A tale of an abortive trip! ( but with a happy ending)

My friend and I decided to take a trip to Mantova; I’d been before, he hadn’t and it sounded like a very good idea, especially the easy- going, relaxed way of beginning the trip, with an excellent coffee and croissant at the “Mignon” on the Stazione Centrale di Milano. So here am I, wonderfully relaxed, chewing the fat with André, quite sure he’s keeping an eye on the time. Guess what? Well, I jumped down from the high barstool and ran all the way across the station (obviously the platform was right over on the other side) MISSED IT!

So what do you do? Obviously not wait two hours for the next train, but tailor our plans to a nearer destination. What about Pavia? what indeed? Get a refund ,that’s exciting in itself, buy a ticket for the first train to Pavia which leaves in about 8 minutes. (Jump this if you’ve guessed!) Back up to the platforms but our train seems to have disappeared from the board, I ask at the info booth but they want to send me back downstairs to find out! Really no time, so we miss train number 2. But with a marvellous dose of totally unexpected perseverence we finally get on ANOTHER train to Pavia! Sit back and relax through those greenest of green fields. Phwew!

And when we get there, there’s no info point at the station and a road with really clumpy pebbles!

To be continued …