Bella Italia – Arrival.

06.16.2011

This was the day.  I hate early flights, and I hate waking up early to get to them even more.  But despite that, this wasn’t any old boring trip; this was the trip of a lifetime, my dream come true.

I didn’t get much sleep beforehand; that’s typical with most trips I make, whether for business or leisure.  But I forced myself up anyway.  I decided to save money by taking public transportation, instead of taking a cab like I usually do.

Tip #1: if taking public transportation to an airport, make sure that you give yourself enough time to get there & check-in.

I was out of the house by 07:00.  Trusty backpack on my back, laptop in my duffel bag, handbag in hand, and still half-asleep, I walked to the bus stop & caught the bus to the train station.  Everything was right on time.

Tip #2: if taking public transportation to an airport, map out everything beforehand.  TfL is a good example of a website that lets you pick modes of transportation, as well as choose the time that you want to leave.

I caught the train into central London, then switched to a national train line made specifically for the airport.  Since I mapped it out before I left, I had spare time to get a quick bite to eat before catching the train.  I got on the train, settled in, and before long the train departed on time for the airport.  I guess I was pretty sleepy because I dozed off for a bit until the train staff came around to collect tickets.

*scratch record* *rewind*

Collect what?  Isn’t the transit card enough?  Doesn’t the money get deducted from it?

Apparently not.

Tip #3: if taking public transportation to an airport, check to see if you need to buy a train ticket before you board the train.

The lady came around & asked for my ticket, and I gave her my transit card.  She looked at me with a quizzical look on her face and said “This is your transit card.  Where’s your ticket for this train?”

Me: “I’m sorry.  I didn’t know that I had to buy a separate ticket.  I apologize; I’m not from here.  I’ve never done this before.”

She informed me that I had to buy a ticket.  “It’s a good thing that none of the other staff came around to inspect you for a ticket.  They would’ve fined you in addition to making you buy a ticket.  So next time, buy one before you board.”

Me: “Thank you.  And again, I apologize.  I truly had no idea.”

I bought the ticket – it was only a few pounds sterling – and relaxed for the rest of the ride.  When I got to the airport, the staff there also inspected travelers for tickets, so it’s a good thing that things happened the way they did.  Phew!

I found my way to the airline check-in area, where the woman behind the counter inspected my passport & work visa.  Being a legal non-citizen worker is a pain in the ass sometimes because I always have to wait a little extra for people to inspect my documents & make sure I’m not lying, but now I’m used to it.  The airline is a low-cost/budget airline, so the price was right.  Unfortunately, I overlooked the section on the airline’s website where it said that one can check in baggage online for a cheaper price.  I wound up paying £25.00 for my backpack; online it would’ve been only £9.00 – £12.00.

Tip #4: when traveling with a low-cost/budget airline, read about ALL extra fees & taxes that aren’t included in your ticket price.

Tip #5: when traveling with a low-cost/budget airline, don’t check any baggage if you can get away with it.  If that’s impossible, check your baggage online or via telephone.

I finished and made my way to the waiting area, got myself something to eat & bring on the plane, and waited.  My flight was delayed for about 1/2 hour due to weather, but it more than made up for time in the air.  I ate one of my sandwiches on the plane & fell asleep soon after.  The flight was only a little over 2 hours, enough time for a nice nap.  I woke up about 1/2 hour before landing – the pilots were already in descent mode – and I looked out the window.  What a beautiful sight.

Italy from the air.

We landed at Pisa Airport and, since it was a small plane, got off away from the gate/on the tarmac & walked to it.  I got off, felt the warm sun on my skin, and smiled.  This was better than the dreary United Kingdom weather I’d left.  My dream officially came true and would last for a week.

I made my way to customs and, when finished, made sure that the customs officer stamped my passport good enough to see the stamp.  (I pride myself on my passport stamps.)  I then made my way to the ticket office to buy a train ticket to my destination – Livorno, Italy.  While I’ve lost most of the Italian that I learned in junior high school, I took Spanish for many years afterwards; Spanish has some similarities to Italian, so I understood a bit of what the ticket seller & sign said.  The sign said “We only accept cash.  No credit cards.”  Annoying… especially with a semi-heavy backpack & duffel bag & handbag.

Tip #6: carry enough cash, in the correct currency (whether it’s changed before or right after your arrival), for when you need to make cash-only purchases.  {Carrying a bit of cash (just a bit) is a good tip in general.}

I changed a few pounds sterling into euros & bought my train ticket.  I took the shuttle train (5 minute ride) from Pisa Airport to Pisa Centrale (pronounced chen-TRAH-leh), then switched to another train from Pisa Centrale to Livorno Centrale (20-30 minute ride).

Shuttle.

I called K, the hotel owner, and let her know I’d arrived.  She, along with her toddler daughter & another hotel guest, were gracious enough to walk to Livorno Centrale train station & get me.  We took a quick taxi back to the hotel & settled in.

How do I know the hotel owner?  I’ll tell that brief story in one of my next posts.  In the meantime, check out the hotel room:

Albergo Houston

It was already late afternoon, creeping into evening, by the time I got there.  So aside from eating this:

Ahhhh yes. The real thing.

I chilled out for the rest of the evening, e-mailed family to let them know I was alright, and swiftly fell asleep when night fell.

This is the first of a few posts chronicling my trip to Italy, day by day.  Stay tuned…..