Italy as it Happened...Day 13

Italy as it Happened...Day 13

Monday, April 22nd

One word comes to mind to describe today...WET! Man oh man did it pour; all day. The rain started trickling down when we woke up and continued on until we turned the lights out at bedtime. Some of it was soft drizzling and at other times, the heavens opened up on all of Rome. And of course this was the day we booked a walking tour of Ancient Rome. Yes, you heard me correct; a walking tour. How this works is simple. You give people your money and they walk you around telling you all about whatever it is you are looking at. This "3+ hour" event started at the Coliseum. The tour did get us past the long lines at the ticket window. The rest of the tour was a waste of money, as far as I'm concerned. We ended up following the tour to a couple of places that Kerry and I had already visited on our own (the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain). But what can you do? More on that later. First, lets talk about how the day started for us.

The day began with us arriving at the meeting spot 90 minutes early. We wanted to make sure we didn't get lost and miss the tour. Once we found what we believed to be the tour meeting spot, we decided to go and find somewhere to have a bite to eat. The tour didn't start until 1:30 pm giving us over an hour to find some lunch. We took the metro back a station or two, landing us in one of those perfect Italian neighborhoods. We walked down a quiet street and asked an elderly man if he knew of a restaurant nearby. With pride he walked us to the corner and pointed to a small mom and pop restaurant. He didn't speak a word of English but that didn't matter. We spoke the universal language; FOOD. The lady who ran the place told us to wait 15 minutes so they could get set up for us. Obviously they weren't opened yet. Once they were ready her husband came to get us and with a big smile, he ushered us to a nice table by the window.

After showing us the menu, we decided to go for the 4 course option. We asked him (in a combination of Italian, Spanish and French) to select the courses for us and to make sure we both got different selections for each course. This way we could sample each other's plates, expanding our tasting experience. He knew exactly what we were talking about. Once our yummy meal was consumed we headed back to the metro so we could meet up with our tour group at the Coliseum station, two stops up the line.

Our instructions were to meet the group at the Coliseum metro station (behind the news stand). It took us a while to figure out what Italians call a news stand, but eventually, we hooked up with our tour group. This was when they told us they required more money. Say What?  Apparently the tour price did not include the entrance fee into the Coliseum. I was not impressed (grumble grumble grumble as I handed over more euros). Yea, I know...TOURIST! As soon as all were in attendance, we headed across the street and entered into the Coliseum. Standing beneath the massive archways did give us a brief escape from the rain. Both Kerry and I were wearing our water proof Bumble Bee jackets, with hoods (we also had umbrellas with us - they were well used by the end of the day).

Once in the Coliseum we were given an in depth lecture on what we were looking at and the history behind it. Once we walked around for an hour we headed over to the Forum (a 6 or 7 block hike). From there we went to the Pantheon (home of Rafael's tomb), a Basilica and an ancient marketplace. There was a lot of historical facts being thrown at us by our tour guide during the entire tour. Eventually I started questioning her historical accuracy. She constantly reminded us of how wonderful the Romans were and I simply attributed that to pride. Hey, I'm a proud Canadian and will wave my flag (the Maple Leaf) whenever given the opportunity. But this guide was going a little too far. She started telling us about how the Roman people were never into colonization. What! Excuse me! Isn't there a Roman built wall in Scotland? (the answer is yes...Kerry and I have been there to see it). Didn't the Roman empire completely surround the Mediterranean Sea? Yupp! And what about Jerusalem! I guess Rome was just passing through when they crucified Jesus! Don't get me started...For Kerry, the irritation was the heavy accent, which made understanding the guide almost impossible.

 

This guide was teaching us from her own text book of Roman history. That was when Kerry and I (and another couple) started wandering off on our own, for photo ops. As we noticed the tour moving down the street we would catch up with them and follow like a sheep to the next stop. That was how we finished off our Walking Tour of Ancient Rome.

 

When the tour ended we started looking for a metro station nearby. There were none to be found. When we asked some locals how to get to the metro, they told us to wait on that corner (pointing across the street) and said we should take the number 41 or 92 bus. It will drop us off at the main train station, where we could jump on the "A" line back home. We waited 30 minutes (in the rain) watching all of the other bus numbers come by and stop to let off and on passengers. Finally, our bus arrived. Seriously, as soon as the door opened a flood of people made a mass exodus while a separate mass (in greater number) filled every possible space on board. Kerry and I just watched with dropped jaws. One guy, at the back door had his face pushed up against the glass so tightly I could almost count the fillings in his teeth. I don't like confined spaces and started feeling a little sweaty about the thought of boarding (or at least trying to). I looked at Kerry and she knew what I was thinking...she was thinking the same thing. "Let's walk," we both laughed. It was a great walk, rain and all. It took us another hour to find a metro but that was okay. It was an enjoyable walk and especially enjoyable metro ride back home, crowds and all.

By time we were ready for some dinner it was 8:00 pm. There were two French guys staying at the apartment. Now, being raised on Montreal, Quebec, I could tell these guys were from Quebec as well. When I told them (in French) that I lived in Montreal for over 25 years, I was immediately recognized as being an Anglophone (English Quebec'er). There seemed to be no love lost between us and that's okay. Not only am I on vacation, I am also now an American so they could take that Quebecois hostility and ... never mind; I getting off track.

When Kerry and were ready to cook some dinner, our apartment mates just entered the kitchen and began preparing their own meal. Kerry suggested that we go out and I agreed. We ended up two blocks away at a Chinese restaurant. I remembered being in Rome a decade ago (on a business trip) and having the best Chinese food ever. Kerry had heard that story a million times and thought trying Chinese (in Rome) sounded fun. It was an amazing way to finish off the day.  

After we slowly walked back home and entered the apartment, our friend (not) was cleaning up his dishes. Looking at me with a smile he asked me in French, "Did you go out to eat?" I replied (in English), "Absolutely!" And with that Kerry and I turned in for the night. We had another walking tour scheduled for tomorrow and the weather man says there is a 50% chance of rain. We're seasoned...Bring it!