Frecciarossa, Italy

When traveling TrenItalia you have a few options, including Frecciarossa which is a high speed, intercity service.

DSC_3105It runs very close to schedule if not spot on time so be on the platform several minutes before your train is scheduled to depart. You’ll have some choices in seating, including the salottino for parties of 4:

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The salottino was great for our little group and we even saved a few euros by booking our seats here. It was quiet and comfortable. Snack options depend on your train journey’s length. The following meal was purchased:

AJI0G5xcT+i%oMgFxxkXVwWas tasty, like airline food. Sometimes you’ll get an included little snack depending on the class of service.

DSC_3107Those espresso shots really do the trick!

NYCZuY64Se6xL6LmMNm+XAThe trains in Italy are convenient for this kind of travel. Most of your luggage will fit overhead. It’s fast and easy with fair prices.

Railroad Sunset (Hasselblad, Ektachrome)

Way back in 2002, I was taking photographs with a marvelous Hasselblad 202FA equipped with an equally impressive Zeiss lens. I got lucky late one afternoon when this scene evolved in a rail yard at sunset:

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Ektachrom V100S captured the moment in stunning color, exactly as it was. There is no “photoshop” work done on this photo; it was simply scanned from the original slide. I miss that Ektachrome and the camera. Sometimes the results astounded me.

Steam Wheels

Was searching for movie ideas and headed out to the Strasburg Railroad where there’s live steam engines on the rails. For fun captured this video of the running gear:

It’s a tremendous amount of work keeping those engines and the rest of the equipment going. Plenty of people turn out almost every day to witness a piece of history, which is a good thing. Lots to learn in place like this. Plenty of ideas for movies, too.

 

East Coast Line (return)

In a previous post, I showed a few photos from the East Coast Line train from London to Edinburgh. In the interest of symmetry, let’s take a look at the return journey. I took a taxi from my hotel to Waverly Station, where I found a bustling terminal full of snack shops and digital boards displaying train information:

Digital screen displaying train info at Waverly Station, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Digital screen displaying train info at Waverly Station, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Of  course, the train was waiting and ready to go. I boarded for my reserved seat with ease, stowing my luggage overhead, sitting down to a comfortable chair with a small table.

East Coast Line train, waiting at Waverly Station, Edinburgh, Scotland.

East Coast Line train, waiting at Waverly Station, Edinburgh, Scotland.

The staff is friendly and cheerful as they pass through serving food and beverages, including this bacon sandwich for breakfast:

Bacon sandwich served in first class carriage, East Coast Line train.

Bacon sandwich served in first class carriage, East Coast Line train.

And since the journey was about four hours twenty minutes long, I also had the benefit of lunch, which was a chicken breast with salad as you see here:

Chicken lunch in first class aboard East Coast Line train.

Chicken lunch in first class aboard East Coast Line train.

It was a smooth ride, arriving on time at King’s Cross Station, London, that you see here:

A platform in King's Cross Station, London, England.

A platform in King’s Cross Station, London, England.

When traveling about Britain, from city to city anyway, I can recommend this service. It was a nice way to see the countryside without the hassles of airports.