ROME

Our journey to Rome was pretty uneventful – the usual reading, napping, and snacking with a population of others rotating about us as we stopped in Bologna, Florence, and other not-now-remembered places. We almost got left behind, however, due to the following circumstances.  We had purchased our tickets the day before in the train station. The ticket clearly stated that our train would leave at 12:28 from platform 5 with a destination of Rome Termini. We arrived in plenty of time, saw that info mounted on the departure board, and settled close by platform 5 to await the arrival of our train. By 12:15 it hadn't pulled in. I went back to recheck the board: the earlier info had simply disappeared. There was no longer any mention of a train to Rome at 12:28. Luckily the fellow manning the Tranitalia info kiosk did not have a line of eager questioners before him. What’s happening? I breathlessly asked him. He checked our ticket. Oh, you are now to be on the train that ends in Naples; it leaves in about ten minutes from platform 3. Wow. We grabbed our suitcases, backpacks, purses, food carriers and ran for all we were worth the full length of the train, down to our lowly economy slot, and just made it. Much relief to be settled and on our way.

The hotel I had booked was but a half a block from the Termini but despite an address, it was not in any way marked. Like many of these little hotels in the terminal area, they consist of one floor of a former apartment building. One ascends to the designated floor via a miniscule and most ancient elevator. A kindly Asian fellow in one of the adjoining shops took us to number 13 Marghera – the correct address. There was no sign of Marghera House, however. We began a floor by floor search, asking whomever we encountered about the hotel. We were directed to the right spot but at the door was placed a sign that the greeter would be absent for 30 minutes. We waited. He returned about 10 minutes later, checked us in, telling us that the rooms at that location were filled but that he would take us to the one allotted to us next door. “Next door” meant about five blocks away. We followed his quick passage there through spotty rain showers. A set of three keys took us through the vast front entrance, the doorway to the three-room apartment owned or leased by Marghera House, and into our own new home-away-from-home. The room is about half the size of that in Venice but has the following conveniences: two single beds – rather narrow but with the comfort of no sudden kicks in the night; a sink; a rather dubious-looking shower; and in the hallway of the apartment, a frig and a kettle. There is a common washroom with sink, shower/bath, and toilet.

It was late afternoon by the time we got in but there was time to go out for some local exploration and the purchase of food stuffs. The presence ofperiodic rain showers necessitated another conversation about the conditions under which I could allow Billie to join me in this ramble. OK, she would take the umbrella and I would wear one of the Dollarama rain ponchos that I had brought along. Off we went to the terminal, a mall that I know well from previous visits. It has numerous high end stores but also lots of fast and slow food out-lets, an enormous book store with rows of English books, and two grocery stores. We had some supper – pizza for Billie and a McDonald’s bacon burger for me – pure health. At the grocery store we bought juice, yogurt, water, biscuits, bananas, and milk. My new temporary Visa card that had been delivered to Marghera House the day before (the lords and ladies above only know how the courier might have found the place!) actually worked at the check-out – though it has not worked since. Luckily the money provided in Venice is still holding out and will most likely get us through to our return trip on Sunday. After all of this excitement Billie and I retreated to the full enjoyment of our new place. 

The next day it was bright and sunny without. We left “home” close to noon-hour and walked about for nearly six hours: to the Trevi fountain, found through the kindness of many strangers. Pictures – not good ones—taken of us both throwing the coins over our shoulders into the fountain to ensure our returns to Rome; de rigeur Trevi gelato; onward to the Pantheon. The original building was erected in the 1^st century by Marcus Agrippa; when it was destroyed about a century later the current emperor built the one that still stands in that spot. It was to house the gods of Rome. When Christianity ruled it became a church. Now it is a museum, open to all who wish to go through its enormous portals and walk around its vast circumference to mark the many notables buried therein. Billie and I sat on pews close to the front and quietly chatted for some time about various things.

We made our way then over to the Piazza Navone, a spot I well remember visiting with Emily and Theo in turn. We sat for awhile in front of one of the three large fountains in the piazza, entranced by the figure of a woman’s head. From her mouth came a steady steam of water, looking for all the world despite her lovely smile, as if she was sicking-up. On to the broad Via Victor Emmanule, crossing the Tiber, and our first viewing of St Peter’s basilica. The line to enter was long and in the direct sun so we took a pass. I hope that we will be able on one of our subsequent days to go through the Vatican museum with its Sistine chapel and thence directly into the basilica.

I had already decided to splurge on seats on one of the hop-on, hop-off buses that would give us the overview of Rome that I wanted, plus let us get off at places to be explored without quite so much shoe leather involved. We got a combined pass for both lines of that particular company which also allowed us to begin with it at once and to use it all day today. We went over the bridge in from of the fortress of Saint Angelo and waited about 20 minutes for our ride. Up high about the crowd we were driven through a huge swath of Rome and deposited at the terminal, ready for our supper and our room. We are now about to leave for our full day of advantaged ridership.

A full report promised.

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