Gypsies

The train station in Rome, Roma Termini!

On the second day of being back in Rome, we headed on foot, trawling our luggage, for Roma Termini. It's just 8 minutes away. I like the sound that the luggage wheels make as they roll over the cobbled streets of Rome......clug,clug,clug... We arrived at the station and started starring at the 'partenze' board. They haven't assigned a gate for our train yet, final destination is Torino but we're only going as far as La Spezia where we change trains for Camogli. It was a full half hour before they finally assigned the gate, we were delayed by 1/2 hour. Retardo! It's pretty unusual, they are so prompt. We started to look for Carroza 8 and seats 25 and 26.

No sooner had we found our compartment and begun stowing our luggage and laying down our things when 4 young women and a baby came in after us. It's not unusual, we were sharing the compartment with other people. I was busy with my thing and I didn't really look at them. The strange thing was that they told us we were in the wrong compartment and that they had it all reserved for them. I couldn't have got the wrong compartment. I'm a veteran when it comes to riding the rails in Europe.

Well, honey, I'm a very savvy train rider, this was a train where everyone had an assigned carriage and seat and there were no indication in the carriage that there was any reserved seats. I stood my ground, I said, these are our assigned seats and I've never heard of such rubbish, they came close to us and started insisting. So I asked to look at their tickets, they kept insisting they had tickets but never offered to show them. I finally finished stowing away my things and decided to clear the matter once and for all, I turned to them and demanded to see their tickets. That was when I had a good look at them. 'Gypsies', I said, aloud! They started to leave when they realised the game was up. One looked at me in indignation and said, 'we're not gypsies!' Clearly they were gypsies! They thought we're easy prey. I asked Sophie if they went through her things. 'No', she said. That was a close call.

Over the years of travel in Europe, I've had numerous encounters with gypsies. That was the closest, usually I see them coming and wave them away. I don't let them come any closer. It's scary in the sense they are so insidious. I'm always on my guard. Be sure they are everywhere and watching... That morning I was sort of breathing a sigh of relief to be leaving Rome, thinking the threat is over. Just be informed, travel light, hang on to your valuables.

The train conductor was just here warning us there were gypsies spotted coming on board the train, presumably to prey on us, we were the only 'oriental' foreigners on the train. Now she tells us, we have already encountered them. Probably everyone on the train was wondering why they didn't hear of a bigger ruckus. Well, we took care of the gypsies ourselves, no thanks to them.