So on Thursday morning, we wake up after 2 and a half hours sleep (or zero hours sleep for Juan) to head the airport. Needless to say, everyone was a little tired and cranky.
But things were not to improve. So in order not to bore you in the retelling of what was a very long and painful morning, let me give you a numbered overview:
1. We called for a 5 seater cab, but it wouldn’t take us with all our luggage. Nor could we get a bigger one. So we had to get two cabs.
2. There was a misunderstanding about how far away the airport was, so by the time we got there, the fare in each cab was between 80 – 90 Euro. Eeek!!
3. Due to this unexpectedly expensive trip, we didn’t have enough cash on us, and Carlos and I had to run like crazy people into the aiport to find an ATM to get more money, while the others stayed as hostages with one very nice, and one very cranky cab driver (taxis over here don’t take cards like they do in Australia).
4. Then, we get on the plane, and I’m stuck with a middle seat – which I hate! Although Colin very nicely provided me with earplugs to drown out the noise of the two screaming children seated directly behind us.
5. We finally land, absolutely destroyed from our lack of sleep, and the screaming children, and we get on a crowded train to head into central Rome. We’re doing okay, until we get off the first train and have to change onto another one. This is when we discover Roman Railway hell.
6. We walk up stairs. A lot of stairs. With ALL our baggage. There are apparently no elevators. Then we walk down some winding corridors. Then more stairs. More corridors. More stairs. More corridors. “oh look! There’s the ticket machine!” Nope. More stairs. More corridors. And these are not nice, even, healthy staircases - they are broken, uneven, different sizes and highly dangerous. Finally, after 40 minutes walking up and around in a train station, we find the right platform. Not happy Jan!
7. Meanwhile we spend most of this time bitching at each other (due to our tired, cranky state). Carlos and Elli are fighting over who’s bad idea it was not to catch a cab from the first train station, and meanwhile I say to Elli, “I bet we get to the hotel and I don’t even have a bed. I can just see it!” Elli very firmly denies this, “No way dude. I ABSOLUTELY saw the photo, and confirmed, we have a double room for me and Carlos, and a triple room with three beds for you, Colin and Juan.” I am not convinced, but she holds her ground.
8. Meanwhile, our actual stop is only a few minutes away, and when we get out at the station we are hot, sweaty, exhausted, and Elli and I can barely lift our arms after the effort of carrying 20+ kilo suitcases up so many stairs. But the saving grace? We walk straight out of the train station into the Piaza Spagna, the home of the Spanish Steps. It is absolutely beautiful. It looks exactly how I was expecting Italy to look, and our hotel (or ‘residenzia’) is only a block away in the beautiful Via Frattina. I fall completely and immediately in love.
9. However just to finish our trip, we get to the hotel and find they have put Colin, Juan and I in a room with only 2 beds! And Elli and Carlos in a room with two single beds! We had to laugh. But Elli and Carlos kindly swapped around and we did some separating of beds so that the problems were basically solved. Although it means Carlos and Elli got stuck in a room with me again – no private time for them in this city of romance!
Meanwhile…. Off to expore!
No comments:
Post a Comment