I love train travel! To me it seems the best way to travel. . . . gently easing into a new place, seeing both where I have been and where I am going. We have traveled through Europe by train, but not totally because the architect always wants to visit contemporary buildings and they are usually not easily accessible by train, so we rent cars which give more freedom. We have, though, taken the Eurostar which travels from London to Paris in 2 hours and 15 minutes. I remember being very giggly as we noticed a distinguished older man traveling with his beautiful , very young “daughter” to Paris for lunch! We, also, traveled from Cairo to Luxor on the French speed train. I remember feeling very sad at seeing the poor, poor peasants standing and waving beside the tracks. And at that moment , the train seemed a wasteful extravagance. And the latest was train travel through India. We went from Goa in the far south, on second class train with seats that folded down to cot beds and traveled for 18 hours to Mumbai and then Ahmedabad. I loved watching the changing landscape from the window. Food is available on the train with vendors coming back and forth. We had eaten on another trip and were fine but had heard of some people getting sick eating train food, so it was bananas, cookies and coke for me. Any wonder, I gained weight? Oh did I digress! Back to this sleek, elegant Italian train. . . . .
Italy and all things Italian , in my opinion , can only be described with superlatives. . . . sleek and innovative design, elegant, perfect materials. . . and that doesn’t even begin describing art and architecture! Which I will explain in another post. But with all those positive adjectives come one opposite and frustrating adjective….. summed up in the “function follows form” . . . . . We found over and over that wonderfully designed Italian objects may work but most often they don’t ! Sometimes they do , other times not, but they are beautiful. Trains need to do their job. . . . . to get the passengers to their destination safely and on time! Can this train do it? I hope this beauty will be successful and I would love to travel on it!
This Is the Italian Speed Train!
TalesAlongTheWay 
Took a train once from Rome to Florence…Firenze. Loved it. Never took any trains when I was in Egypt.
Great post.
Stirring up my wanderlust.
(Thanks for that!)
😉
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I would take that train from Rome to Florence for the day of shopping and wandering and longingly looking at the gold. Once I made a mistake and got on the local train back to Rome that took way longer, but never told the architect! He was always amazed that I navigated that all by myself, anyway! Shhhh. . . . We used to take the train to Venice….8 hours from Roma. Now this speed train is 1 hour 15 minutes even further from Milan to Rome…..wow…..
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Reblogged this on Oyia Brown and commented:
Excellent.
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Off Topic! I keep meaning to re-iterate about the embedded text links!
1. Highlight, right click and select ‘copy’ on the link you wish to send to.
2. Type and highlight the words in the post you wish to send the link from – eg. ‘see here’.
3. Left click on the ‘paper clip’ from the WP toolbar near the top of the Add New Post text editor – to open a new window called ‘Insert/edit link’.
4. Right click on the blue highlighted ‘http://’ text in the box to the right of ‘URL’.
5. Left click on ‘paste’.
6. Left click ‘add Link’ bottom right – and you’re done.
If you accidently lose the blue highlight in 4, re-highlight this – which will allow ‘http://’ to be replaced with your link, which itself will already contain, at the start, the all important ‘http://’
Trust this works for you. OB.
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I have printed this off and will try to do it. If not, I have a High School boy who helps me occasionally with the mysterious computer and my lack of knowledge and skills ! Are you saying to do this at the beginning of my post where I had included the video of the Italian train?
I don’t even know what I don’t even need to know!
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No – such a link is not necessary on this particular post. The procedure, which sounds far more complicated than it actually is, is for use when you want to direct your readers to another site or perhaps to an earlier post of your own; for the occasions when, in the past, you have shown the whole link itself. It is just a lot ‘tidier’. The embedded text link can be used anywhere within the post.
You can experiment with this procedure without ‘going live’ by using ‘Preview’ before publishing. Give it a try! OB
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We love trains in this house, especially as my husband works in a train depot!
See if you can find the BBC2 series Great British Railway Journeys, it’s brilliant, it follows the history of train travel in the UK, and then there’s a follow on series around Europe x
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I found it . . .. good old BBC….it is the best. Lovely pictures. So glad you like the post. . . .
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I did, the train looks so cool! But I guess it should really, it’s Italian after all!!!
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The Italians are terribly creative, that is for sure!
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I would like to say I love your blog and the wonderful and beautiful things you share as well as the inspiration and smiles you bring in doing so! Thank you for being you and I hope even if you do not accept awards you will accept the sentiment expressed as I honor you with one. There is no prize that comes with the award other than my appreciation and being grateful you are part of our world and making a difference by sharing in such a positive way…
I have posted the award and link to it here I hope you will accept it or at least the sentiment behind it! http://artisticlyxpressedthoughts.wordpress.com/2014/03/27/awards-and-shared-gifts/
With love,
Joe
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Dear Joe,
Many thanks for your kind words and the nomination. I do accept your gift and will pass it on in the near future. Have a lovely weekend. Smiles,Anne
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That is cool. I would prefer train over air if I can afford time. I completely agreed with those benefits of train. I think it would not be as boring with changing scenery along.
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Hope you get to have one of these cool trains sometime.
Big Smiles. . .
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Amazing, these bullet trains.
Some of my most memorable holidays involved train rides.
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I would love to go on the Orient Express. Have you done that?
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No, unfortunately, not the Orient Express 🙂
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No trains in my area any more. I can remember them in the distant past. I suppose I should have said no passenger trains, because freight trains carrying dangerous cargo pass through every 2 or 3 hours, and I used to read the chemical signs on them and wonder when one of them would derail and kill us all. But for taking trips, I prefer the bus. Just not in a hurry to get anywhere, love to look at the scenery, talk to fellow passengers, get off for a meal in small towns in the middle of nowhere, and wake up from a deep sleep with a stranger’s head lolling on my shoulder.
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You are so funny! I am glad all the killing trains have stayed on the tracks! How are you feeeling?
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what a cute train… we haven’t a cute train in Indonesia.. hehe
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And it is FAST….if it works ! 😎
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what do u mean, if it works? 😀
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Italians design the most amazing things, trains included, but the things they design often look nicer than than run. The train seems to be running fine…..as it was designed by car designer. . . . I was teasing , really, though there is truth in what I said! 😎
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hahahaha, feel funny when u said if it works 😀
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http://kaligrafinusantaraonline.wordpress.com/
This a blogger friend from Indonesia…..lovely man!
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Thanks, Anne…:)
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http://doncharisma.org/
I think Don is from Indonesia, too, but not sure. He , too, is a great friend!
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Thank you, Anne. I would like to check it 🙂
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Beautiful train, I have not seen this. My mother is from Florence, Italy. I agree with you. The Italians are fantastic at design, but that doesn’t always mean it is functional… STILL we love to see what creative things they come up with. From clothes, to food, to furniture, coffee machines, etc. — it ALL makes us smile. http://Www.brilliantviewpoint.com
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Oh I love this comment!
Ciao!
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