Yep, we made it! After a loooong day on the Busabout bus we made it into the city of Rome, Italy around 6:30 pm. This city is huge! Honestly, it seems like Italy’s equivalent of Manhattan. And I would describe it as a mix between San Francisco and Manhattan; consequently two places that I am not much a fan of :) But I’m sure I will be a huge fan of Rome tomorrow after some rest and the opportunity to see the monuments and sites that I’ve most been looking forward to.We begin tomorrow with a four to six hour walking tour of Rome better known as the “Romeing” Tour. It outlines all of the major sites and gives an in depth history of Rome, the Roman empire, etc. I am really looking forward to seeing the Coloeseum! Then, Tuesday we tour Vatican City and all that it has to offer including the Sistine Chapel and, perhaps, a viewing of the Pope, himself. We’re only in Rome until Wednesday morning at 8 am so we’re going to have to be very quick in fitting all of our sightseeing in the two days that we have. This should be interesting!
Our accommodations this time are a little better in some ways and a little different in others when compared to Venice. First off we aren’t staying at a camp site. Although the company that we are traveling with for most of our journey, Busabout, has a network of hostels that includes “Camping Roma,” another campsite similar to the “Alba D’Oro” site we stayed in Venice, there were no available cabins back when we booked. So, due to my stance on tent camping this trip we booked a different hostel known as “Hotel Montestella.”
Unlike the camp site this hostel is in the heart of downtown Rome. In one way we enjoy that but, in another, we kind of hate being split up from our fellow travelers, most of whom are staying at the campsite. Oh well, it’s only for two days. Additionally, this hostel is more like a traditional hotel instead of the normal dorm setting of a hostel. It’s definitely old and kind of quaint with brick ceilings and windows that open up to the vibrant cityscape of Rome. You can hear the people walking and chatting and the street musicians as they play beautiful Italian music. It’s very nice.
The bricked ceiling
Looking out of our room over Rome
A very old, antique "lift"
On our nearly 10 hour trip from Venice to Rome today via Busabout we were treated to some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. It was classic Italian. Though I don’t know the name of those vertically growing trees that seem to be represented in nearly all paintings/pictures of Italy I did see them nearly everywhere I looked today during the drive down. The Italian countryside is breathtaking and, even better, the little villages situated on the Adriatic Sea. Simply gorgeous!
On a random note, Mickey and I were talking tonight at dinner about how odd it is that something or someplace so foreign can quickly become “normal.” For instance, when we landed in Venice three or four days ago we were like fish out of water. But, after about two days that little campsite and our bungalow began to feel somewhat familiar and, dare I say, a bit like home. Now that we’re in the massive city that is Rome we find ourselves missing that little place and that little town. It was beautiful and we were just getting the hang of things when it was time to leave. But, I find that that’s part of the excitement of this trip….just when that, “oh, vacation’s almost over and we’re leaving this place,” feeling creeps in I’m greeted with the exciting thought that tomorrow holds a new place and a new set of adventures. It’s like getting to experience that “first day of vacation” feeling over and over again! And while I knew that this would be a trip of a lifetime I don’t think I fully realized just how EXCITING it would be to travel from city to city experiencing something new and unique in each one.
Another random thought that I want to document for my memory’s sake: I find such comfort in the presence of British and Aussie travelers. Weird, I know, but after struggling to communicate with Italian residents I found such great comfort today in traveling with Busabout and our British tour guides. I feel so selfish for admitting that because I know I should be immersing myself in the Italian culture but I love the fact that all I have to do is get past the accent and it’s almost like talking to friends from home. Obviously we haven’t met many American travelers :)
In other news, Mickey had a run in with a bathroom stall door today. We stopped in some tiny Italian village for a restroom break and the men’s restroom was HIGHLY out of order. Basically, if anyone accidentally shut the door (it locked automatically) all the guys had to climb over the stall door just to get into the stall and climb back over when they were finished. Well, I guess Mickey was the unlucky one and someone came by and shut the door while he was in there. He was stuck! But, instead of attempting to climb out he began jiggling the door and trying to “lift” it up until he broke it off the hinges! I’m standing outside and I hear a loud noise similar to a gunshot. Mickey came running out to tell me to go back to the bus because the stall door was sitting back in the bathroom on the floor! Who knew my husband was The Hulk?
Whew…after all that I know I’m tired and I’m sure you are, too, if you made it to the end :) I know this is a lot of information but, remember, eventually this blog will become our travel journal and I want to remember every last detail. Even broken toilet doors!
I’ll check back in in a couple days after fulfilling my dream of seeing the Sistine Chapel!
PS…I’m totally psyched because I found out today that we are able to take a boat out to St. Tropez while we’re visiting Nice. If you’re not familiar with St. Tropez, please, go online and Google it. Sheer beauty. And, hey, if it’s good enough for Hollywood’s elite then you know it’s good enough for yours truly!
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