First let me just say that once again, I love looking at my stats to see how people come to my blog. But yesterday there was one – “i can’t tell you how much i miss rome” – and it made my heart hurt.
So, to whoever wrote that and subsequently found my blog, I just want to say that I’ve been there, honey, and I understand how you feel. I hope that my blog took you back there, if only for a moment. Rome is here, and it waits for you – come back soon.
Now, onto the creepiest, most elegant train station ever. Haunting pictures await after the jump.
It’s the Perugia train station, an otherwise normal looking building constructed in the usual style that is the hallmark of buildings containing public services. Other than a distinct lack of places to sit – something we were sure was part of a conspiracy to keep the citizens of Perugia fit for hiking up and down that freaking hill – there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Until we went down a nondescript hallway looking for the bar, and found this room:
It stopped us dead in our tracks. It was like a scene out of The Shining. Actually, it reminded me more of what I think was The Young Unicorns? By Madeleine L’Engle? Where the kids lived in those abandoned subway platforms under New York that have chandeliers and pianos and stuff? Or did I make that up? I know those rooms actually exist, but of course now I can’t find any information on them. Stupid Internets.
Oh, and the inscription above the door? IL MOTO E’ VITA: Motion is life. Wow. Right on, Industrial Age.
Next to this astonishing testament to train travel was this room, which was not locked, and much, much creepier. Now we move into Sixth Sense territory:
I totally see dead people in this room, don’t you? How many tiny vignettes of love and loss were played out in this room? Look at that winsome sunlight, waiting to tell you a thousand stories. And could it have been painted a gloomier shade of green?
We frankly were a little creeped out by this room, so we headed to the platform and waited for our train back to Rome.
I used to sit in the first room from time to time… so pretty
is that fontevegge?
It is, in fact, Fontvegge. Or, as I called it, Veggie Fountain.
I can’t pick my jaw up from the floor….
You know my love of train stations. I would have touched the tiles, the walls, the chairs, the picture frames, the bench. What an awesome station.
It was locked! As if they were patiently waiting for foreign dignitaries to visit at any moment.
What a lovey place
We are heading for two weeks in Italy next week.
I have pictures of that same room in the train station in Perugia!! It was creepily empty when I was there, except for the occasional lost tourist wandering in…
You have to knock it off. These posts make me want to quit my job, cover all my furniture with sheets and lock the doors, grab a suitcase and show up, unannounced on your doorstep begging “PLEASE! SHOW ME EVERYTHING!”
So. Beautiful.
[...] make it a better day trip from Florence. But, it’s worth visiting, if only to check out the freaky train station waiting rooms. I’ve only been to Perugia once, and only for a short time; but, without further ado, [...]
I spent four months in Perugia, and that room was locked every time I went to the train station! I would have loved to have gone in…
In a way, I like that it’s locked. It seems more magical that way.
Interesting point of view… we entry this room lot of times (we live in Perugia) but we’ve never thought something similar! Interesting.