The Train to Monaco

As soon as the train cleared the station it began to go faster. It wasn't too fast; one could still enjoy looking out the window. Those sitting on the right side of the train saw beautifully painted buildings as they left La Spezia.

Those on the left were shocked at what they saw. Louisa spoke for all of them. "Father, the train track is practically under water."

Georg got up to look. "It's only the tide coming in and pushing the water over the track. The route of the train will have it away from the water very soon, Louisa."

"That's good."

Louisa did continue to look out the window and did indeed see the route of the train get further from the water. And it made a stop in another Italian town. After twenty minutes it continued on its route along this body of water known as the Ligurian Sea.

The sway of the train and the fact there was nothing much to look at besides a rocky hillsides the children became sleepy. Marta and Gretl both fell sound to sleep; even the older children became drowsy and slept for awhile.

Maria and Georg talked quietly. "Have you been in the water around this part of Italy before?"

"No, my father, who was also in the navy, had moved his family to a small city named Zara where Austria had a built a navy base and school for boys who wanted to be sailors. It was on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.

"I had graduated with honors from a middle school at the age of fourteen and easily gained entrance into the Maritime-Academy. The Academy taught thirty-one subjects including German, Italian, French, English, oceanography, meteorology, shipbuilding, ship machine building, naval tactics, naval law, naval signals, ship maneuvers, sailing vessel rigging, etiquette, as well as learning to play the violin. Other lessons included the importance of valor and honor."

"Georg, you must be a genius to have mastered all those subjects. Now I know why your children never complained about their lessons and why they learned songs so easily."

"I suppose it could be an inherited trait. My first sail as a junior officer was on a huge sailboat, a sailboat with many masts and sails. Maria, on that ship I sailed all around the world; we were gone for over a year.

"I then was given command of a cruiser equipped with torpedoes. I didn't know when we left that later I would receive orders to Australia in order help the settlers put down a war with the natives."

"Where's Australia located?"

"Very far away from here. It's an island continent completely surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and some smaller bodies of water.

"I even became a foot soldier with my crew from the ship. We joined many thousand other men from other countries and beat back the natives who eventually surrendered."

"How did you ever survive?"

"I suppose it was because my work on earth was not completed. We returned to a hero's welcome; shortly after the Great War began."

"And then you did heroic deeds in the Adriatic."

"You know about my successes there?"

"Yes, the Reverend Mother mentioned them the day she told me about my assignment to be a governess to your children."

"But despite all my successes there, the Austrio-Hungarian Empire lost the war. And when the spoils were announced Austria's seacoast was given to Italy. I'm grateful myself and my officers were able to collect our wages. It's more than enough to pay for our cruise to America."

"We also need to be grateful the older children don't seem to be concerned about leaving their home."

"True Maria, I also think we will all enjoy our cruise ship."

During their conversation the train had stopped twice. Now they were approaching the half-way point of their train trip, the town of Savona. Here the conductor told Georg a restaurant would be providing them with baskets of food.

"I suppose Kurt will be the happiest of all the children."

"Maybe, we might be surprised."

When the train did stop in the town of Savona, everyone woke up and rather than use the small bathroom on the train they got off and used the bathroom in the train station. When they returned Louisa saw the man with baskets speaking to her father. He spoke Italian and was thanking the man for the food.

As soon as they were finished Louisa asked. "Father, are those food baskets?"

"Yes they are; food and drinks."

"Good, I'm hungry."

"Franz and I will distribute the food once we have left the station."

From the town of Savona the train's route left the coast line and traveled in the country side; a country side filled with extensive grape vines. It was green and lush and brought on many comments of how beautiful it was.

The straight route enabled Georg and Franz to distribute the food with ease. In the basket were small sandwiches filled with Italian ham and cheese. In another basket were the drinks and cookies.

While they were eating the train continued on in a southerly direction towards Monaco. The route once again hugged the coast. In a few more miles the train's route changed and made a slight turn north.

Georg told Maria. "This is where we leave Italy and enter France. The train will take us north several miles before once again heads south towards the port of Monaco where our cruise vessel will be docked."

"What can you tell me about a cruise ship?"

"It's big, very big. And because it's big it can handle stormy weather if we should be so unlucky. It may have as many as seven decks in addition to the area where the ship receives its power. The bedrooms are called cabins or staterooms and they come in varying sizes and elegance. There will also be fancy dining rooms as well as more casual eating places. There will be movies shown, sport activities and they also have a library. Our days will go by very quickly."

"I never had any idea there would be so much to do,"

"And there will be young men, stewards, to help us get from place to place."

"That's good. I feel the train slowing down."

"We must be getting close to the train station. We will probably need to take a bus to the port."

Georg was correct. The train car's attendant announced. "This stop is for the cruise ship travelers. You need to board a bus to take you to the dock where you will board your ship."