The Plan
12:53 Train to Turin Porta Nuovo arrive @ 14:55
Stay overnight at NH Lingotto Congress
Email: o.badia@nh-hotels.com
Tel: +39 011 664 2000
The News
And then it was time to start the journey home. First stop - Turin - or so we thought.
We had packed all but the last few things the night before. So we went down to breakfast and met with the other two couples who were also early risers. They had been our breakfast companions throughout. Breakfast was a fun time each day.
Then we were told that there had been a change of plan. We had to check out by 9:30 rather than 11:00. Also, instead of leaving from the station in Desenzano (a two-minute stroll) we would have to go from Peschiera. There would be a coach to take us there, but that would not arrive until 12:00. So Jan and I (and our breakfast friends) had four hours to kill. This was not a lot of time to do anything. We had done the final packing and checked out in half an hour. Other than go swimming, which a few did, there was not much else to do other than sit in the shade around the pool.
Finally, the coach arrived. The people on our tour have all been lovely, but there is only so much you can talk about with people you have only met briefly for a week. We were then packed onto the coach with our hand luggage for the 10- to 15-minute ride. And when we got there ... we were not allowed into the station because there had been a fire on the line. Bother!
Another couple joined us in the cafe just outside the station for a drink. We were soon joined by Papa Duck and spent a pleasant half hour chatting before the police left and we were able to go up to the platform to wait for our train ... which only went as far as Milan. We had to wait around for a while before changing to a train for Turin. Finally, we were en route to our destination.
Well, nearly. Having got to Turin Porta Nuova station we were then herded onto another coach to take us to our hotel at about 5pm. The hotel, NH Lingotto Congress, was a former Fiat factory. The factory had been converted into a shopping centre, two hotels and still has the former test track on the roof.
The rooms, however, were really nice. There was plenty of room, the bathroom was huge and the meal that they gave us was excellent too. They earned their four stars.
It was just a shame that it took all day to do a two-hour journey. We could have had more time in Desenzano and/or Turin if our luck hadn't run out.
No comments:
Post a Comment