Thanks for your post on my thread. Amazing news about your grand-daughter – you must be proud.
As a traveller I was interested in the Orient express idea. Sounds like the trip of a life-time.
It reminds me of when I went to Italy in the mid 1990s – when I was either still gambling or just stopped. I badly wanted to go to a conference in Tuscany but of course couldn’t afford it. But then thought “how can I do it on the cheap?” So I borrowed a friends tent and took a bus from London to Florence – overnight for 24 hours. One of the worst experiences of my life. I saw nothing – the only stops were at an underground carpark on the outskirts of Paris and then on a service station further down. Switzerland was in the dark – didn’t see a thing. The coach was uncomfortable – not enough leg room (and I am not tall) and the one toilet became unbearable after a few hours. I went by train from Florence to Sienna as it was cheap and wished I had taken it the whole way.
I camped in the grounds of the conference centre which had marble floors – cool in the 40 degree heat. They weren’t used to campers so the area I was given to pitch my tent was lumpy and it was so hot I couldn’t go there in the day. The trip back was a repeat of the outward one – except I had a row with one of the other passengers which festered for the whole trip. A nightmare – but that is what happens when you do things on the cheap.
I loved Tuscany though and will be back there probably in 2021. (Probably in Venice too.)
Sorry to take up so much of your thread with my story – but it reminded me of something else that I endured because of my gambling problem. I will get the train next time!