The flight went smoothly and finding the train to the center was a piece of cake. When we arrived at the train station in the center (Termini) we were amazed at how big it was, a little overwhelming at first but eventually we found our way. It had many large trains traveling all throughout Italy, and I'm not talking about trains that are actually trams, metros, etc...these were real trains which was pretty cool to see. (I only say this because my first experience on a "train" was when I went to Chicago and was told to get on the train to travel towards the city and when I found it, it didn't look like a train at all...needless to say, I was a little disappointed). Moving on...our hostel was about four blocks from the train station so the location couldn't have been better. Upon check in we received a 10% off coupon for the restaurant across the street and a free welcome drink at the hostel bar! The room was fine, 7 beds (3 bunk beds, 1 single). There was already one bed made in one of the bunk beds so we chose the single and the bottom bunk of the bed next to it, this was because Jessica "wanted our heads to be close together" haha, silly girl. After making our beds we headed to the restaurant across the street, we hadn't eaten all day and it was already 15:00 so we had worked up quite an appetite for some Italian pasta. We ate our pasta and drank some wine while discussing what to do next...We had already decided to take one of the hop-on, hop-off bus tours but thought it was best to wait for Saturday when we would have the whole day. So we got a map and started walking...the weather was nice, chilly, but not too cold. Our mission was to reach the Spanish Steps before sunset but...we got lost, of course :) Luckily not too far off the path so eventually we did reach our destination. There were many tourists (even though it's the off season) but it didn't take away from the aesthetically pleasing view.
After spending some time on the Spanish Steps we decided to head back to the hostel cause it was dark and we wanted to experience the sites during the day. We found the metro which would take us back to our hostel...it was, to say the least, similar to a dungeon...I don't have much experience with metros (just Chicago, Athens and Paris) but I can definitely say that this was by far the creepiest place I'd been. Not only was it dark with low ceilings and cramped, especially with how many people travel through there on an every day basis, but it was also hard to breath...not joking. Jessica and I both noticed after a few minutes of being down there that we were breathing heavier as if we weren't getting enough oxygen with normal intakes. We weren't sure if it was just us that felt this way but after talking to some other people at our hostel it turns out they noticed it too. Fortunately it was a short ride back and greeting us at the surface was fresh, crisp Roman air :)
When we got back to the hostel we went to our room to freshen up and decide our plans for the night. We met our roommate, Jay, and then headed down to the hostel bar. Drinks were so cheap! We're used to paying at least 6-7 euros for a beer anywhere in Athens, and sometimes 10 if we're at a club. Here you could get a beer for 4 euros, a glass of wine for 2 or a mixed drink for 1.50! We decided to play some cards and after awhile we had joiners. I taught them all how to play Kings Cup, my house rules of course ;) A few of the guys liked it so much they had me write them down so they could bring it back to the UK for their friends. We ended up staying out quite late even though our plan had been to go to bed early due to the long day of sightseeing the next day but...we were just having too much fun! We met people from Canada, U.S., U.K., Australia, Sweden, and Denmark.
The next morning we got up around 8:30 but were so tired that the process of showering, getting ready, and eating breakfast took us until almost noon...We headed to the train station and bought tickets to one of the hop-on, hop-off bus tours. There were 12 different stops, all at the major sites and within walking distance of anything else you might want to see. The buses ran every 10 minutes so going to many places around the city was quite easy. We started at the Colosseum which was absolutely spectacular! Side note: I finished reading The Count of Monte Christo a few weeks prior and in the book it talked about a trip to Rome and visiting the ancient ruins and the Colosseum. It spoke of how wonderful it was to see such historic sites, mind you this book was written in 1845, it is now 2010 and I am the one visiting these historic sites, how cool is that!? I've noticed in my experience visiting sites such as this I tend to be speechless, just standing, staring at the magnificence of these structures. There really aren't words to describe the feeling of standing in place that is SO old and full of so much history.
It was a long day but we saw many things: Tiberina, Arch of Constantine, Castle Sant' Angelo, Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, Pantheon, and then my favorite: the Trevi Fountain. It is located in a small piazza which I was surprised to see, but it was FULL of people. Jessica and I made our way through the crowd to capture a few pictures and of course toss in a few coins. We had read online how we were supposed to throw them but we forgot whether it was supposed to be the right hand over the left shoulder or vise versa. Luckily this old Italian man came up to us and explained not only how to do it but also what each of the coins means. First coin is for a trip back to Rome, second is to find true love, and third is for a good marriage. He then looks at us and says "make sure you don't throw four, because the fourth is for divorce!" which he then proceeds to laugh. So we took our three coins and tossed them into the fountain, right hand over left shoulder. I will definitely take a trip back to Rome but for the true love and good marriage part...we'll see :)
Earlier that day we had talked about venturing out to experience the night life in Rome but after the long day we decided against it and figured that we had so much fun at the bar the night before that we were bound to accomplish the same that evening. Also, we were told Rome isn't known for having a great night life and our hostel bar was the best bar around the area...so there we were once again, in time for happy hour and successful in another evening full of meeting new people, card games, and great fun! A highlight of that evening was meeting a fellow Minnesotan! I haven't seen or spoken (face-to-face) with another Minnesotan since a brief encounter in late August so this was a real treat! We talked about the Twins, which was nice considering most Europeans have a lack of appreciation for baseball, and our new found appreciation for "Minnesota nice" after being away from it for so long (he goes to school in Seattle). Overall, a great night.
Sunday also started a bit later than planned, but we eventually made it to Vatican City. We wanted to start with the museum and then wander around the rest of the day, but unfortunately as soon as we got there we were told the museum is closed on sundays...We were disappointed, of course, because seeing the Sistine Chapel was one of the top things we wanted to see but it just gives me yet another excuse to go back someday! So instead we wandered around Vatican City and then back across the bridge to many of the little streets. There were so many cute little shops and restaurants along the cobble stone streets that weave throughout the city.
While wandering around we found the Piazza Navona which just so happen to be hosting a little carnival! There were games, candy stands, shopping, street performers and a carousel! We decided to have lunch at a small restaurant facing the festivities which served for great entertainment in people watching. We ordered wine and a pizza... I was a little skeptical at first because along with the sauce, cheese, mushrooms, and rucola, all of which I've had on pizza...there was corn...I am happy to report, however, that I was pleasantly surprised by this new discovery! I highly recommend it :)
We spent some time at the carnival, seeing all it had to offer. There was a man with finger puppets who had put on a glove of Michael Jackson and was dancing to Smooth Criminal, not only was it entertaining to watch the puppet but I found the old man quite hilarious himself.
We bought cotton candy which neither of us had had in years, and I learned again quickly why I had stopped buying it in the first place...you end up a sticky mess! but I think once in awhile its worth it :) We left the piazza and continued wandering...we ended up finding a small church tucked away within one of the winding streets. When we entered there were a few older woman sitting in the pews praying so Jessica and I went to sit down in order to quietly admire and take in the beautiful sculptures, paintings, and overall view. It was breathtaking! I'm not a religious person but I can definitely appreciate the time and thought that is put into chapels such as this.
We headed back to the hostel where we joined some of the people we met throughout the weekend. We had to leave the hostel at 5 am to catch our flight at 7:30 monday morning so we thought going to bed early for once that weekend would be a good idea. This of course didn't happen...so we got 2 hours of sleep and then headed off to the airport. The weekend flew by! We both had such an amazing time and want to visit again soon!
Check out more pictures under "Photos"
you should visit again soon then...
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