Our trip is quickly coming to an end and I think clinical depression is setting in. It's not that I don't want to come home ... Well actually thats exactly what it is. I miss family and friends and some foods and of course my own language and culture. But we've grown accustomed to another way of life. Public transportation that just works, a population who doesn't feel the need to keep up with the Jones and the lack of rude, fat, annoying Americans.
Anyway, up this AM in our swanky hotel in Orvieto (Palazzo Piccolomini) then grabbed a bus from the top of the mountain down to the train station. Hard to describe Orvieto without a picture so I won't really try. Check out this site (http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/italy/01orvieto.htm) and just picture a sweet medieval town, towers and all, perched up on a giant rocky plateau (think AYERS ROCK). At the train station we met a couple who had been pickpocketed in Rome at the termini train station. Holy awful batman!
Arrived Rome about 11 AM, checked in to our hotel (Piemonte Hotel) and then decide to grab some souvenirs. Made our way to the Vatican where we saw about a million people milling about and standing in lines. The line to get in to the basilica must have been 3 hours long. I guess the tourist season is rolling full steam ahead! We found the post office, bought a couple things, perused 'religious souvenir row' which was lined with about 100 shops selling anything and everything plastered with images of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict (16th???). Found a store selling a yummy candy called bacio (one of my favorite gelato favors!) so we snagged a couple for a quick treat :)
A little after 3 we went to the Capuchin Crypts (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capuchin_Crypt). This place was super cool but super creepy as well. Apparently some monks had to move to a smaller place and wanted to bring all their pals with them. So they dug everyone up (must be hundreds of people) and then used all the bones to decorate the underground crypt. The bones are arranged in cool patterns like flowers and swirls and crosses. A couple hour glasses and some other unusual designs as well. I think visiting on Oct 31st would be a great Halloween treat!
Went over to the Trastevere neighborhood and wandered around a bit. We had an audio walking tour from Rick Steves that helped guide us around. The neighborhood was really nice and heaps of charm. Looked in a couple ancient churches and then found a grand place to eat. We bought a bottle of wine a few day ago and decided we should drink it tonight in our room which meant no wine at dinner. Carolyn had some pesto gnocchi and I had a Gorgonzola penne dish. Extra yummy! We met an older Dutch couple who if you can believe it, had just biked to Rome all the way from holland! Took them 2 weeks. Chatted with them and then made our way home.
At the train stop we saw 2 guys who looked a bit lost. We offered some help and found out one of them was trying I get to the airport. After explaining all the stops he would need the guy asked us how long we'd been in rome. When we said 2 days he replied: 'and you already know how to navigate the metro system!' we explained that we already spent a week here so that's our secret sauce. Felt good to help another traveller in need. Incidentally the guy was from Afghanistan but lives in Germany. Crazy world.
Our previous plan was discarded when we decided gelato was more important than wine. So we had our second serving, then walked over to the Trevi Fountain. Took some pics, admired the fountain and then headed home. We took a bus and almost had front row seats to a ghetto UFC match. An older Italian couple sitting in the last row woke up abruptly and realized they'd lost something. I don't know for sure cause they didn't speak English but their mannerisms told the tale. Anyway the guy must have accidentally (I assume) pulled the hair of the lady in front of him. The husband of this lady begins to puff his chest out and tells us he's going to 'smack 'im!' They're American of course. So this guy stands up and you can just feel the tension building. The old guy has no clue what's going on (he's more concerned with whatever it is he lost). The situation doesn't look good and I'm a heartbeat away from moving Carolyn out of the area. The guys wife tries to get off the bus but the husband says no. He states his intent on smacking the older guy. Luckily the situation doesn't escalate but when the bus gets to the last stop he gets in the old dudes face and says (in Anglo-ized italian): 'Please suck my _________' feel free to insert whatever you like in the blank. I heard him say it but after we all got off the bus he runs up to his wife (who smartly ran away from the scene) and screams what he just told the older guy. So as if it weren't bad enough the first time he said it on the bus, he had to let everyone else know as well. What a turd. Seriously there's just no reason to let anger get the best of you. He's the reason Americans have a bad rap.
Anyway, tomorrow we're hitting up the Borghese Gallery (http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edefault.htm) for some amazing art!!!! Can't believe it's already our last day.
Pics:
1) Trastevere Piazza.
2) Trevi Fountain at night.
3) Mrs Blue in the Pantheon.
4) St Peters Basilica.
5) Carolyn in St Peters Square.
6) Pantheon at night.
7) St Cecelia statue inside the church of St Cecelia.
8) View of Orvieto from below. The large hill / mountain in back is the town.
9) Us at the Trevi Fountain.
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