I Am On the Train

My daughter and I communicate frequently.  A truly welcoming and pleasant thing for a father, especially one that spent a lot of time working and missing those opportunities.  Thank goodness for small rewards for mostly appropriate parenting.  Aside from the relevant and witty repartee we recently have talked a lot about the World Cup.  (time out)

 In a “normal” Calcio Football Fútbol Futebol – soccer match there are no hydration breaks unless the referee declares it.  The USA managed to make it a commercial event at every moment. The big winner was David Beckham.  He was featured in 12 commercial product campaigns.  He was and is the most recognizable retired sports figure in Asia, Europe and the US.  Estimates are that the World Cup produced more than 25 million for him.  That is not all. FIFA originally estimated revenue of 13 billion,  now estimates put that figure more than 15 billion.  The economic impact for the host countries at around 40 billion with 20 going to the US.  Put that in perspective, the 2022 World Cup cycle revenue for FIFA was 7.6 Billion.  Aside from these fun facts and the dizzying number of others,  the World Cup gave me yet another reason to connect with my daughter.  She has become an unofficial “color person” for her family of NHL -NFL -MLB followers.  I think I am officially now an Arsenal fan.

(Time Out concluded)

(Back to paragraph #1) Our conversations are often interrupted by the train.  It is not just one train it is many different trains.  We can talk when it is an above ground but interrupted completely if it is “the Tube” and occasionally a mix of both.  England, France, Switzerland and Italy have great trains in my opinion.  I truly get “home sick for Italy” when I think about the massive Milano Centrale Terminal.  A fascist period monster of a building that still amazes whenever I get the opportunity walk through its hallways.  Despite the people moving through the station, the train offers many conveniences for the independent minded.  There is no TSA, you can control your baggage, and you don’t have to be there two hours ahead.  The conductors are generally nice, and they ask for your ticket not your ID.

However, more than these systematic differences traveling by train for an American feels  civilized and adventurous.   It is just a kinder, gentler way to travel.  There is never any turbulence except for an occasional switch from one track to another.  You feel attached to the earth.  The idea of experiencing the landscape close hand is a beautiful experience.  Trains slow things down to an observable pace.  Not so slow as to make the journey uncomfortably long but just enough to recognize where you are going and to observe how you made the journey.

As an American I think trains are fun purely for the novelty.  One can travel all over Italy without ever having to wait on the tarmac or sit jammed in an uncomfortable seat or take a bus to the plane.  You can sit comfortably as the world rolls by.  You arrive, not in the outskirts of a city, but right in the middle where you want to be.  Where you want to be --- a sweet, elegant café with a view of the world enjoying a perfectly made cappuccino.

Grazie!!