As you can tell from the Italian greeting, this post is going to have a slightly more European feel to it. I'm writing all this now as a kind of diary really as well as a way of sharing my experiences with you. I've not been in the best mood of late so I'm hoping it'll help me feel better to remember it all too. Hope you enjoy my tales of the beautiful city of Rome!
So my company for the weekend is Jade. She's my best friend from my uni days and just an all round lovely person. We've been friends for four years and this was to be our first proper holiday together! We'd arranged this weekend for months and the anticipation got crazier as the day finally came to jet off. We found the holiday deal online and decided to bite the bullet and do it as we'd always wanted to travel somewhere together, it was just the issue of money that got in our way. So in the end we went for a 3 day/3 night deal which worked out in the end to be just under £200 which we thought was a good deal considering the flights and hotel were covered in that. The only thing that cost extra was the specific flight times which we changed in order to get the most time in Rome. After we'd booked it and all the paperwork was there, it was official! Although it still felt surreal even after we'd landed. So without further a-do, let's crack on :)
Day 1 (4 July):
So me and Jade hadn't seen each other for months at this point so we were just as excited to see each other again just as much as we were for going to Rome. We were flying from Stansted and had arranged to meet there; I was getting the coach and Jade was getting a lift there. I remember now sitting back on the coach to the summery sounds of years previous such as Calvin Harris' "Summer" and Swedish House Mafia's "Don't you worry child" as well as other DJ's and smiling to myself- I was off to Rome for 3 days with my best friend and we were about to see some of the greatest sights in the world....that and being off work for a week too was an amazing feeling. When I got to the airport, Jade was already there and we then proceeded to frantically running around in and out of the airport trying to find each other while screaming down the phone in excitement "where are you?!?!"Then came the security checks....this was the most hilarious part (as well as being inevitably awkward too) as we both got our '100ml' bags out of our cases trying to suss out what was actually a liquid and what was a cream or mousse (purely for the issue of foundations)....after nearly peeing ourselves trying to figure this out we decided that there were too many grey areas here and that we should just chance it (even if one of us had an overflowing bag...oops!) and go through security anyway.
As my flight tradition goes, I always get bleeped and stopped going through those body scanners and this flight was no different. I had to stand bare foot, legs and arms out and spread for the humiliating (and quite frankly invasive- they always manage to pat me too hard too close to my...VIP areas) touch down as Jade looks on with a smirk as she got through with no fuss at all. Although the smirk didn't last as she had to make some painful decisions about which cosmetics to leave behind in the airport bin. As if you can cause a huge airborn crisis with some nail varnish?!
As we got through security a few items lighter, we then got to shopping and generally milling about waiting for our gate to open. We found a Wetherspoons and made a beeline there and got a couple of drinks as well as taking a few obligatory "WE'RE GOING ON HOLIDAY F*** YEAH!" selfie's.
So time then came for us to get our plane outta here!......Or so we thought. Our flight was at 4 but after rushing to get our final snacks and reading materials for the plane sorted (trashy mags) we came back to find our flight was delayed by about an hour! "Bloody typical" we thought, taking a seat ready for our hour long wait. When our gate was eventually called, we were so shocked that we took another 10 minutes to even gather all our stuff up, put the magazines in our bags and make a beeline for the train to the gate! Yeah you read that right, a train...to the gate. I was a bit surprised too as I'd never flown from Stannie before (me and Jade nicknamed the airport......yeah). Even when we got to the gate, there was a bit more of a wait but that was soon over and we were out on the tarmac heading for the back steps of the plane- this was it, we were finally going!!
Fast forward about 2 and a half hours now and we were making our descent into Ciampino airport and looking out of the windows to see if we could spot any of the landmarks we were going to be visiting. As it was dark it was more of a game of interpretation that actually spotting anything. Once we had landed, got through security and walked out into Rome...or shall I say the airport car park, the next challenge was to get the bus to the metro station to get to our hotel. With this in mind we strutted over to the bus terminal with our token Italian phrases memorised- time to get our Italian on! When I say challenge, it proved a little more complicated than we first visualised....
Now before I say the next part, I will say in our defence that we followed my phrasebook to the letter (and even did our best to replicate the accent too)
When we couldn't find our bus, we resorted to asking some Italian folks to see if they had the answers....now we greeted them (bearing in mind this was at 9pm) with a very humble sounding "buongiorno"- which we thought meant hello.....turns out it doesn't at all!! It wasn't until a very nice bus driver told us it meant "good morning" that we realised what utter tits we must have looked like running around saying "buongiorno" with the type of stubborn conviction only tourists clutching a phrase book would adopt. First embarrassing moment of the holiday, next stop, our hotel!
Our hotel was called the "Romoli Hotel" and to spare you the whole trip advisor low down, it was a very nice hotel considering we got everything on a cheap deal and therefore expected the worst. It was comfy and only a short walk to the metro station. However walking 10 minutes in 40 degree heat feels like 10 years! After we got checked in, finished speaking to the very welcoming and accommodating man at reception (he spoke very good English which made up for our very poor GCSE grasp of Italian) and unpacked we decided to get some good shut eye ready for our first full day in Rome!
Day 2 (5 July):
Our second day started around 8am and after lounging about in bed for a while with maps and wondering in what order we should see everything, we finally decided to go with our original plan: Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum then venture back on the metro to find the Trevi Fountain and our first taste of gelato. So after showering we grabbed the maps and headed out for our first proper taste of Italy
So firstly, our walk to the metro station and it was only after a 10 minute walk through the little suburb we realised how close we actually were to our link to the inner city! On our little walk , we bumped into a local guy called Mani...or was it manu? I can't properly remember now....anyway he had noticed, from walking behind us for a block or two, that our attempts at Italian and our general awe at the small suburb we were in screamed tourist so we got chatting and found out he actually worked in a restaurant near the Colosseum and that most of the places we wanted to visit were within walking distance of one another or an easy stop away on the metro. This was reassuring as me and Jade had been trying to find some tangable short cuts around the city so we could see everything in one day somehow (that didn't happen by the way) and as we entered the metro station he said he had to go to work and hurried to the metro.Now our next mini adventure was the metro! Now I'll simplify it for you now and say it was very much like catching the tube in London, but a whole load simpler as there are just 2 lines to fathom, it's hot (the only saving grace was that the trains themselves were air-conditioned, thank god!) and oh, it's all in Italian. The latter fact proved quite amusing though as "next stop" in Italian sounded a lot like "a shit tomato" so as you could imagine me and Jade were nearly wetting ourselves (we had quite a few stops to pass) while locals looked at us with a mix of curiosity and disgust. After getting off at a stop called "Colosseo"- you can see where I'm taking this can't you- we both reflected on the journey and said that it was quite straight forward to follow; as long as you know the name of your stop (we did a lot of map research before stepping foot in Rome by the way so I'd advise the same if you're planning a trip soon) then you would be fine.
Colosseo station was quite packed out as you can imagine; a mix of locals and tourists alike all joining in on the Colosseum hype and we had to keep an eye out for each other and our bags as it was so busy and we had read in so many tripadvisor style guides that we were very likely to get robbed by pick-pocketers on the metro.
May I just say now while I am at this point that at no point were we pick-pocketed, nor did we feel at any risk of being pick-pocketed. We didn't feel at any danger at all on our trip and when we both said about what we had read about this issue before going to Rome we both actually said it was a bit unfair to put this bad light on an incredible city. Yes, crime like this does happen but we highly doubted it happened on such a regular occurrence as the tourism books make it out to. While I say that though, by no means be complacent with your belongings, just don't stare at everyone who gets near you bag (on a metro for example) like they're about to steal your purse, commit ID fraud on your credit cards and move to live the life of luxury on your life savings. Just be sensible and you'll be fine!
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes! When we got out of the metro station at last, the sight that stared us straight in the face was simply breath-taking. The Colosseum was stood right across the road in it's big, stony, ancient glory. While everyone was bustling past me in a hurry, I was still gawping at even 5 minutes later until Jade bought be back from my daydream "Hey, Bundy look over here" as she guided me over to the open top bus tours stand. Even before coming out to Rome, we wanted to do something like this and as the guide explained to us, the more it made sense to go for it even as an easier way of initially getting to see all the landmarks we were going to walk around the next day, all at once. We decided to buy the 48 hour ticket as we thought we could use the bus as an optional alternative to the metro (that we already had a 3 day pass on also) We were offered a multi-buy sort of ticket for the Colosseum and Palatine Hill but we didn't take them up on it as we didn't know whether it was a good deal or not and as it turned out another tour guide was doing tickets a lot cheaper but they had no spaces so me and Jade said we'd come back and do that the next day. We also learnt that the entry to the churches and museums were free on a Sunday- that certainly explained the crowds then!
We went to go and wait for the "big red bus"- we liked to simplify things on this trip! And as we sat ourselves in the shade (it was hotting up to a scorching 36 degrees...plus the humidity) we were greeted (or should I say pestered?) by our first street seller. Oh the humble street sellers; from water to selfie sticks, you wouldn't ever go without, no matter where you were in the city. As we were parched, we took up the offer of a bottle of water for 1 euro...if I remember rightly, I bought two.
On the bus we had the option of listening to a guided tour on headphones as we drove around the city but we both resorted to looking around at all the sights as we couldn't hear the guide too well. After about 20 minutes of driving around the sights of Rome and "wow"-ing at everything we saw, the bus stopped just near Termini Station- one of the main train stations in the city centre and it was here that we had our most amusing encounter with a bunch of street sellers.We went to go and wait for the "big red bus"- we liked to simplify things on this trip! And as we sat ourselves in the shade (it was hotting up to a scorching 36 degrees...plus the humidity) we were greeted (or should I say pestered?) by our first street seller. Oh the humble street sellers; from water to selfie sticks, you wouldn't ever go without, no matter where you were in the city. As we were parched, we took up the offer of a bottle of water for 1 euro...if I remember rightly, I bought two.
The street sellers in and around Rome were what you would call opportunists- if you even breathed in their direction, they'd come and sell you something so you can imagine the scene when a big red bus full of tourists pulled up in front of a bunch of 20 of them. Something akin to a herd of zebra accidently rocking up to a lion party.
We both watched down from the top deck in amazement as bottles of water, hats, scarves and fans were being flung up in what turned out to be a improv market place and they all gathered at the foot of the bus ready for the money to essentially fall from the sky. Ok, so it's not quite that dramatic but I mainly said that for the imagery really.
Now I've set the scene, I'll tell you about how Jade was had by one of these guys. As I mentioned earlier, fans were one of the many things on offer and as the heat was getting to her, she weakened to the thought of elegantly fanning herself in the Italian air (well what there was of it) and went to buy one. As she got bantering (and bartering) with the sellers, she threw down 5 euros and eagerly waited poised to catch what she had bought. However this wasn't as straight forward as it seemed because just as she was ready to catch the fan, the bus started to pull away! I was sat there laughing as she was shouting down frantically for them to give her what she had paid for. She did get her fan in the end but it was a close call!
Our next stop was the Vatican and Vatican City and the sight was breath-taking as we drove down the long road that led to Vatican City. We were due to visit here the next day so seeing it now just made me even more excited.
Our tour ended back were it begun and we decided to get back on the metro and head for the Trevi Fountain. The stop for the Trevi Fountain meant switching onto the B line (the metro lines were A and B......[insert travel joke about getting from A to B] via Termini station. Once down on the B line waiting for the train, the heat immediately hit us like a tidal wave! And it was also here that Jade discovered the questionable quality of the 5 euro fan she had nearly dived off the top deck of a bus for and she wasn't pleased. She went to fan herself from the stifling heat and the fan then fell to pieces in her hand. After the initial shock and vow to find this street seller-come- con artist the next time we hit ground level and give him a few select words, the train arrived and it was time to make our way to the Trevi fountain and our first gelato!
When we got off the metro we ventured out sight-seeing again and this time we bumped in a few of American tourists who were trying to find the Trevi fountain too so we offered for them to follow us and when we got talking, we found out that they came from Miami, that they were travelling Europe and that even they found the Roman weather too hot- that's saying something! As we approached the fountain, the anticipation was building as this was a sight that I already seen in films so it would be surreal having it stood right in front of me. We walked out into the square where the fountain was, turned to catch our first glimpse of it and.........scaffolding! Scaffolding?! What was this madness??
After the initial shock (even the American's were saying "oh is that it") of seeing this famous landmark covered with scaffolding, tradition** called and it was me and Jade's time to throw our coins into the fountain.
**I'm not sure where this tradition started but apparently if you throw a coin over your right shoulder into the fountain, it was supposed to guarantee that person another trip to Rome.
Jade went first and got the American guys to do the same too and then not one to miss the party (although I'm always late to these trend parties and bandwagons) I threw a coin too! Although mine didn't exactly go in the fountain and it wasn't until I saw the smirk on Jade's face that I knew it must have hit the scaffolding and bounced somewhere completely different! So that mythical guaranteed return trip to Rome? Well I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Once that mark of tradition was done, it was that time- GELATO TIME! The only hard decision now was that of what flavours to chose and as our eyes were bigger than our bellies and just for the sake of it being our first gelato, we chose 3 flavours. I chose chocolate (I will always chose chocolate), strawberry and lemon flavours and as we tucked in stood by the fountain...(or scaffoltain). After our epic foodgasm of gelato, we decided to see if we could find the Spanish Steps and The Pantheon and set off amongst the cobbled streets and ancient Roman buildings.
After about 10 minutes of walking, Jade suddenly disappears into an old church like building. Confused I went in after her and what met my eyes was simply spectacular! Image the prettiest church you've ever seen- now times that by a thousand. The art was so intricate and covered the ceiling while decorative beams and tapestries were all around the walls and floors. I'm not religious or anything but I still couldn't help but look around, mouth open in amazement to the clear commitment, dedication and loyalty to God that was made so clear in all this incredible decoration. Me and Jade lit a candle each and I lit one for my dad. After we made our donations to the up-keep of the church and continued on our mission towards The Pantheon still in awe of what we had just seen.
After another 10 minute walk along the cobbles, we came out to a square filled with hussle and bussle, shops, cafe's and gelato parlours....and in the corner- The Pantheon! We decided to go and visit The Pantheon and then explore afterwards but this was not before our amusing encounter with a certain pair of Romans! We never got their names but they sure made an impact on us! One of them took it upon himself to start playing with my earrings and tell me I had beautiful eyes (these were guys dressed up as Romans and you could take your pic with them for 5 euros) so I laughed that off and after they had finished trying to butter Jade up too, we had some photo's done and after a few more jokes, we headed into the Pantheon to see what that had in store.
Now as ridiculous as this will sound, I wasn't as wowed stepping into the Pantheon as I was in the church we had just stumbled upon. Having said that, the ceiling was an architectural wonder and it did still have that religious air to it- it just wasn't as intense as the other church.
After this we decided to go and get another gelato and walk about a bit then head back to the hotel. I'll give you this handy tip too- 3 gelato's in a day is not the best idea for the faint stomached- dairy overload! We were walking back to the metro station via a scenic route (I was hobbling along at this point as my feet really were killing me by this point) and we came across a little taster of home- an Irish pub! In the middle of Rome! We made a beeline for the bar, ordered drinks and soaked in the Irish music and familiarity of home. It was here that Jade kinda persuaded me to try some guinness for the first time.....let me just say it was disgusting! And after seeing my reaction, Jade decided to turn this guinness tasting into a sort of challenge as she laughed at my face of pure disgust. Even with a bit of blackcurrant it wasn't pleasant.
After a couple of hours in the pub, we started our journey back to the hotel, wondering round the Roman streets at 10pm. It was still pretty warm out as well! By the time we reached our hotel, I was near to tears with the pain in my feet but tried to talk myself forwards (picture me mumbling self-motivational speeches while hobbling across the roads and Jade waiting for me to catch up)
It was about half eleven when we got into our rooms and we could finally take our shoes off and get into bed after such a busy day full of new experiences, wonderful sights and the hottest temperatures we've had to ever walk in. We then planned to go to all the places that we missed on our next day, had a shower then climbed into bed and fell straight asleep- Tourism is exhausting work!
--Right so I realised now that the first day story has gone on a lot so I'm leaving this post here and putting day 2's shenanigans in another post so if you like this post, stay tuned!! Ciao for now!
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