Sue and I had a quick breakfast at our Rome Fiumicino hotel and both departed at about 7:15. We’d both been awake for ages fretting about travel. Sue left for the airport by shuttle, and I went in the opposite direction by train. I am so glad for her last minute decision to come on this trip. I’ll miss having her company. 

Before my long train rides, I had two commuter trains to catch. My fingers were crossed that I’d get to the Termini train station on time for my 9:30 departure towards Puglia. I wasn’t too worried about the first commuter leg, but the transfer from Trastavere to Termini had me stressed. 

It was a warm morning. I worked up a sweat crossing to the correct track. There is no elevator at the Parco Leonardo train station. The ticket machine on my side was broken, so I had to go back to the other platform to buy a ticket, missing one train in the process. 

When the next train came along, the conductor waved me onto train despite it having no bike car. I just camped out in the entrance to the final car. Then she proceeded to check everyone else’s tickets, but ignored me. She surely knew that my bike didn’t have a ticket. Phew. 

I was worried about making a transfer at Rome Trastevere to get to Rome Termini, because I thought the train might be packed with commuters. But it wasn’t bad. Again, there was no bike car so I just stood in the entrance and people didn’t seem to give me the stink eye. 

Rome Termini is a huge train station. We had scoped it out yesterday so I had confidence in the long walk to track 2.  When the train finally showed up on the departure screen about 25 min before departure, it showed the track as 2est (east), not track 2. Yikes. I asked a conductor on the platform, and he wasn’t overly helpful about how to get there. He made it seem like it was a long way to a different part of the station. I exited the electronic access area and lined up for help with directions and also because my phone wouldn’t pull up my access QR code back to all the platforms. By now, my train was in 15 minutes. Fortunately, the service line went quicky. The agent couldn’t check me in, but she said just to wave my phone at one of the gates that was guarded by a person instead of using an automated gate. I ran the long way back to the two eastern tracks. I never did check in electronically for my train. I’m not overly impressed by Trenitalia having a platform 2 and a platform 2est. But I’m very happy that they’re not terribly rule-bound about bikes on trains, or accessing restricted areas without QR codes. The conductor on my train to the east looked at my electronic ticket, and didn’t seem to care that I hadn’t checked in. I don’t think I would’ve gotten away with my morning adventures in Germany or Switzerland. 

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City soon gave way to farmland and then mountains as I headed northeast. I need to go south, but the route suggested by Trenitalia heads through Umbria to Ancona in the Marche region first, then south along the coast. 

Another bike tourer came onto the train about 45 minutes from Ancona. German, I’m guessing.  His bike was fully decked out in Ortlieb. He was wearing big headphones and wasn’t interested in chatting. We reached the Adriatic before my train change at Ancona. It’d be a beautiful day for cycling. But sitting is pretty nice too. Others were wearing winter coats. And there was a woman in a toque. The temp was around 20 C, I’d say. 

The train from Ancona south was a different setup. I had a reserved seat somewhere, but not in the bike car. A conductor told me to sit wherever I like. I ended up near a lovely couple travelling with their young grandson. Maybe 5 or 6?  He was a cutie. They didn’t speak English, but we still managed to share some nice thoughts and approved of the places I’m planning to visit. They got off the train just before me. 

I had left the hotel in Fiumicino at around 7:15 am, and didn’t arrive in Molfetta until nearly 7 pm. I’m glad it was a very short walk to my apartment. I decided it’d be easier to stay here than in the much bigger centre of Bari. The apartment is great, and the owners are lovely. It’s right in the heart of town though, so is a bit noisy. I was super tired after a long day, and had wood-fired pizza from a busy take-out spot practically next door. A whole pizza cost 6 euros. 

More photos and fun tomorrow, I hope.