Rome was definitely a challenge for both of us. I will try not to be negative here, but I am sure it will creep in. For one, we made a mistake by staying near the Vatican. It sounded like a great idea. It sounded like an historic area. Not so much. Our AirBnB, was down an alley behind walls of trash. The place was clean, but it was barren. Our host was abrupt and a bit dismissive. His best advice was to get out of that side of town and into the center. Nice. Grazi. To be fair, I bet there are AMAZING digs in this area. LOL.
We kept up our pace of walking 10-15 miles a day in heat that I cannot recall feeling before even though I am sure I have. The only way to describe it is drenched in sweat by 9AM. That is no big deal. I learned quickly not to put any makeup on and to just get used to it. Our restaurant choices were just so bad because we were tired when it came time to eating and told ourselves we did not care, but in the end, you do care. You really do. I learned you probably need a year to plan a well laid out hop across Europe…and well, I didn’t. But guess what? We survived!
Thanks to both my sister, Susan Masciopinto, and Jordan’s friend, Hannah Cremmins for turning Rome around for us. Yikes. We had no idea what were doing. I kept saying to Jordan, “I know we are missing something here.” Hannah was in Rome and we decided we would take the bus and meet at a restaurant I found down by the Tiber. The bus was so crowded that I started to laugh. I was pretty sure I was going to second base with the old lady facing me. The one behind me kept smacking my head in a scolding like way meaning- Stop It! I had no idea what she thought I could stop. Pretty funny. Over dinner, Jordan and I relayed our experience to Hannah and learned that we really were missing something ——– Rome. We were staying in the ghetto. Who knew? She was staying in the center. She had restaurants with air conditioning. After our delicious dinner, we all hopped in an uber and shot over to the Trevi Fountain. I mean how crowded could it be at 11PM? Hella crowded. We had the driver wait while we took a look around. Jordan threw a coin over his shoulder following Hannah’s instructions. I half-jokingly refused. Driving Hannah back to her hotel, we saw an entirely different side of Rome. One that we really would have enjoyed quite frankly. We still had the next day, but that was booked up with tours. We had to call that one.
We were able to skip the line at the Colosseum. That was some line. We opted not to take the guided tour. Maybe we should have. The crowds were overwhelming to both of us. It was just hordes and hordes of people. I am sure you know what I am talking about if you have been to Rome in the summer. We had a good look around. I really am happy that we visited it because it is so impressive. To be honest, the nuns at Villa Maria Academy really censored history for us unless it favored Catholicism. We also visited the vatican museum (real snoozer, don’t judge). I mean how many pictures does one need of Jesus , I ask you? We were funneled into the Sistine Chapel. Step by step. I felt a little violent at the end and reminded myself to breathe deeply(Thanks, Yvette and Terri). No one needs to die today. Its just that here we are… hundreds of us being shoved down hallways and narrow staircases and Sally Smothers and Yoshiyuki Wada think it is a good idea to stop in front of doorways and block the hundreds of people behind them so they can either chat or take their 700th picture of every single thing they pass including the sign for the toilet. Then we have Hans Christian Andersen and Francois Dubois taking pictures of every single solitary painting, sculpture, and tapestry they pass AND thinking it is a good idea to stop and discuss. I felt like the little old Italian lady on the bus and wanted to smack them! I ask you…are they really going to every look at these pictures? Anyhoo, I read a little blog about how to get into St. Peter’s without going through security again which was very helpful. Take a right with the groups at the exit instead of a left. St. Peter’s was massive and impressive and really blew my mind.
To be honest, all of Rome blew my mind. To actually see these monuments and buildings constructed almost 3 thousand years ago was a little surreal. I prefer that architecture very much over what we are constructing today. In the end, I would return to Rome, but I would be much more prepared. I would pick my lodging location very carefully and I would make reservations well in advance at all of the restaurants Susan’s Roman friend and our friend, Jim, recommended. We couldn’t get into many of them without more notice.
I know I said don’t buy the Paris Pass or London Pass and that you will never get your money’s worth, BUT I actually bought the Omnia Rome 3 day pass before we left USA. I was very glad we had it for the skip the line piece and also the unlimited transportation. I am quite positive smarter people can do this cheaper. The thing is that you kind of don’t need to buy tickets to public transport. No one ever checked us even once. We watched the Romans just get on and off the buss without paying. I am guessing maybe they had monthly passes, but no one checked nor seemed to care. Hannah said the same about her experience. The other thing I noticed is that groups definitely receive priority on tours. Next time, I would definitely book guided tours. It is a shame we didn’t figure it out until it was too late, but we were able to appreciate so much of Rome in the few days we had.
We write this on the very, very nice train to Florence. I may have accidentally bought 1st class, but I don’t think so. I have never been served a snack on a train before. Eating peanuts and drinking water… not a bad way to watch the Italian countryside fly by. We feel really prepared for Florence. Fingers crossed.
I found out on arrival to Florence that I was bitten by another horde…this one of bedbugs. Ladies and gentleman…No such thing as a deal. You get what you pay for. Lesson learned (I hope) . More to come on this..especially if you want to see gross pictures of bed bug bites all over my legs. They will have to be PM’d. LOL.
And now a few words from my lovely and lively offspring:
Rome was cool, but also hot as hell. The Colosseum and the Vatican City were really amazing sites, but further than the interest in historical landmarks, I’m not sure if there are a lot of reasons for me to recommend a visit to Rome to a friend. The food was hit or miss; in some places it was really incredible, but in others was highly American. It was incredibly touristy in the expected locations, the traffic was frankly scary, and the locals would tend to be upset if you were a stereotypical American tourist. It was a fun trip; it was nice having a place with AC, the sights were brilliant, I got to see my friend Hannah, and I felt like I had a good sense of Rome, but I think that a visit of 3 days is definitely enough – unless you are set on experiencing all of the history the city has to offer.
Erin: I think maybe 3 days is actually way too short and he just does not know it. For people overwhelmed by crowds, one site a day is plenty:) The city is just a never-ending museum.
Hey, Flo—rence! Here we come!!! Woo hoo!!!!
Jordan and Erin's European Adventure 