Roma=Love of my life-the scammers! DAY 1
So, I know I am going a little bit backwards, but the weekend in Rome is more fresh in my mind and I want to make sure that I give you full details :-).
I am going to start with Friday night. Stephanie, Theresa, Heather, Lupita, Jennifer and I (all girls on the program), left for Centrale F.S. station (I still haven't figured out what the F.S. stands for) to get on an overnight train to Rome. Rome is about 6 hours away from Milan so we figured we were playing it smart by getting the overnight train so we could sleep through the night and be rested and ready for the day in Rome. Boooooooy were we WRONG. The train ticket's were the cheapest we could find being that it was a long train (they have fast trains that get to Rome in 3 hours) and overnight. These tickets cost about 32 Euro--which is practically impossible to get.. so we were pretty happy. We got onto the trains and each car had compartments with six seats (three and three facing eachother) in each room and one hallway outside of the door. The train reminded me of the scene in Harry Potter when they are going to Hogwarts, except those trains were much nicer. So all six of us were split up into pairs in different compartments (but we were all on the same carriage). Stephanie and I sat down in the train and we quickly realized that these trains weren't air conditioned...... YEAH most of Europe isn't air conditioned but I had somewhat assumed that because it was a 6 hour + train ride, they would have given us one of the air conditioned trains... boy was I wrong. Luckily, there were only four of us in the compartment and we kept the window open. Now, I don't know how hot it is back in the U.S. right now, but the heat (specifically on Friday) was UNBEARABLE. It's dry heat so not really humid but its so hotttt. The train had to be at least 105+ degrees.
The train ride itself was probably the worst part of the trip. It was like a slow form of torture. The other thing I didn't realize about it was that it practically makes stops every half hour the whole way there and picks up additional people who come take any empty seats. By three in the morning, two big, fat (and SUPER SMELLY) Italian dudes came and sat down next to me. That meant no more laying my head on the seat next to mine. I was in and out of sleep, getting all stuffy from the humidity in the room and drooling on myself (attractive right?). But after these dudes got in our car, it got worse. The guy that sat next to the window, CLOSED THE WINDOW. It was literally like a sauna in the room for the next two hours. Finally though, we got off the stop at "Roma Turbintina" at 4.50 in the morning.
We went to the metro to buy a ticket towards our hotels and all decided that we wanted to watch the sunrise on the Spanish Steps. This was probably one of the BEST IDEAS we had all weekend. When we got off the metro and emerged into the piazza, I immediately smiled. The ground was made of cobblestones and all the buildings were EXACTLY what I had pictured Italy to be like in my head. Milan is a very industrial/modern city as most of it had been destroyed in WW2 so it doesn't look anything like what I imagined Italy to be, Rome on the other hand.. was PERFECT. We walked up the piazza to the Spanish steps, which were completely EMPTY (which never happens because it is one of the biggest tourist spots in all of Rome). It was probably about 6 AM and it was BEAUTIFUL. I'm telling you, that is the time you really have to see all the touristy stuff. Early. Before anyone is awake. It's peaceful and beautiful and relaxing. Way different than it is about 3 hours later.
After spending about an hour on the Spanish steps and snapping lots of photos (some of us decided to take little cat naps) we decided to search for somewhere that was open for breakfast. The streets in Rome and Italy in general are a little more confusing than in the U.S. They aren't really on a grid system and they kinda just build the streets where and how they want, with circles and piazzas and all kinds of stuff. So my method (which for the most part has worked so far) is to either read a map and try and figure it out or start walking like I know where I am going in one direction until I find something I might recognize. Both of these strategies have served me fairly well on the trip so far and somehow, I end up being the one leading the group. I don't mind it, but I also don't always make the right choice in direction. It's sort of a live and learn process.
We found this cute little shop a few streets away from the Spanish steps that sold bowls of fresh fruit, crossiants with chocolate and freshly made (like ground in front of your face) orange juice. It was awesome and fairly cheap. So we sat outside at a table and ate our food and tried to figure out a game plan for the morning at least. Stephanie and I were staying in a small bed and breakfast by the Trevi Fountain called 3 Coins B&B and we knew that we were fairly close to the Trevi fountain while the other four girls were staying a few metro stops away. We started walking towards the Trevi Fountain all together. We also ended up getting there early enough in the morning (probably about 7:30) before there were any crowds. Again, I was completely amazed by this Fountain! It was GORGEOUS. I can see why this is a romantic spot in Europe. Something about the fountain and the idea that you make wishes and throw coins into it, it just gets me. The water is also, the perfect blue color. We snapped a few photos and we alldecided to split up to check into our hotels and then call each other as soon as we were done checking in.
Stephanie and I knew set off from the Trevi fountain with the internet information that we were "approximately 50 m from our hotel" and we knew the street name. Despite this information, it took us about 45 minutes to find this hotel. We walked all around the Trevi fountain area, asked people for directions and by the time we were frustrated with it, we sat down on the curb and decided to call the B&B. The man on the phone did not give us information as helpful as we wanted. After we got off the phone, we realized that the street we had been sitting on, was in fact the street the hotel was on. We back tracked to the Trevi Fountain and FINALLY found the way in, which was a little hole in the wall compared to the shops and restaurants surrounding it. We walked about 8 flights of stairs and waited for someone to come to the door. They let us check in at about 8:30 which was really nice considering we weren't even supposed to put our stuff down until 11. We even got a little nap while we were waiting for the other girls to call.
Once the other girls called, we decided that we would meet them at the "Colloseo" or Colosseum as it is much better known as in the U.S. On the way to the Metro stop, we passed the Trevi Fountain again (about 10 AM) and it was PACKED with people. I'm talking probably 200-300 already. Stephanie and I decided that despite this, we were going to stop and take a few more pictures. Then we turned around, stood on one foot and threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain. Apparently, if you do this, it's said that you will be back to Rome in 10 years. I was telling Stephanie this when a woman standing next to us, turned and smiled and said, "It's true you know, I have been back 2-3 times already and I only threw that coin in there 6 years ago." I don't know why, but her saying that made me somewhat emotional. Haha. I was like, "dang that is amazing". I truly hope that is the case for me as well. The Trevi Fountain was definitely one of my favorite spots in Rome.
Stephanie and I navagated our way on the Metro to the stop and as soon as we walked out of the station, right in front of us was the Colosseum. Honestly, I was a little in shock and awe. It is BEAUTIFUL! I mean, this is a multi-hundred year old building. Sure I've studied it in tons of classes at schools and have seen postcards and pictures, but none of them do the justice of actually seeing it with your own eyes. It's AMAZING. Stunning and just wow. I can't describe it. All I can say is you can not die without seeing it for yourself. To top it, seeing it at night time--magical. Yes, I said magical. Because it is. It's like seeing DisneyLand for the first time as a kid or sitting in Santa Claus' lap. Seriously. I don't know how to explain it, but I got all giddy and was like... "Holy crap, I, Suzie Radcliffe, am in ROME". Awesome.
We snapped a couple photos and I FELL IN LOVE WITH the horses that were carrying the buggies. I kinda felt bad for them but they were so adorable and it was cool because the drivers didn't care if you pet them or not. After a little "5-year old time" with the horses, we all completely bypassed the mile and a half long line to get into the Colosseum thanks to a tip from some girls on the program. We each bought a RomaPass which was similar to a speedpass that got us into two exhibits for free and free transportation for the weekend. So, I felt pretty VIP when we walked straight passed the line of sweaty toursits who were DEFINITELY wondering how we could be doing it. Once inside the Colosseum, we took a lot more pictures as you can see below.
After we left the Colosseum, we decided we were hungry for lunch and hot and thirsty (as the weather here is really intense). We walked across the street to have some pizza (tourist trap tourist trap tourist trap). Unfortunately, we fell for this stupid place because we were hungry, hot and tired. I paid 9 Euro for a mini pizza that tasted like cardboard. Buuuut again, you live and you learn right? We next decided that we were going to walk through the Ancient Ruins of Rome which was right next to the Colosseum. Great idea, bad time of day. Let me tell you, these ruins were so cool, but I feel like I would have appreciated them 100 times more had we not walked through them at 1:30 in the afternoon. Nonetheless, it was worth it. We saw lots of things including Caesar's burial room or something important to Ceasar(I can not remember exactly what but it was important)and I took a picture of it because it was really cool. We also saw the ruins of Augustus' house and different theaters and the places where they used to do horse races. Let me tell you, Russell Crowe in Gladiator doesn't have anything on those ruins. I can't even imagine doing a horse race through their. We spent about 2 hours walking through this area.
After the ruins we headed to the Pantheon. Apparently it's under renovation right now but it was still a pretty sweet church and architectural wonder. My favorite part about it was that it had a hole in the ceiling because when the Romans built it, they didn't have electricity, so the hole was built in the top of the dome for natural sunlight. What else does this mean? It means that when it rains outside.... IT RAINS IN THE CHURCH!!! How cool is that? I think I would ABSOLUTELY love to see that. Here are some snap shots...
By this time of day, we were all so hot and sweaty we decided to take a nap break and meet at the Trevi Fountain for dinner. While waiting at the Trevi Fountain, the weirdest thing happened. I saw someone in Europe from MASON. Seriously. Not someone on the program, just someone that I was friends with. It was the strangest thing. But anyway, we talked and he told me how him and two other girls I knew were in Rome for the weekend and they were going out to an Ice Bar later and we should come.
When all the girls met up with us, we went to this small town Italian place for dinner and had pizza and pasta. The pizza was much better this time (but I am waiting for that GREAT saucy pizza, you know) and we talked about going to the Ice Bar. We all agreed to go.
What is this Ice Bar you may ask? Well, its probably one of the coolest (literally) bars I have been to. The bar is made completely out of ice inside. The tables, the bar, the cups, everything solid ice! What a way to end a hot day. You put on these jacket things and gloves to go into the room. You need the gear because its 21 degrees fahrenheit in there! We loved it! We didn't stay long because you get chilly fast but it was awesome. They have little ice room igloo things and it is just really cool. We took lots of phots since we looked like penguins. I will post a picture once I get one from my roommate!
At the end of the night we all just went back to our rooms and crashed. I mean we had pretty much been up since 4:30 in the morning so we all slept like babies.
I am going to start with Friday night. Stephanie, Theresa, Heather, Lupita, Jennifer and I (all girls on the program), left for Centrale F.S. station (I still haven't figured out what the F.S. stands for) to get on an overnight train to Rome. Rome is about 6 hours away from Milan so we figured we were playing it smart by getting the overnight train so we could sleep through the night and be rested and ready for the day in Rome. Boooooooy were we WRONG. The train ticket's were the cheapest we could find being that it was a long train (they have fast trains that get to Rome in 3 hours) and overnight. These tickets cost about 32 Euro--which is practically impossible to get.. so we were pretty happy. We got onto the trains and each car had compartments with six seats (three and three facing eachother) in each room and one hallway outside of the door. The train reminded me of the scene in Harry Potter when they are going to Hogwarts, except those trains were much nicer. So all six of us were split up into pairs in different compartments (but we were all on the same carriage). Stephanie and I sat down in the train and we quickly realized that these trains weren't air conditioned...... YEAH most of Europe isn't air conditioned but I had somewhat assumed that because it was a 6 hour + train ride, they would have given us one of the air conditioned trains... boy was I wrong. Luckily, there were only four of us in the compartment and we kept the window open. Now, I don't know how hot it is back in the U.S. right now, but the heat (specifically on Friday) was UNBEARABLE. It's dry heat so not really humid but its so hotttt. The train had to be at least 105+ degrees.
The train ride itself was probably the worst part of the trip. It was like a slow form of torture. The other thing I didn't realize about it was that it practically makes stops every half hour the whole way there and picks up additional people who come take any empty seats. By three in the morning, two big, fat (and SUPER SMELLY) Italian dudes came and sat down next to me. That meant no more laying my head on the seat next to mine. I was in and out of sleep, getting all stuffy from the humidity in the room and drooling on myself (attractive right?). But after these dudes got in our car, it got worse. The guy that sat next to the window, CLOSED THE WINDOW. It was literally like a sauna in the room for the next two hours. Finally though, we got off the stop at "Roma Turbintina" at 4.50 in the morning.
We went to the metro to buy a ticket towards our hotels and all decided that we wanted to watch the sunrise on the Spanish Steps. This was probably one of the BEST IDEAS we had all weekend. When we got off the metro and emerged into the piazza, I immediately smiled. The ground was made of cobblestones and all the buildings were EXACTLY what I had pictured Italy to be like in my head. Milan is a very industrial/modern city as most of it had been destroyed in WW2 so it doesn't look anything like what I imagined Italy to be, Rome on the other hand.. was PERFECT. We walked up the piazza to the Spanish steps, which were completely EMPTY (which never happens because it is one of the biggest tourist spots in all of Rome). It was probably about 6 AM and it was BEAUTIFUL. I'm telling you, that is the time you really have to see all the touristy stuff. Early. Before anyone is awake. It's peaceful and beautiful and relaxing. Way different than it is about 3 hours later.
After spending about an hour on the Spanish steps and snapping lots of photos (some of us decided to take little cat naps) we decided to search for somewhere that was open for breakfast. The streets in Rome and Italy in general are a little more confusing than in the U.S. They aren't really on a grid system and they kinda just build the streets where and how they want, with circles and piazzas and all kinds of stuff. So my method (which for the most part has worked so far) is to either read a map and try and figure it out or start walking like I know where I am going in one direction until I find something I might recognize. Both of these strategies have served me fairly well on the trip so far and somehow, I end up being the one leading the group. I don't mind it, but I also don't always make the right choice in direction. It's sort of a live and learn process.
We found this cute little shop a few streets away from the Spanish steps that sold bowls of fresh fruit, crossiants with chocolate and freshly made (like ground in front of your face) orange juice. It was awesome and fairly cheap. So we sat outside at a table and ate our food and tried to figure out a game plan for the morning at least. Stephanie and I were staying in a small bed and breakfast by the Trevi Fountain called 3 Coins B&B and we knew that we were fairly close to the Trevi fountain while the other four girls were staying a few metro stops away. We started walking towards the Trevi Fountain all together. We also ended up getting there early enough in the morning (probably about 7:30) before there were any crowds. Again, I was completely amazed by this Fountain! It was GORGEOUS. I can see why this is a romantic spot in Europe. Something about the fountain and the idea that you make wishes and throw coins into it, it just gets me. The water is also, the perfect blue color. We snapped a few photos and we alldecided to split up to check into our hotels and then call each other as soon as we were done checking in.
Stephanie and I knew set off from the Trevi fountain with the internet information that we were "approximately 50 m from our hotel" and we knew the street name. Despite this information, it took us about 45 minutes to find this hotel. We walked all around the Trevi fountain area, asked people for directions and by the time we were frustrated with it, we sat down on the curb and decided to call the B&B. The man on the phone did not give us information as helpful as we wanted. After we got off the phone, we realized that the street we had been sitting on, was in fact the street the hotel was on. We back tracked to the Trevi Fountain and FINALLY found the way in, which was a little hole in the wall compared to the shops and restaurants surrounding it. We walked about 8 flights of stairs and waited for someone to come to the door. They let us check in at about 8:30 which was really nice considering we weren't even supposed to put our stuff down until 11. We even got a little nap while we were waiting for the other girls to call.
Once the other girls called, we decided that we would meet them at the "Colloseo" or Colosseum as it is much better known as in the U.S. On the way to the Metro stop, we passed the Trevi Fountain again (about 10 AM) and it was PACKED with people. I'm talking probably 200-300 already. Stephanie and I decided that despite this, we were going to stop and take a few more pictures. Then we turned around, stood on one foot and threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain. Apparently, if you do this, it's said that you will be back to Rome in 10 years. I was telling Stephanie this when a woman standing next to us, turned and smiled and said, "It's true you know, I have been back 2-3 times already and I only threw that coin in there 6 years ago." I don't know why, but her saying that made me somewhat emotional. Haha. I was like, "dang that is amazing". I truly hope that is the case for me as well. The Trevi Fountain was definitely one of my favorite spots in Rome.
Stephanie and I navagated our way on the Metro to the stop and as soon as we walked out of the station, right in front of us was the Colosseum. Honestly, I was a little in shock and awe. It is BEAUTIFUL! I mean, this is a multi-hundred year old building. Sure I've studied it in tons of classes at schools and have seen postcards and pictures, but none of them do the justice of actually seeing it with your own eyes. It's AMAZING. Stunning and just wow. I can't describe it. All I can say is you can not die without seeing it for yourself. To top it, seeing it at night time--magical. Yes, I said magical. Because it is. It's like seeing DisneyLand for the first time as a kid or sitting in Santa Claus' lap. Seriously. I don't know how to explain it, but I got all giddy and was like... "Holy crap, I, Suzie Radcliffe, am in ROME". Awesome.
We snapped a couple photos and I FELL IN LOVE WITH the horses that were carrying the buggies. I kinda felt bad for them but they were so adorable and it was cool because the drivers didn't care if you pet them or not. After a little "5-year old time" with the horses, we all completely bypassed the mile and a half long line to get into the Colosseum thanks to a tip from some girls on the program. We each bought a RomaPass which was similar to a speedpass that got us into two exhibits for free and free transportation for the weekend. So, I felt pretty VIP when we walked straight passed the line of sweaty toursits who were DEFINITELY wondering how we could be doing it. Once inside the Colosseum, we took a lot more pictures as you can see below.
After we left the Colosseum, we decided we were hungry for lunch and hot and thirsty (as the weather here is really intense). We walked across the street to have some pizza (tourist trap tourist trap tourist trap). Unfortunately, we fell for this stupid place because we were hungry, hot and tired. I paid 9 Euro for a mini pizza that tasted like cardboard. Buuuut again, you live and you learn right? We next decided that we were going to walk through the Ancient Ruins of Rome which was right next to the Colosseum. Great idea, bad time of day. Let me tell you, these ruins were so cool, but I feel like I would have appreciated them 100 times more had we not walked through them at 1:30 in the afternoon. Nonetheless, it was worth it. We saw lots of things including Caesar's burial room or something important to Ceasar(I can not remember exactly what but it was important)and I took a picture of it because it was really cool. We also saw the ruins of Augustus' house and different theaters and the places where they used to do horse races. Let me tell you, Russell Crowe in Gladiator doesn't have anything on those ruins. I can't even imagine doing a horse race through their. We spent about 2 hours walking through this area.
After the ruins we headed to the Pantheon. Apparently it's under renovation right now but it was still a pretty sweet church and architectural wonder. My favorite part about it was that it had a hole in the ceiling because when the Romans built it, they didn't have electricity, so the hole was built in the top of the dome for natural sunlight. What else does this mean? It means that when it rains outside.... IT RAINS IN THE CHURCH!!! How cool is that? I think I would ABSOLUTELY love to see that. Here are some snap shots...
By this time of day, we were all so hot and sweaty we decided to take a nap break and meet at the Trevi Fountain for dinner. While waiting at the Trevi Fountain, the weirdest thing happened. I saw someone in Europe from MASON. Seriously. Not someone on the program, just someone that I was friends with. It was the strangest thing. But anyway, we talked and he told me how him and two other girls I knew were in Rome for the weekend and they were going out to an Ice Bar later and we should come.
When all the girls met up with us, we went to this small town Italian place for dinner and had pizza and pasta. The pizza was much better this time (but I am waiting for that GREAT saucy pizza, you know) and we talked about going to the Ice Bar. We all agreed to go.
What is this Ice Bar you may ask? Well, its probably one of the coolest (literally) bars I have been to. The bar is made completely out of ice inside. The tables, the bar, the cups, everything solid ice! What a way to end a hot day. You put on these jacket things and gloves to go into the room. You need the gear because its 21 degrees fahrenheit in there! We loved it! We didn't stay long because you get chilly fast but it was awesome. They have little ice room igloo things and it is just really cool. We took lots of phots since we looked like penguins. I will post a picture once I get one from my roommate!
At the end of the night we all just went back to our rooms and crashed. I mean we had pretty much been up since 4:30 in the morning so we all slept like babies.
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