking at beautiful mountain landscapes, I have my legs crossed, my computer is plugged into a socket, and yet I feel old-fashioned. Trains.

I know it seems like I’m going overboard with the affection, but I have such an abundance of train love, I need to share some of it with the world you guys.

I was in Paris, then Geneva, then a little city called Neuchâtel, then a littler village called Grimentz in the Alps, and now I am going back to Paris. I had a day to kill between the Alps and Madrid. After considering my fairly restricted options (given time and geography), I decided to spend tomorrow alone in the Louvre. I went to a museum when I was by myself in Spain (Barcealonea) and that was enjoyable. Museums give everyone the opportunity to feel graceful- probably due to how slowly one moves. A museum has the calming effect of a bookstore, except it’s better because you don’t have to deal with employees asking if you need help or telling you that those chairs and for the children, could you please decide what to purchase and put your shoes back on.

The museum in Barelona wasn’t even great because modern art sucks, in my (correct) opinion. Tomorrow should be a thousand times better. I should be napping now so I can get as much as possible out of my field trip, but I am serious- I don’t want to miss a minute of this train ride. I’m now two for two on having an open seat next to me during international train rides. Well, there was an old man who was technically in the seat next to me from France -> Geneva, but he spent the entire ride in the dining car. I literally became concerned about his health and considered telling someone to check the bathrooms, but there he was at the bar, munchin’ on croissants and lovin’ trainlife.

It’s been a long-time concern of mine that, when aliens first get a look at Earth, they’ll zoom in on an American airport, thus  getting the worst possible view of mankind. Even if you’re not flying Ryanair, the only positive thing about airports is that they make you feel better about yourself. Travelers used to dress up and now I sometimes wonder if people intentionally look disgusting as an F.U. to airport security. Like saying- go ahead and frisk me. You get to touch my oldest, cheeto-stained track pants.

So, have fun feeling dehydrated yet sweaty, airplane passengers. (In denial that this group includes me again on Sunday.)

WAaaaaiit really quickly- a guy checking my ticket just asked me how old I am and I said twenty because I am twenty and now I am freaking out because THAT SOUNDS OLD. What if he was asking because he thought I was a 39-year-old trying to get the student rate! Ehhhhhhhhh. Okayokay back to things.

After I return to Rome on Sunday, I’ll be swamped with work that I should have been doing on break, but then I will do an account of Paris, Switzerland, and Madrid. Plus I’ll have pictures uploaded.

Until then, I probably love you! (Probably because there’s a small chance you’re not Shayda or Erin or someone else who’s told me you read this.)

Bye!

Hang on. I have to bring you back to my train journey one last time because it is now raining on fields of yellow flowers outside. Also, I went to get some chocolate and can only describe walking into other train cars as seeing who is in other rooms at a party. And the other people at the party are Swiss businessmen making powerpoints.