Rome

Saturday September 23rd

We arrived at Venice train station via waterbus just before 12:30, in lots of time for our 1:30 train.

I noticed the 12:35 train sitting on the platform and thought...why not give it a try. I checked with some guy... he looked like the train guard to me... and he said hop on board (In Italian of course...), just pay the reservation fee on board. So that we did and minutes later the train pulls out. All kinds of room on board and no trouble finding a seat. What we soon learned however is that the original advice was correct. There was no room because as the train made subsequent stops along the way, passengers with confirmed reservations and assigned seats, started bumping earlier non confirmed passengers. I lasted 2 hours before being bumped...Una got lucky and had a seat all the way to Rome. I sat on a step for 2 and a half hours slightly comforted by an entirely reasonable and eminently drinkable bottle of Chianti...only 6.50 euros for a half bottle.
On arriival at Rome's Tremini train station, we immediately made reservations for Monday's journey to Sorrento (or at least to Naples)...No need to beat me over the head with a stick...this next ride I'm having a seat.

Jumped in a cab and 15 euros later he deposits us in a back alley, announces we are there, rings a door bell and buggers off. We are then greeted by a delightful Indian couple who welcome us, look after our luggage, show us our room and generally make us feel entirely at home and one of the family. 15 minutes later Marco, the owner shows up and he is charming, showing us the facilities and suggesting restaurants and tours. We met and chatted with a nice couple from Dublin and then set out to find somewhere to eat. No more than 5 minutes out the door and my phone rings...the lady from the B&B we had reserved asking where in the name we had got to because she had been expecting us for the past hour. Nicely explained to her that we were already checked in....she insisted absolutely not the case and then it dawns on us...we are checked in at the wrong hotel! Back we went to find a terribly embarrassed Marco consoling a lovely English couple whose room we had occupied.. It was all a bit Keystone cops, particularly as we had already paid the guy for the room in cash. Turns out the proper place was just down stairs and in 15 minutes we were relocated although not before a mix up with the passports. You see, we had surrendered our passports when we checked in...Italian law apparently, and when they returned them to me to give the 2nd B & B I didn't even look at them until the lady registering us questioned my picture...they had given me the passports of the 2 English women whose rooms we had been in....

Eventually it was all sorted out although Una was grumbling and complaining that the new place wasn't as nice as the old place and of course I agreed with her but what could we do...there were no rooms in the nicer place. Anyway off we went for supper and met a nice couple from Stratford Ontario and a couple of girls from Kingston over here teaching English.

This morning we had breakfast at a small cafe and then called Jason. Jason is the son of my good friend Derrick and he works here in Rome for a tour company. Within less than an hour he met us and took us to the Coliseum where he introduced us to several of his co-workers. Along the way he stopped off at a supermarket where we picked up ready made sandwiches and bottled water. As he so correctly pointed out, no sense in paying outrageous prices for food in the tourist areas. We got a free tour of the Coliseum and afterwards he took us by the Metro to Finnegans pub where we watched Celtic beat Rangers 2:0 in as rowdy a crowd as I can remember. Great atmosphere, virtually all Scots people and 100% Celtic supporters. Many of the people were co-workers of Jason and they made us very welcome. Afterwards, Jason's Fiancee Marzia joined us and they continued to show us the sights as we visited various historical areas including, Circus Maxima, San Pietro in Vicoli, Trojan's market, The Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona before we stopped for supper at a lovely restaurant called Navona Notta on Rio del Theatro Pace was I think the name of the street. Wonderful food and great value. We stuffed ourselves and shared a litre of house wine and the bill was only 46 euros.

We then got a bus for a couple of blocks before saying goodnight to our hosts/guides and we walked the rest of the way back to our B & B which is in the Trastevere area.

A marvelous day, in outstanding weather. I doubt that we could have accomplished as much as we did (in fact I'm 100% certain that we could not have) without Jason and Marzia and I hope they read this and know how much their company and local knowledge was appreciated and Marzia if I murdered spelling your name I apologise...please put the correct spelling in the comments and I will be sure to fix!

Tomorrow being the last Sunday of the month, the Vatican is open and free so the crowds will be a major problem. Again Jason has volunteered to help us out and we are to meet him at 7:30am at the Vatican. Una is asleep as I write this at just after midnight...a good thing because she will need a lot of energy to get through tomorrow.

Hope you enjoy today's pics. The 1st one was taken in the Church of St. Cecilia just around the corner from where we are staying in Trestevere, where a wedding was just about to start. Una & I throwing coins in the Trevi fountain, jubilation in Finnegan's pub as Celtic defeat the enemy...are you there Tommy???..Marzia and Jason our hosts and another pic of Una and I.

Ciao

P.S.

Una is right...this B&B is not as nice as the one that we checked in to by mistake. However, it is clean and comfortable and well located and they keep a bottle of Limoncello in the fridge in the lobby which I have managed to put a very nice dent in as I composed tonight's blog!