After an uneventful journey from HK to London, some time at Heathrow and then London to Rome, I finally arrived at my accom at 11:30pm Rome time which was something like 5:30am my body clock time and was feeling on another planet!!
When I woke and could assess my surroundings a little better I was in not a hostel but an ex-convent with all women (mostly older) that was very clean, comfortable and quiet. It wasn’t your normal hostel experience but it was an experience!! It was in a good part of the city that was a walkable distance to everything.
After pulling myself together with a proper shower, breakfast and a proper coffee!!, and despite the drizzle, I dragged myself out to see some sights on the way to getting a mobile phone for my stay in Italy.
I saw Piazza Navona with the big central fountain covered up for restoration work and then the Pantheon. Who puts a McDonalds in one of the beautiful old shop fronts next to the Pantheon...they get into every nook and cranny, it’s disgusting!!! 
Then with a late lunch of ‘una salume e provolone pizza’ (not the pizza we know but flat pizza bread used to make a sandwich) and a drink, I sat by Trevi Fountain and took it and all that was happening around me in. There were lots and lots of tourists and I think they were more interesting than the fountain...haha!!
Eventually I made it to the main shopping street which I had been sent in the direction of when I had asked where best to find a mobile phone shop. After wandering for a long time through many streets of very flash looking shops and stumbling upon a few other sights like the Spanish Steps, I found the Vodafone shop. After much waiting in line and attempting a little Italian, I now have a “telefonino” as the Italians call them but it is VERY confusing when Vodafone sends me automatic messages in Italian!! haha
So for those of you who want to text message, or even call me I guess but it will cost you lots, my phone number for you is +39 3405 670 465.
And I actually have a cool phone now rather than the little piece of hopeless plastic I had at home in Melbourne.
Day 2 was a day for the Vatican City. I decided to follow a tour outlined in my Lonely Planet which was great. I started at some castle...still not sure whose...ha!! Im sure many of you who have already been to Rome are yelling at your computer screens the answer right now!
I then walked up Via della Conciliazione, along with all the other tourists, to Piazza San Pietro. WOW...what a space!! Even more confronting with the queue to get into St Peter’s Basilica running almost around the complete perimeter!!
Once again, the other tourists in the line and around me were (for most of the time) more interesting than the buildings themselves. Well considering I was there, but thankfully moving steadily, for an hour, I had time to study those in front of me in the line...Im still not sure what possessed the guy in front of me to think he had a good haircut because he definitely thought he was pretty cool!!
Yep, a blonde curly mullet that was super short on the sides!!
And then once inside the basilica and looking around, I started to wonder if I was being followed by blonde mullets...or is it the flavour of the month in other countries?!?
But what an amazing building and space St Peter’s Basilica is. So much marble and sculpture and gold and fantastic paintings...oh, and MORE tourists!!
Oh, and by the way, of course I am not counted as a tourist!! Haha
After equal time to that queuing in there, I felt overwhelmed and knew it was time to leave. My book walking tour then directed me to a great local eatery where I feasted on antipasti misti served by the owner, with a beer of course.
And my great victory for the day was then talking in broken Italian and a little English to the 2 local men sitting at the table next to me about a variety of things. The way that got started was them offering to take the above photo for me.
With VERY full belly, I headed to the Vatican Museums to find that the Sistine Chapel (what I wanted to see most) was closed and so I figured even though the rest were open better to come back when I return to Rome.
So plan B was to head to the Colosseum. I caught the train there and once there I ended up getting roped into paying extra to do an English speaking tour but at the same time jumping the queue to get in. In the end this was a great idea as we also got a free tour of Palatine Hill with a great tour guide.
The most amusing and annoying thing about the few hours I had with this tour group was the older American couple with their grown son, all seen here in this photo with their matching orange Yves Saint Laurent Polo T-shirts!! I guess they had dressed this way so that they didn’t lose each other in a crowd, but let me tell you there was no risk of that!!
My lowest part of the day was being given a €50 fine for being on the bus with no ticket!! No matter how many tears I shed or how much I played the poor innocent Aussie girl who couldn’t understand Italian, they wouldn’t give. But I honestly didn’t know...but to cut a long story short, I paid it there and then and then a nice German man from my tour who was also on the bus with me and his family and had been let off, gave me €15 as they had been so lucky!!
Dinner that night was a quiet one by myself at a local restaurant.
I had a fantastic plate of Spaghetti con frutti di mare and a half cask of wine and salad...oh and this is only a ‘Primi Piatti’ serve (€7), or a first course serve when traditionally after this Italians have a meat course , followed be dessert!!
After my final night in my convent hostel I headed to the airport for my flight to Sicily. One last thing in Rome that caught my eye and was a classic Italian touch, to be showey and have only the best...
The regular waiting chairs were made of leather!!
Ci vediamo
Jo xox
When I woke and could assess my surroundings a little better I was in not a hostel but an ex-convent with all women (mostly older) that was very clean, comfortable and quiet. It wasn’t your normal hostel experience but it was an experience!! It was in a good part of the city that was a walkable distance to everything.
After pulling myself together with a proper shower, breakfast and a proper coffee!!, and despite the drizzle, I dragged myself out to see some sights on the way to getting a mobile phone for my stay in Italy.
I saw Piazza Navona with the big central fountain covered up for restoration work and then the Pantheon. Who puts a McDonalds in one of the beautiful old shop fronts next to the Pantheon...they get into every nook and cranny, it’s disgusting!!!
Then with a late lunch of ‘una salume e provolone pizza’ (not the pizza we know but flat pizza bread used to make a sandwich) and a drink, I sat by Trevi Fountain and took it and all that was happening around me in. There were lots and lots of tourists and I think they were more interesting than the fountain...haha!!
Eventually I made it to the main shopping street which I had been sent in the direction of when I had asked where best to find a mobile phone shop. After wandering for a long time through many streets of very flash looking shops and stumbling upon a few other sights like the Spanish Steps, I found the Vodafone shop. After much waiting in line and attempting a little Italian, I now have a “telefonino” as the Italians call them but it is VERY confusing when Vodafone sends me automatic messages in Italian!! haha
So for those of you who want to text message, or even call me I guess but it will cost you lots, my phone number for you is +39 3405 670 465.
And I actually have a cool phone now rather than the little piece of hopeless plastic I had at home in Melbourne.
Day 2 was a day for the Vatican City. I decided to follow a tour outlined in my Lonely Planet which was great. I started at some castle...still not sure whose...ha!! Im sure many of you who have already been to Rome are yelling at your computer screens the answer right now!
I then walked up Via della Conciliazione, along with all the other tourists, to Piazza San Pietro. WOW...what a space!! Even more confronting with the queue to get into St Peter’s Basilica running almost around the complete perimeter!!
Once again, the other tourists in the line and around me were (for most of the time) more interesting than the buildings themselves. Well considering I was there, but thankfully moving steadily, for an hour, I had time to study those in front of me in the line...Im still not sure what possessed the guy in front of me to think he had a good haircut because he definitely thought he was pretty cool!!
Yep, a blonde curly mullet that was super short on the sides!!
And then once inside the basilica and looking around, I started to wonder if I was being followed by blonde mullets...or is it the flavour of the month in other countries?!?
But what an amazing building and space St Peter’s Basilica is. So much marble and sculpture and gold and fantastic paintings...oh, and MORE tourists!!
Oh, and by the way, of course I am not counted as a tourist!! Haha
After equal time to that queuing in there, I felt overwhelmed and knew it was time to leave. My book walking tour then directed me to a great local eatery where I feasted on antipasti misti served by the owner, with a beer of course.
And my great victory for the day was then talking in broken Italian and a little English to the 2 local men sitting at the table next to me about a variety of things. The way that got started was them offering to take the above photo for me.
With VERY full belly, I headed to the Vatican Museums to find that the Sistine Chapel (what I wanted to see most) was closed and so I figured even though the rest were open better to come back when I return to Rome.
So plan B was to head to the Colosseum. I caught the train there and once there I ended up getting roped into paying extra to do an English speaking tour but at the same time jumping the queue to get in. In the end this was a great idea as we also got a free tour of Palatine Hill with a great tour guide.
The most amusing and annoying thing about the few hours I had with this tour group was the older American couple with their grown son, all seen here in this photo with their matching orange Yves Saint Laurent Polo T-shirts!! I guess they had dressed this way so that they didn’t lose each other in a crowd, but let me tell you there was no risk of that!!
My lowest part of the day was being given a €50 fine for being on the bus with no ticket!! No matter how many tears I shed or how much I played the poor innocent Aussie girl who couldn’t understand Italian, they wouldn’t give. But I honestly didn’t know...but to cut a long story short, I paid it there and then and then a nice German man from my tour who was also on the bus with me and his family and had been let off, gave me €15 as they had been so lucky!!
Dinner that night was a quiet one by myself at a local restaurant.
I had a fantastic plate of Spaghetti con frutti di mare and a half cask of wine and salad...oh and this is only a ‘Primi Piatti’ serve (€7), or a first course serve when traditionally after this Italians have a meat course , followed be dessert!!
After my final night in my convent hostel I headed to the airport for my flight to Sicily. One last thing in Rome that caught my eye and was a classic Italian touch, to be showey and have only the best...
The regular waiting chairs were made of leather!!
Ci vediamo
Jo xox
2 comments:
Everytime I've been to the Vatican (too many!) the Sistine Chapel has been closed. Bastards!And I bet you thought it was me yelling out the name of that Castle but I'm just as clueless as you are. Enjoy the food for me.
xxx
I hope it is open when I return to Rome...wont be very happy if not!!
I might just go and have a gelati for you now!! ;-)
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