Or Arantxa Sanchez Vicario for short : )
We left Italy alive and well after our close encounters with the beggars, thieves and the serial killer of Florence.
Italy was beautiful but we were exhausted by the time we left. Life is dangerous there : )
I remember that we caught the overnight train from Rome to Barcelona back in the day when the train was a cheap and popular option. We were joined by 2 sisters from Sweden which made for a very awkward night in the cramped space of the 2nd class cabin. I know!! But don't worry, we were like a couple of characters from The Wonderful World of Disney...
In the morning, after passing by Monaco with eyes wide open, we decided to get off in Nice for a quick look around. I remember very well the bronzed bodies in the skimpy swimming trunks and the game of boules being played on the beach. I also remember being so hungry that when we found a half eaten packet of biscuits on a grassy knoll, thinking it was a gift from Heaven and finishing them off.
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| Watching game of Boules. Nice, June 1989. |
When we got back on the train we were joined by a couple of Norwegian girls this time, who told us they were travelling throughout Europe and had sadly just had 7000 francs stolen from them. We felt sorry for them but being poor ourselves, we couldn't give them anything, not even some biscuits ; ) Lucky for us we had nothing. They were probably a couple of con artists cruising the French Riviera preying on naïve tourists like in the movie "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" : )
After what seemed an age, we arrived in Barcelona and it was incredibly hot. We had heard the news while we were away that Arantxa Sanchez Vicario from Barcelona had become the youngest ever winner of the French Open at just 17 years old. What an amazing achievement! I found the footage if you're interested to watch a documentary on the Final. Arantxa had a reputation for her tenacity. She would never give up and that's the main reason she won. There is the memorable scene of her rolling in the clay at the end of the Final. Very undignified and cool at the same time.
However, we struck out big time in Barcelona. It took ages to find the hostel and when we finally did, it was full. It didn't help to hear about the pepper spray attacks on tourists. We didn't want to take any risks to find somewhere to stay late in the afternoon.
After making a momentous effort to get there, we made the rather incredible decision to leave Spain immediately and head for Paris!
The £1 Let's Go guide contained an old map of the train station. We were confused when we arrived at the location to find building construction going on and no trains or even tracks in sight. We asked a local who somehow explained to us in Spanish that there had recently been a new station opened some distance away.
When we found the station, we had to wait another 3 hours for the next departure to France, the final destination on our tour. Even then the train broke down for an hour halfway between Barcelona and Lyon. Nothing seemed to work in Spain, at least it didn't for us! Our lack of preparation looks very foolish in hindsight.
But I suppose it's best to err on the side of Grace even though that can get you in a lot of trouble. Most of the time, the most life changing lessons come the hard way ; ) All was not lost.
You have to persevere through all life's challenges to win the crown. That's how Aránzazu Isabel María Sánchez Vicario became the first Spanish woman ever to win a Grand Slam event at only 17.
Read Final Chapter : France
Read Last Chapter : Italy
Read Final Chapter : France
Read Last Chapter : Italy
