Italy

  • 10 Creative Writing Prompts Aug2019,  BLOG BM,  Italy

    The Art of Sesat

    Mujur sekarang ada GPS, kalau hendak ke mana-mana, guna sahaja aplikasi peta Google atau Waze dalam telefon bimbit. Betapa mudahnya hidup. Kalau dahulu, kena rujuk pada peta atau pun tanya pada orang secara rawak dengan harapan orang itu tahu arah tempat yang kita hendak pergi.

    Pertama kali sesat

    Teringat saya 9 tahun yang lalu; pertama kali saya sesat di Eropah. Telefon saya ketika itu bukan jenis pintar dan tiada akses roaming atau data Internet tempatan.

    Tempat pertama saya sesat ialah di Venezia pada tahun 2010. Di Venezia tiada kereta dibenarkan jadi semuanya perlu berjalan kaki.

    Dari Stesen Santa Lucia saya mengambil masa yang agak lama untuk sampai ke Piazza San Marco kerana tiada peta di tangan. Saya memang tidak membuat persediaan mahupun membuat rujukan di mana-mana laman web. Sampai Bologna, keluar bilik, ambil teksi pergi stesen, beli tiket dari kaunter (itupun satu hal) dan naik keretapi ke Venezia. Seorang diri.

    Di Venezia, saya seperti tersesat dalam sebuah permainan maze dan tiada jalan keluar. Jalan-jalannya kecil dan setiap jalan yang saya ambil pasti akan ada pintu rumah orang di penghujungnya. Dua jam lamanya saya sesat dan rasa mahu menangis. Akhirnya saya duduk dan tenangkan diri. Saya ingatkan pada diri saya, find where the crowd is. Melalui deria pendengaran, saya menjejaki arah menuju di mana ada ramai orang. Alhamdulillah, saya telah sampai ke jalan utamanya; yang juga kecil seperti lorong-lorong biasa kawasan perumahan. Pada masa itu, saya berjanji pada diri sendiri, lain kali saya akan bawa peta.

    Kali kedua sesat

    Keesokan harinya saya keluar dengan yakin dan berazam tidak mahu sesat. Saya mahu ke pusat bandar Firenze dan lihat Duomo yang gah itu tetapi tiba-tiba saya tiba di kawasan perkampungan yang lenggang. Tiada tanda-tanda kehadiran pelancong pun di situ. Saya berjalan dan berjalan mencari Duomo tetapi tidak berjumpa. Akhirnya saya terjumpa Kafe Internet dan masuk untuk menggunakan komputer dan cari maklumat. Rupa-rupanya saya tersilap stesen! Saya sepatutnya pergi ke Stesen Firenze SMN sebaliknya saya ke Stesen Firenze Rifredi. Ish. Sebelum membayar untuk tempoh saya gunakan Internet, sempat saya update di FB, ‘Sesat di Firenze!’

    Selepas itu, saya berjalan kembali ke stesen, saya beli kopi dari mesin dan duduk di bangku sambil termenung. Saya lihat sekeliling stesen dan sebelum saya bangun untuk ke membeli tiket pulang ke Bologna, saya nampak papan tanda LED, “Firenze SMN – Partenza 5 min”. Cepat-cepat saya beli tiket dan naik keretapi. Phew, akhirnya sampai juga di Bandar Firenze. Jam menunjukkan pukul 3 petang, saya mundar-mandir di kawasan stesen dan keluar sedikit ke kawasan membeli-belah. Dapatlah beli t-shirt untuk bawa balik. Saya tidak berani mencari arah ke Duomo kerana takut tersesat. Jam 5 petang, saya beli tiket pulang ke Bologna. Dalam keretapi, saya memujuk hati saya, “tak mengapa, Firenze aku akan datang lagi lain tahun.”

    Kali ketiga sesat

    Kemudian, empat tahun selepas itu saya sesat lagi, ketika saya kembali semula ke Venezia. Saya lupa janji saya pada diri saya untuk kembali dengan peta, sebaliknya saya kembali dengan sahabat saya, Evi.

    “Emila, you pernah datang sini, kan? Jom kita cari tempat untuk melukis plein-air!?” kata Evi teruja. “Uh-um,” ujar saya sambil teringat peristiwa sebelum ini. “I try,” jawab saya lagi sambil tergelak kecil.

    Sesat kali ketiga ini terjadi semasa belum sampai ke Venezia pun. Haha! Alkisahnya, kami tersilap menaiki keretapi. Kami menaiki keretapi regional yang lebih murah dari keretapi laju, seawal jam 9 pagi. Kami jangkakan jika kami tiba awal, kami akan dapat melukis di banyak tempat di Venezia.

    Sambil berbual, kami pun menaiki keretapi. Dalam keretapi kami berbual lagi sambil melihat-lihat pemandangan di luar yang indah. Ada bukit-bukau, ada rumah batu di tengah-tengah ladang, ada bandar tua dan macam-macam lagi pemandangan yang menyegarkan mata. Setelah sejam setengah dalam keretapi, saya mula hairan kerana pemandangannya tidak sama seperti yang saya lihat dahulu. “Ah, mungkin ikut jalan lain,” bisik hati saya. Sehinggalah di stesen berikut, keretapi berhenti dan seorang konduktor tiket naik untuk memeriksa tiket kami.

    No, no, Padua, Padua,” kata konduktor tiket sambil menunjuk arah ke hadapan. “Questo Venezia,” bilangnya lagi sambil menunjuk pada tiket kami. Hah sudah! Silap keretapi rupanya!

    Pronto, pronto,” kata konduktor menyuruh kami turun cepat dengan signal tangan kerana keretapi akan bergerak sebentar lagi. Sebelum itu, dia memberi kami tiket untuk menaiki keretapi pulang ke Stesen Bologna, “Dieci,” sambungnya sambil mengangkat kesemua sepuluh jari dan tunjuk telunjuknya pada saya, kemudia diulangi pergerakan jari yang sama pada Evi. Aha! Sepuluh Euro seorang. Kami membeli tiket darinya dan turun. Hahahahahah! Kami gelak bagai nak gila! Saya minta maaf pada Evi kerana tersilap keretapi.

    Akhirnya selepas menaiki keretapi semula ke Bologna, dan naik keretapi yang betul ke Venezia dari sana, kami pun sampai sekitar jam 2 petang. Banyak masa habis di perjalanan. Anehnya, apabila sampai di Venezia, saya tahu pula arah mana yang hendak dituju. Kami duduk melukis sehingga jam 6 petang di dua kawasan di situ. Semasa perjalanan pulang dari Venezia, Evi bersuara, “lain kali kita pergi ke tempat yang kita sesat siang tadi, nak Emila? Apa nama stesennya?”

    “Montselice,” jawab saya sambil memikirkan adegan kami sesat lagi nanti di situ pula.

    Sesat berkali-kali

    Ada banyak lagi kejadian sesat; antaranya, tersilap stesen untuk ke Cinque Terre yang membuang masa kami selama 3 jam, tersilap menaiki bas untuk pulang ke tempat penginapan yang menyebabkan kami kesejukan di malam buta sehingga jam 10 malam sehinggalah kami dapatkan bantuan pekerja kafe membantu kami menelefon teksi untuk pulang setelah tiada satu pun bas atau teksi yang lalu di perhentian bas yang kami tunggu.

    Kalau mahu bercerita tentang sesat di sini memang tak habis sebab banyak lagi cerita sesat ketika kembara ke beberapa negara lain dan juga di negara sendiri. Apa yang saya boleh katakan, sesat mengajar saya untuk bertenang, melihat dan mendengar dengan baik serta jangan malu atau takut bertanya. Belajar sedikit bahasa tempatan yang perlu seperti huruf, ucapan lazim, maksud perkataan di stesen keretapi, dan sebagainya.

    Uno, due, tre , quattro, cinque, sei, sette, otto, nove, DIECI. Dieci sentiasa mengingatkan saya pada konduktor keretapi di Montselice.

    Stesen Fornovo. Kami turun di sini kerana kami jangkakan kami perlu tukar keretapi di sini. Tetapi rupanya kami perlu tukar di Stesen Modena.
    Bangunan usang berdekatan Stesen Fornovo.

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  • Italy,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    How To Find A Great Place To Stay At When Traveling To Umbria

    Whether you have expensive tastes or you want to travel on a budget, where you stay is going to dictate the entire experience. The truth is that accommodation can easily become the main expenditure in your travel budget as you go to Umbria, together with the flight ticket, of course. When money is not an issue, you can easily go for really high luxury, like when you rent a house in Umbria from Luxury Retreats. If you have a limited budget, you want to know about all available alternatives.

    The best possible accommodations for you will depend on your travel profile. With this in mind, let’s see some great options for different budgets and tastes.

     

    Accommodation For Budget Travelers

    • Hospitality Network

    Couchsurfing is highly popular at the moment, including in Umbria, which is not expected by many travellers. Many hosts actually open their homes for free. In most cases, the owner is a former traveller that decided to settle down. See what options are available based on where you go and do ask questions. Only send requests to those that have a good profile on the website you use and many pictures. Fill out your profile too so people can trust you. Look at reviews and always send highly customized requests to increase the chance of being accepted. Alternatively, consider night swapping or home exchanges.

    • Religious Housing

    When you are not particularly interested in comfort, monasteries do offer great cheap or free accommodation. Obviously, you do need to not have high expectations and although in many cases everything is free, it is a good idea to at least make a donation. Italy is a highly religious country so you can expect various options but respect has to be shown. With monastery stays and basically all religious housings there will be some rules that will have to be respected, including curfew in many cases. Be sure you always know the rules before you agree to a stay there.

    • Camping

    Camping is not that comfortable but it can be completely free. You can save a lot of money through wild camping but this is definitely not for everyone. The great thing about camping is that it is suitable for all possible budgets. Sometimes all you need is a tent while in others you do have to pay a lot in order to pitch. Campsites also tend to offer some sort of accommodation that is not a tent and that you can rent. Just make sure you know exactly where in Umbria you are allowed to camp before you decide.

    • Hostels

    Most people think that hostels are just for youngsters but in reality, this is quite similar to the hotel. Some will be better suited for younger travellers but you can definitely find something for any possible taste. In most cases, there will be dormitories with large bunk beds but prices tend to be really small. Smaller rooms are available for those that want some privacy. However, in almost all cases the facilities like toilets and bathrooms will be shared. A problem though is that there are not many hostels available in Umbria. Do be sure you choose the best if this is the option you choose.

    Accommodations For Luxury Travelers

    • Short-Term Home Rental

    Ever since Airbnb appeared, the idea of short-term rental caught on fast. Now you can go way beyond that and find anything to rent, ranging from a room in a house to huge luxurious homes. No matter the case, it is important to read reviews and only trust the listings that feature many photographs. You basically want to learn as much as possible about where you will stay in order to have a perfect experience, especially if money is not really a problem for you and you want high quality. Prepare for experiences with your kids and take your time.

    • Vacation Rentals

    These are perfect alternatives to hotels in all popular locations, like Umbria, as they give you more amenities, including laundry and a fully equipped kitchen. Prices will normally vary based on location and lodging but costs can be split when travelling with a group. While you can find such an option on websites like Airbnb and Booking, it is normally best to discuss with specialized service providers that only deal with luxury rentals, like the above mentioned Luxury Retreats, if you are interested in getting the highest possible quality.

    • Hotels

    Everyone already knows about hotels and how they can be a wonderful experience for the traveller, especially when budgets are high. However, what few consider is the huge list of available hotels at a specific destination, including Umbria. You should know that there are always more hotels than what you first think as you want to stay in any location from around the world. Some of the hotels will be much better than expected.

    • Inns

    Inns are quite similar to guest houses as backpackers appreciate the associated affordability. Also, normally there is local cuisine served and you get much more attention from the owners. Remember to always ask in advance to be sure that breakfast will be included since this offers the extra local factor. Also, do see the room before you play and when booking online, check pictures and reviews.

    When Travelers Want To Get Involved

    When you want to get as involved as possible, the best option is always to look for a local homestay. There are options available for people of all ages, wishes and budgets. Homestays are quite wonderful experiences because of the fact you get to see exactly how the locals live. This gives you access to stories and a personal touch not available in any other place.

    There are many different options available and there are practically no limitations so be sure that you do get ready by knowing where you can stay as you visit Umbria. Do learn a little bit of Italian and see what meals are offered. Try to be as open-minded as possible since people do open up and tend to treat you as if you were family. Do bring gifts with you from your own country and let the cultural exchange begin.

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  • Italy,  Rome,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    Catching a train in Rome

    When travelling, time management is very important. Every little detail has to be taken into account; the time you wake up, the time you take to bathe, the time to leave the hotel, transportation schedules and what not. Evi and I learned a precious lesson, we almost did not make it home last April. But we did; with lots of running and high determination to catch our train in time. Our train was scheduled to leave Rome for Bologna at 8.45am, and a few minutes before that we were still in a bus, caught in a traffic jam.

    Evi and I left our accommodation, located some 40 minutes from Rome city centre by train, around 7.00am despite 6.45am as planned, because we had to actually take some time to return the key set which comprises of the keys to gate, building, apartment and our room. The automatic gate can only be opened with the key, so we figured out a way. After opening the gate, Evi ran back to the apartment at 1st floor to keep the key while I stand in the way of the gate to keep it open.

    We then walked 10 minutes to the nearest Torrenova train station. We took the 7.15am train and journey from Torrenova Station to C Lodi Metro Station took about an hour as it stopped longer at every station during week days. We arrived at Piazza Lodi around 8.15am. From there we then had to take a bus before reaching Rome Main Station. We have 30 minutes to reach the station, but the bus was nowhere in sight. We tried to hail taxis, but no luck. The bus finally came around 8.30am. 15 minutes to catch our train. At this time, we were counting minutes and looking at the time as often as we could. We were panicking. To make matter worst, the traffic was at its peak; moving slowly as if time and speed had become distorted. We prayed hard in the bus. God knows we did.

    You see, our train from Rome Main Station to Bologna was scheduled to leave at 8.45am. We have to catch that train as we bought a Smart ticket for two persons for 34,90€. It was a good deal. If we miss the train, we might have to buy new tickets at more expensive rate.

    With my phone in hand, I searched for ticket from Rome to Bologna and found out that it cost about 60€ per person—with arrival time at Bologna at 3.00pm. Smart ticket was not available on that date. Taking the regional train was out of the option as it would reach later than 3.00pm. We knew then that by hook or by crook, we had to take our train because our flight to Kuala Lumpur was scheduled at 3.30pm. We had to be there on time, else we will get stuck in Rome with only 60€ in my pocket. Evi tried to withdraw some money a day earlier, but it was rejected. Something wrong with the withdrawal setting on the bank side, even though she had it activated for overseas withdrawal. Mine was good, but there was no money in it (haha!).

    With the money in my pocket combined with Evi’s money in the bank (if we were at all successful at withdrawing it), it was still not enough to cover new flight tickets, plus train tickets from Rome to Bologna to Gugliemo Airport, not to mention money for food. It’s not cheap. Asking money from family members was the last thing on our minds.

    Anyway, we reached the main station around 8.40am. We ran as fast as we could and were trembling as we reached the check-in gate, the platform and the train. 8.43am. Phew. That was close.

    When inside the train we panicked once again as we had not validate our ticket. We asked around and a man told us that we do not have to validate as our ticket has confirmed seats. Phew again.

    At 8.45am, the train made its way to Bologna with two women laughing their asses off (while still having trembling leftover), happy that they made it.

    catchingtrain

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