FLORENCE, Italy, April 21, 2004 - The ways in which a journey to Europe can end with a horrific accident in which the tourist is smashed by a motorized object are varied.
Here in Italy, there are scooter pilots that race with a sick type of glee straight toward dazed or absent-minded tourists. There are also cars and buses that navigate the narrow streets at high speeds just inches away from fragile human beings.
In Amsterdam, the even further dazed tourists are vulnerable to the thousands of bikes that residents use for transportation along with silent trams that seem to appear out of nowhere.
If, in Amsterdam, the sound of a little bell is heard behind you, the best strategy is to quickly move to one side of the street. You will barely have turned around before the bike with the bell has swiftly moved past and another accident has been avoided.
This city that sits in a Sun-drenched valley in central Italy is especially tough to walk safely through. With narrow sidewalks and a scooter for every man, women, child and dog, avoiding injury-by-scooter is a matter that requires prayer.
Hence, all the churches. And since many of these churches date back to 1300 or longer, this problem seems to have been around for a long time.
In Rome, the life of a pedestrian was even more nerve wracking. It must be explained that pedestrians in Rome have the right-of-way if there is no light to judge an intersection.
But crossing the street in that ancient city was not any safer. As advised by guide books, tourists wait for a reasonable break in traffic and then attempt to cross.
So begins a dangerous game of "Chicken."
More often than not, cars and scooters do not stop.
They either speed up to pass the walkers in front, or they slow down to miss them from behind by a generous distance of two inches.
Rome also has many churches open to pedestrians trying to survive the city.
I can't say with certainty if there is a saint that watches over pedestrians. There should be.
I arrived here in the Vespa capitol of the world quite accidentally. I boarded a train headed north from Rome two days ago with the intention of staying in Venice for a few days.
The train in question, I learned, was stopping here before the final destination of Venice.
After a brief conversation with an couple from Indiana who was headed to Sienna, and the recollection of people saying Venice was smelly and similar to an amusement park, I got off here.
The weather here is better than in Rome and the people are friendlier. The surrounding scenery is made up of stunning hills that I plan on climbing when I'm done with this dispatch.
This evening I leave for Geneva, Switzerland for a few days and then Paris again and finally Amsterdam for the very welcome flight back to "The States."
Take care,
Brett
