Day 8 Rome

April 3, 2010 Saturday 
We arrived at Rome’s train station (Termini) around 10:30 a.m. This place was even more confusing than Paris’s central station. I was already nervous after hearing ominous warnings from our train mates. Once again, it was difficult to find information or directional signs in English. The central area was filled with large Armani ads featuring Ronaldo and Megan Fox. Hmm, not feeling the good karma from her. Ronaldo, another story…

At the suggestion of the French couple before our departure, we bought a Roma Pass from one of the newspaper stands. It cost 25 € Euros each. The pass would allow us 3 days of transportation via bus or Metro. It was very hot outside, low 70s. We could not find an information center so we decided to grab something to eat at the Termini. Inside there was a deli where we ordered panini and I asked for a cup of coffee. I was served a teeny, tiny cup of coffee — which looked like two spoonfuls of espresso. I looked at the woman standing next to me holding a full cup of coffee with cream and motioned her direction. “I wanted what she’s having.” The barista gave me a disgusted look and said I could add milk to the tiny cup. Then I offered to pay more — just please give me the bigger cup of coffee. She finally made a new cup and said, “That (tiny cup) was coffee. Next time order a CAPPUCCINO.” Nice customer service … good to know. But I have to admit, it was the BEST cappuccino I’ve ever had.
It took us forever to find the information center. We dragged our heavy bags around the station until we found the Roma Pass center. We were told to find bus stop 360 and take the bus to Muse. This was easier said than done. The bus system in Rome is ridiculous. The maps are indecipherable and the wait is unbearably long. If you missed a bus (which we often did), it was another 25-30 minutes before another bus came along. We finally found our stop and waited in the heat. By the time we were dropped off and walked to the hotel — which was located in a seedy part of Rome — I was praying for a decent hotel. Thankfully, it was nice inside and the concierge (like the others) were friendly and helpful. Our room was bigger than the one in Paris and the bathroom even had a bidet. The best part of Delle Muse Hotel was free wifi! After a week of going without technology, it was nice to send messages home via iPod Touch.

We rested, showered and planned our evening. Once again, we were warned about pickpockets and told to use the safe in our room for valuables. The hotel key had a similar function of turning on the electricity/lights and had to be turned in before we left the hotel. This added to my paranoia about the safety in Rome. After we settled in, I didn’t want to waste our first sunny day. We headed out to find Fontana di Trevi. On the bus, I befriended an old Filipino man who directed and walked us to the correct bus stops. Fernando was a time- and life-saver.

We walked a bit before finding Trevi fountain. It is nestled among a plethora of souvenir stores, pizzerias and gelato shops. The fountain was buzzing and packed with tourists. After Trevi, we decided to eat at one of the nearby pizzerias. One of the waiters stopped and flirted with Beau until we sat down to eat.
It was really nice to sit outside and leisurely eat. One thing I noticed about restuarants in London, Paris and Rome, they never rush you along. In fact, I always had to ask for the bill or else we would be sitting there all day.

We stopped for gelato after and walked towards the Piazza di Spagna. 

There is a street before the Spanish Steps which is lined with all the expensive, designer boutiques: Prada, Armani, La Perla … it’s endless.
It was starting to get dark and colder so we tried to figure out the bus system back to the hotel. The buses are confusing. We ended up riding an additional hour, looping the same stops until we were back at Termini. We were beat by the time we reached our hotel, two hours later.
We found comfort by having a late meal at the hotel, which was surprisingly good. They served bread and complimentary glasses of champagne before you ordered. Beau had the vegetable buffet and we shared a plate of Spaghetti Bolognese. It was close to 10 p.m. I ended the night with cups of cappuccino. 
Photos: Ren Reiske © All Rights Reserved.