Livorno 2010-07-14 Destination Barcilona…
What a mess… ok, not that bad, but a lot of waiting. I could not get ticket on-line and the schedule was not in the Europass timetable BUT I figured it out… I got to Livorno from Pisa fairly early to make sure u got a berth… so I was at the ticket office at 13:00. Turns out that the ticket office does not open until 17:00. I tried to get tickets in town but no one had a clue or could understand me. The good news is that I helped a greek guy find a train to roma and 3 women how to use the kiosk. Interesting. So I wandered around the train station looking for a taxi… finally I bought a bus ticket that some nice people thought might bring me to where I needed to be. Turns out I needed to be in the commercial port of Livorno. We are talking container ships and trucking. No nice restaurants, no bars, no nothin’
I decided I need to venture back into civilization because I have no cash, not a good thing. So first I walk to the beach, because if you feet are starting to hurt you should schlep you back pack a few kilometers to check out the beach and the sail boarders. I venture into a private beach club after the topless beach… not-so-good… there was some sketchy trailer type building and a rusty fence. I go in but do not stay. In English I am pretty good, but decide to try to stay out of trouble in Livorno, Italy…
I wander across bridges and the country side. I finally see a restaurant , they are closing, but she tells me that a bus should come… fortunately I still have the bus pass from the train station where I took the taxi… are you following? So I get on the bus hoping for the train station, but a very nice girl tells me go get off where there is a big church and I can good food and money… HELLO, this place has more churches than you can shake a pope at… but somehow I get off where she recommended. I find an ATM and get a bite to eat. I attempt to get the bus back to the port, but am again clueless. I can’t even figure out buses in the US, never mind in a language that I don’t understand… I grab a cab, yeah! But alas you does not understand where I want to go … did I mention that it is really hot… the second cab had a clue and fortunately I geo-tagged a picture so that clinched it. I got back to the ticket office and met 2 Finish guys. They too were going to Barcelona. They had tickets that they booked on-line, but the 30% discount did not apply… what up with that?!??! Anyway, I got my ticket and my birth and now have to wait 5 hours for the ferry… there might be a chance I could have planned this better but the Fin’s tried and ended up in the same…. Wait for it… boat… so I have been back and forth twice now and know the ropes. They too did not get money or food for the wait. I told them I would watch their stuff while they went back into town. They did not want to wait for the bus so I gave them the number for the taxi… you may wonder why I had the number for the taxi… because I asked for it. A number I will never use again, but it was helpful to them. So they went into town and I sat and guarded the luggage. They said that they would be ½ an hour. I believed that I laughed out loud at them. Two hours later they show back up with food and drink for me. By this point I have a nice chair, a nice view and a pillow under my butt.
I watch the people come and go and most of them have questions. My question is why do you have a tourist passenger ferry office in the middle of shipping…
So I just sent the boys off to the beach. I already visited it and don’t need to get all sandy and salty. I am again in charge of everything… they know that they owe me :> only 2 hours left to wait… back to my book..
“Final Theory” by Mark Alpert. It is pretty good and unfortunately, pretty gone. I will need a new book.
Oh yeah, I got a hotel room in Barcelona using my phone. Gotta love it!
Great update, Rick. So happy for you that you’re having this adventure. Need a new book, huh? I already recommended one, back under one of your July 12 posts. You’ll like it, trust me. Anyway, thanks as always for sharing these travels with us, and I’ll look forward to more photos.
I know you’ll enjoy Barcelona; check out some of the Gaudi architecture, such as La Pedrera and Casa Batllo on Passieg De Gracia, and the Gothic Quarter. And the restaurants and tapas bars? – yeah, you’ll love it.