Went to bed early. Woke up early. Sunny day. Going to catch Circumetenea, the little train that goes around Etna. Going to stop at Fiume Freddo.
I leave ample time. I stop for a Cafelatte. 1.5 Euros. Not bad.
I walk up Via Etenea towards the Botanical Gardens, beyond which is Piazza Cavour. No signs of the little train stop.
I ask at a kiosk, and she points me in another direction, along some obscure streets. I think she's telling me to go to Central Station, so I turn back to Via Etenea.
I ask in a bar for dove partire il piccolini treninno per Circumetenea? He gives the same directions as the woman in the kiosk. I probably take a right turn too soon, so after 600m or so, I try to self correct.
I ask another man in a kiosk who tells me he has relatives in Adelaide, and he shows me where it is. Except that it's the backend of the station and its blocked off.
I try to get around it but as I sort through a myriad of appartments in dead end streets, I take a wider swoop, and Lo and behold there it is!
The little train station with the little trains.
There a 2 elderly women and one disabled younger boy/girl who say it is closed because it's Sunday. I am buggered from all the walking.
I think, I need to change my plans and maybe go to Syracusa instead but I'd need to get to Central Station. The 3 women offer to take me, in their car. The young one tells me Sicily is very beautiful but the organisation of everything here is fucked.
I thank them for the ride and say goodbye. I find the ticket office and wait my turn in line - a first train leaving for Syracusa today leaves at 17.22.
Ah Rosie was right! Nothing works out well. Now I'm in a dilemma. What to do? I know, arancini!
My legs are buggered. I find a seat to rest in a small piazzas. I'm conscious of a small African community here who are scrabbling to make a living here any which way. And so I can be an easy target. A man sits besides me and says 'ciao' and I say 'ciao' but continue writing this blog for a bit. Then I get up say 'ciao' and walk on.
I have my arancini which I eat in Bellini Park. By the time I get home I'm totally knackered. Giangi and Alex make some phonecalls for me and then take me to the bus station to catch a 12.30 bus to Syracusa.
