| Greetings from Milan, where it's too hot to eat out. Posted by grahame at 20:58, 26th June 2026 |     |
Greetings from Milan, where it's so hot that no-one is sitting at the outside tables - they're all inside at the restaurants with AC which are busy. Those without AC are empty. My train left Brindisi on time but was about 25 minutes down by the time it completed over 1000 kms to Milan. I can't identify any one delay - not that I would recognise unusually slow running in any particular area as it's the first time I've done the journey.
I have chickened out, with the Kentucky fried version back in my room where I can reduce clothing for comfort and plan for tomorrow. Clockface hourly trains without reservations and I have the luxury that give me of being able to be flexible. There *is* a TV in the room - there has been everywhere - but I have not used them; rather a quick check with general sites including the BBC to see what's happening in the world, some social media, some email, and the Coffee Shop. And it was on the social media I can across this gem from an anonymous poster.
I've got a quick question. My 23-year-old son will be traveling solo this fall to Albania. He has already been to Europe twice, however but I’m just looking for any tips, suggestions, things to be wary of as this will be his first time traveling internationally completely solo. I am a seasoned European traveler myself so I don’t need general suggestions as much as information to be aware of specific to Albania. He will be renting a car as well so any suggestions about reputable car rental agencies so as not to have him get screwed over with bogus charges and such.
I found myself - without knowing any specific circumstances - thinking "helicopter parent". Surely the lad could and should do his own research, and if not perhaps he should not be travelling solo ...
| Re: Greetings from Milan, where it's too hot to eat out. Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:19, 26th June 2026 | |
Hmm. I would tend to disagree, grahame, regarding 'helicopter parent'.
The anonymous lad is 23, he's not travelled solo before, and is travelling a fair distance across different countries in Europe, with various language considerations, etc.
My own daughter, age 28, is not an expert on travelling solo within the UK: on one occasion, I had to retrieve her from Didcot Parkway, as she'd managed to get there instead of a (slightly diverted, due to engineering work) journey from Cardiff to Nailsea.
CfN.
