Rome 2008

Friday August 15,2008

I spent the morning with Jerry at PMCO and then left at 2:30 to return home, collect my things and then head over to the airport to catch DL32 to Rome. Chearl had taken a half day off because she had planned on going to Tennessee with Jo and the kids, but that apparently did not materialize. I am not certain what she is going to do this weekend.

I got over to the airport and through security by about 5:15 and just waited for the flight to be called. I was seated in 2B and we began boarding about 7 p.m.

I tried calling Chearl from the plane to no avail. She was apparently already out with the Pricketts and was not answering her phone..

We departed pretty much on time from 36R at the airport and the flight over was uneventful.

I stated before that I was in 2B. There was some dude and his wife seated in 1C and E that sort of caught my attention. When I got on and seated, I noticed that he had on an old polo shirt and some sweat pants with a pair of white socks. Nothing you would really expect to see in Business Class.

As the flight wore on, I noticed that he would periodically get up and go to the rest room in only his stocking feet. Not a big deal. The flight bag gives you some of those socks to put on over your regular socks.

Saturday August 16, 2008

When we landed in Rome, I noticed that he shoved his feet into his gym shoes with those same socks on! Good Lord! I could have barfed! Those restrooms are not that clean at best and downright dirty at worst and here he was carrying that stuff to wherever in his shoes.

Anyhow, when we pulled to the gate, I was third off (behind Mr. Sox and wife) and I headed through immigration. THE FELLOW DID NOT EVEN OPEN THE PASSPORT PICTURE PAGE! He opened a corner, stamped the passport and I was done!

I then walked through the terminal and over to the train station where I waited for what seemed an eternity to get a ticket into town. The fare into town is €11 now.

Right before the train departed, Mr. Gunky Sox and wife got on board and sat down right next to me. It took everything I had to keep from running as far as I could from that man.

I arrived at the Termini station and got a cab to the hotel. The cabbie drove to the square and then around it so that he could drop me off at the front door. A little longer and more costly, but who cares anymore.

I was checked into room 311 by a fellow who looked remarkably similar to Jeff Golfblum and I unpacked my things and then left to go walkabout.

I walked down Via del Corso to the Trevi fountain and from there I headed south towards Trajan’s column and the Vittoriano. I took some pictures of the column and then walked across the street and began my pilgrimage climb to the top of the monument. Not to be completed this trip. Apparently the upper levels are either closed for construction or are pay-to-view only. I got some nice shots and then headed back down.

I walked to Campo de Fiori and then tried to find my old haunts. I walked down the Via Monserrato and found my old PierLuigi restaurant but since it was early afternoon it was not quite open yet. I walked along the river toward Hadrian’s tomb and crossed the river there. I took some photos and then headed towards St. Peters.

I started the afternoon trying to figure out where to buy a day ticket for the buses (giornalierno) and I was not very successful with that. So I headed for St. Peters to see what could be seen

I got to the square and since it did not appear very crowded, I thought I might as well go inside. It was not wall-to-wall inside but it was pretty well packed. I took what I thought were some good pictures inside and then headed back outside for some air. It was SOOOOOOO hot and particularly humid inside the basilica. Sweat was just running down my eyebrows into my eyes it was so humid.

I walked back to Hadrian’s tomb and then northbound. I crossed over the river at the Unberto I bridge and thought I had a pretty good handle on where I was. I made one slight miscalculation but quickly corrected that and then found my way back to the hotel.

It was about four in the afternoon and I thought that I could catch a bucket of water and a nap before heading out to dinner. I brought along my SD card reader to copy my pictures off of the Nikon and when I plugged it in – NOTHING!

It turns out (DUH!) that both cards (Nikon and Canon) were the high capacity variety and the SD reader had no idea what to do with them, so it did nothing. I figured out a way to transfer the photos using the G7 and finally managed to get the shots to disk which made me feel just a little better.

Then I cranked the AC down and took a nap. I expected to get up around 5:30 but when I finally regained consciousness, it was 7. I was planning on taking a shower, but since it was later that I wanted it to be, I just put my old, soppy clothes back on and headed out.

I found a nice little restaurant (Italian – imagine that!) called Ristorante Re degli amici located at Via della Croce, 33b and went in for some dinner. I had a bowl of minestrone soup and the lasagna del cardinale which was good. I had not eaten since breakfast and everything tasted great. I washed everything down with two Forst beers and then headed out walking again.

I headed back towards the Trevi fountain where I took some night shots of the water and then I walked over to Piazza Navona to see what was cooking over there. The big Bernini statue is under restoration so parts of it are closed to the public but there were an awful lot of people just meandering around. The old restaurant where Gerry and I had spent so many hours and euros on the corner is no longer in operation and there is this void where it used to be.

From Piazza Navona I headed over to the Pantheon, took a few shots and then headed north past the Black Duke and over to the Piazza Colonna before heading north on Via del Corso again. I finally returned to the hotel and it is now about 10;45 and I am getting pretty sleepy. I don’t know what is in store tomorrow, but so far this has been a very nice walking trip.

Sunday August 17, 2008

I got up at 7:00 and took a much needed shower and then headed down for breakfast on the first floor. There was salami, turkey and other cold cuts so I got some of each, a cup of orange juice and a roll and headed for a table. I also had a pot of coffee and that was pretty much it.

I grabbed the camera and headed out. There was not too much traffic (neither foot nor auto) that early in the morning (especially on a Sunday) so I walked down to the Spanish Steps and ascended to the Trinita dei Monti at the top for some pictures.

I was still unsure of the way the Metro and buses work so I just walked down to the Coliseum and the plan was to visit the Palatine Hill, The Forum and then the Coliseum in that order.

THERE IS NOW A CHARGE FOR WALKING THROUGH THE FORUM! Good Golly! What’s next?

They have a combination ticket that works at all three for €11 which I guess is not all that bad so I bought one and started in the Palatine. The book that I have from Rick Steves starts where things used to be so for a while there I was pretty much turned around but I finally got re-grouped and decided once again that the Palatine Hill is just not worth paying for. Period. I’ve tried to enjoy myself there but the ruins are just not top notch. It is dusty, dry and really not much fun.

After the disappointment at the Palatine, I walked to the Forum and began my descent at the Arch of Titus.

As a side note here, let me say that I have a new pair of shoes that I purchased before our anticipated trip to Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago. Let me also say that I put some Dr. Scholl’s pads in them to “cushion the ride” so to speak. Well, the ride was not cushioned and the shoes were hurting like hell so at this point in my day, I was walking like a cripple (literally!). I was pretty certain that I was not blistering but it hurt none the less. Walking up hills was painful and walking down hills was easier but that would hurt sometimes also. Those damned cobblestone streets were not making things very easy either.

So, continuing from the Arch of Titus I walked down the northern street towards the Arch of Septimus Severus taking in all of the sights along the way. I could have exited at this point by the Arch but I chose to return to the eastern end so that I could take in the Coliseum while there. On the way back, I noticed that there was a group of people standing on an overlook above Caligula’s house. That was what I was looking for when I was traipsing through the Palatine! I was thinking about going back and hiking up there for a shot, but my feet reminded me that they were not too happy so I just continued down the Via Sacra towards the Coliseum.

As I was about to find my way to the gates through the crowd by the base of the Coliseum, I realized that this crowd WAS the line to get in. Sorry. No way. There will be no pictures from inside the Coliseum today.

I returned to the Colosseo Metro stop and found that if I put €4 into the machine that I could get a bus/Metro ticket that was good up until midnight. Ok. I’ll bite. When it printed my ticket, I was a little skeptical about being used on the Metro but when I tried it in the reader – whoosh – the gates opened and I was home free to take the Metro north towards the train station where I would have to transfer.

I rode to the Termini where I transferred to the other line to continue north and when I got to the platform, it was absolutely jam packed with people. Uh-oh! I could feel the beginnings of heavy claustrophobia time starting here. I stood towards the back ready to bolt if it looked uncomfortable but when the train arrived and the people all crammed on, I moved to the rear of the train and it was fine. I rode to Flaminio and then returned to the hotel to download my pictures and to cool off. I had been gone about 3 ½ hours and my feet were killing me! I took some ibuprofen and rested for a while.

I wondered what would happen if I took the Dr. Scholl’s pads out of the shoes. It could not be any worse than it was, so I went ahead and removed them.

I left again about 1:30 and headed south again. Within a few hundred feet my tootsies – while not feeling 100% - felt great! My toes could move. My heels did not hurt. I was good to go! This is what a McGrath walking adventure should feel like.

I took the subway down to the Barberini stop and hopped off there. I wanted to see the square again and then climb the hill to get some new shots of the four fountains (Via del Quattro Fontane). Then I headed to Piazza del Repubblica and took some photos of the grand fountain and the outside of what used to be the Baths of Diocletian. There was some construction going on the Via Nazionale and then around the fountain here so I did not spend a whole lot of time loitering here.

I was not really hungry or looking for lunch so I headed down Via Nazionale towards the Vittoriano again. Then it dawned on me that I had this bus pass so I waited at a bus stop for the first bus to come by. I was headed for the Pantheon so almost every bus in the city goes close by there. Anyone care to guess what the number was of the first bus to come by? Those of you guessing the “Pickpocket Express” win the prize (bus #64)! I kept my hands on my valuables the entire trip. The 64 bus is really not that bad. Every guide book ever written urges the tourist community to either avoid the bus if they are the least bit afraid of being relieved of their belongings but if you keep your wits about you and are cognizant of those around you, one can do just fine. The 64 line is a great way to get from point A to point B because it passes so close to almost all of the more southern attractions of the city.

I got off close to the Pantheon and walked around the back of it before arriving on the piazza. I went inside determined this time to find and take a photo of Raphael’s tomb. I had a problem finding it again until I began reading the little plaques that were in front of all of the tombs. I finally found it! Now my life is complete!

After the Pantheon, I headed over to Piazza Navona and took a look around. I sat down for a beer at Tre Scalia and decided that I would have the antipasto de mare along with a bottle of water (nogaz) and two beers. It was all very good.

After the Piazza Navona experience and now that my feet were back on board for the trip, I headed down towards the Vittoriano again hoping to get some shots of the Forum from behind the Piazza del Campidoglio (another of that guy Michelangelo’s projects. I trudged up the hill and was rewarded with some rather good, afternoon shots of the place. The sun was much better for this angle than it would have been earlier so I believe that I made the correct decision.

I took some pictures and then climbed the rest of the way and went around the piazza to the southern side and took some more shots of the Forum and Palatine Hill before finally descending on the other side.

I then headed back in the direction of the hotel taking photos along the way. Since I had to go by it anyway, I stopped and took some more shots of the Trevi Fountain and then I returned to the hotel about five needing to cool off and to save the pictures. Losing my camera in Berlin certainly has had an effect on my photo paranoia.

I was thinking of going up on the hill to where I had dinner a few years ago so after resting for about an hour I headed down to the Spagna station and rode the escalators up the hill. I took the Borghese Garden exit thinking that this was the exit that I had taken in the past and began walking through the gardens. It was not very familiar to me but I kept walking anyway. I then took a right turn thinking that it would lead me close to the Corso Italia and my old hotel but when I looked again, I was headed right back into the subway exit from which I had emerged 15 minutes earlier. I was not quite certain how that had happened, but at least I was not lost anymore.

I returned down one flight of escalators and then took the Via Veneto exit which took me through what seemed like a mile of tunnel before exiting at the top of the Via Veneto.

I tried to find the restaurant where I ate last time and it is still there. However, it is now a Middle Eastern restaurant with whiny music playing throughout and the waiters were all dressed with a fez on top, so – thank you no – I will move on.

I ate dinner at a little pizzeria on the Via Veneto which was not too terribly expensive. I had the bufala mozzarella and then a funghi and prosciutto pizza along with a bottle and a half of water. I was really thirsty!

After dinner, I walked down the Via Veneto to Piazza Barberini and then I turned right and thought I was walking towards the Spanish Steps (well, I was – sort of. I just did not really know where I was going to end up) when I finally discovered that I was walking towards the Trinita dei Monti. Well, I could live with that. I took a couple of photos at the top (it was a beautiful sunset) and then headed down the steps.

I walked across the Via Condotti towards the Via del Corso and headed up towards the Piazza del Popolo taking some shots along the way.

It is now going on 10 p.m. and my shins are sore but my feet are blister free so we will have to see what tomorrow may bring. Thus far, this has been a most enjoyable trip.

Monday August 18, 2008

I was awake long before my 7 a.m. alarm this morning. I watched a little of the Fox news and then took a shower and headed down to breakfast.

I left the hotel around 9 a.m. and walked the short distance to the Spagna Metro stop and purchased another day ticket for the buses and subway. From here I headed to the Termini where I changed lines and headed south to the Coliseum to try to get in early.

There was not too much traffic on the subway at that hour and I was glad to see that.

I got off the subway and walked over to see how much of a line existed and there was none. Once past the metal detectors, there was a line for tickets but I just bypassed that since I had purchased mine yesterday and walked to the front and through the gates. Apparently that little ticket is good for the three attractions over a period of two days. That made the deal even sweeter.

The interior is still impressive. The big blocks of granite on the top of the building just make you wonder how those people put that all together at that time.

I strolled around for perhaps an hour and then walked up to St. Peter in Chains to see Michelangelo’s statue of Moses. I think the last time I saw that was in 1965 and it is still very impressive.

From here I descended through the subway stop to the ground floor and then headed up the main drag by the Forum. I was thinking of going to the museums at the old Capitol and on the way ran into the Mamertine prison so I headed down. There is a hole in the floor and then a descending staircase into the lower levels and once I threw €1 into the basket, I decided that I was really not very interested in heading down into the prison. It was hot. It was dark. It was closed in and had no idea where it led. The trifecta that make me most uncomfortable.

So I headed up the hill to the Capitol museums only to discover that they are closed on Mondays. By this time my shins were absolutely killing me. I sat down on the steps outside and just rested for about 15 minutes and then went down to catch a bus over to St. Peters. I was still trying to find those prayer beads for Bob’s wife and figured that it might be a good day to get into the Vatican Museum. Who would really want to go into a Catholic museum on a Monday?

The first bus along was the “Pickpocket Express” again so I jumped on and rode it all the way to St. Peter’s Sq. I got off there and walked (limped actually) across the square to the north side where the queue for the Museum generally starts and once again I was wrong. The line was almost curled back into St. Peters Sq! I should have known that it was going to be bad when I saw the line for the Basilica stretching around the east end of the square. Quite a number of folks out today.

I walked to the Metro stop and took the train back to Flaminio where I got off, walked down to the Piazza del Popolo and tried to find a sandwich for lunch. I figured that I would take it back to the room to eat while I cooled off and took some ibuprofen.

I stopped at the Metropolitano restaurant just up the street from the hotel and bought some kind of sandwich (I just pointed to one and that worked) and a Fanta and came up to the room to download the pictures to the computer and to eat my lunch.

This afternoon I just walked around window shopping. I was trying to find something that Chearl would like, but I cannot buy her clothes and nothing else seemed like anything that she would be interested in. So I ended up at the Piazza Navona again where I sat at the bar across the street from yesterday and had several beers and a bottle of water.

Then it was back to the hotel again. I was not feeling particularly great by this time so I just returned about 5 p.m.

I was so looking forward to having dinner at the PierLuigi restaurant where I had eaten before, so I awakened at about 5:50, got dressed again and headed out.

I had wanted to take the 117 (electric) bus south on the Via del Corso but they were all queued up at the Piazza so I figured that I could hoof it before one departed.

I walked down to the Piazza Colonna and then over to the Pantheon and over to Piazza Navona through the square to Campo de Fiori and then down Via Monserrat only to find the PierLuigi is not open on Mondays.

Geez!

I returned to almost the Spanish Steps looking for something appealing and ran across Cappricciosa which looked appealing but turned out to be less than. I had the “fruiti de mare” salad again and then spaghetti carbonara. The seafood was good. The carbonara – not so much.

So, bottom line is that it is now merely 9:05 p.m. I tried to call Chearl a second ago to no avail. Perhaps I will try again later.

I have been trying to figure out what time I need to get to the airport tomorrow and then backing up to the time that I need to leave the hotel. I think I need to be at the airport by 8:30 so I guess I need to leave the hotel here by about 7:30. I hope that everything works out well tomorrow. While Rome is a neat city, it is time for me to go home and get back to work. We shall see what tomorrow brings.

Tuesday August 19, 2008

I got up and showered and packed my stuff trying to get out of the hotel early. I was going to go down to the restaurant and get a cup of coffee but then decided against that.

I lugged my stuff down on the elevator and checked out and then walked to the Piazza del Popolo to find a cab to take me to the Termini station where I was going to get the train back to the airport.

When I got to the train station, I thought that I would be able to use one of the self-ticketing kiosks to get my ticket to the airport (like in the Metro) but when I tried, there did not appear to be a language selection and everything I tried to understand in Italian just did not work.

I returned to the queues in the terminal and got in line to speak with a ticketeer. I bought a ticket for €11 and then had only a few minutes to get the 7:52 train (or something like that). I walked towards the front of the train and got onto the first car where there were very few people and just waited a couple of minutes for it to depart.

We arrived at the airport and then I remembered that I needed to cross over the bridge to the terminal and check in was right inside the doors. NOT ANYMORE!

The American carriers are now situated in a “Terminal T5” which is somewhere on the grounds of the airport, but I would be hard-pressed to point it out if anyone were to ask. To get there, you need to take a shuttle bus. Allrighteethen! So I waited for the next shuttle with about a thousand of my new close personal friends and we headed towards this mythical departure point swaying all the way.

You enter this Quonset hut and they check your passport against the flight lists to see if you are valid. Once through this hoop, you queue up again to go through the security checkpoint and then there is another queue for the “Passport Control”. After you pass through this bottleneck you stand in line for – anyone care to guess here?? – another shuttle to take you pretty much back to where you first started this adventure.

You get dropped off on the tarmac level of the satellite terminal where all the flights used to leave anyway. Now you have to manhandle your luggage up either several flights of steps or an escalator arriving in the departure area of the satellite building.

I found a seat close to the gate (29) and just sat and waited for the flight to be called.

I was paged and went up to the desk and got my boarding pass. I am in seat 2E for the flight home. Not too bad. There was a woman with what seemed like 25 of her friends that was jockeying for position and when she heard her name called, she made a rather rude dash to be certain that she got her passes. Like it would make a difference if she were not so rude.

Anyhow, as I went down the escalator to the plane all of a sudden everything stopped. No movement. Just another line. For what? Another shuttle bus to take you from this gate to the airplane that was parked somewhere in Tuscany I believe.

The reason that I mention this is that it seems that no matter if you take a shower and start the day fresh and smelling nice, the folks in Rome seem to go out of their way to make absolutely certain that by the time you board whatever plane might be taking you around the world, that you end up sweaty and smelly and leave the city as you would be if you were still standing downtown in the sunshine.

We finally were dropped off by the stairs to the plane and I got on and situated. The cabs, trains, shuttles finally deposited me where I was supposed to be for the long flight home.

The flight back was some 10 ½ hours long. It was not too bad, but it DID seem to just grind along towards the end.

I was first off the plane and hustled through immigration and then got trapped by some sort of “Agriculture Survey” where a guy puts on gloves and ruffles through your bag just to make certain that you are not carrying any animals or plants or vegetables.

Then it was back through the security line (I HATE THAT CONCEPT!) and then back to my car.

This trip was really, really fun. It was a lot of walking but the photos turned out quite good and that was what I was wanting. I had a great time. It was HOT, muggy and more crowded than I would have liked, but I guess that is what makes the experience what it is.

When and if the chance ever presents itself again, I will certainly be on a plane back there.