8 June: Rome
They say all roads lead to Rome. That's great and all, but that road might not work.
We got up a bit late, got our showers, and spent an hour writing the last post -- and I still forgot details. Once the backpacks were loaded we headed for the metro for a ride to the train station. The metro wasn't far from the AirBnB and we were making good time, so we stopped for coffee and a croissant. We moseyed to the ticket machine, then to a separate machine to validate the ticket (very strange, but whatever). Spent some time figuring out if we were on the right platform before the train showed up. We got it sorted and happily waited.
Not long after, the fun began. An overhead announcement was made. The two Italian words I confidently know were of no help. We watched people leave. One family asked if we knew what was happening -- at least we were in good company. With no cell service in the train cave we went back to the surface. My phone really didn't like being disconnected from the internet world and was only degrumped after a reboot. Ok. Now that all devices were playing nice, let's find out what the heck was going on. I searched for whether it was a short delay or time to find another way. Frustration started to set in when I couldn't find any answers. Pam suggested the bus, which was a good idea -- until I learned we had to buy bus tickets at a tobacco shop with a T logo. Ok, but what bus do we take? Tempers shortening, frustration elevated, I finally caved and got a cab. 16 euro well spent at that point.
We found the train quickly, waited a few minutes for the doors to open, and were on our way to Rome.
As the three-hour ride wound down we could see a Roman aqueduct running alongside the tracks into the city. Once we arrived, the options were metro (an hour, looping around the city) or walk a more direct route (also an hour). We walked. And one thing became abundantly clear pretty fast: this was not Naples. Traffic lights. Wide sidewalks. People behaving themselves. It was magical after Naples. That didn't mean trudging through the humid late-day sun wasn't a drag on the spirit, but it was far less chaotic.
About halfway there we found outdoor seating and stopped for food. We ordered pizza again – this time just one, thank you very much. It was nothing like Naples. It was good, but I could have had the same thing at a fancy pizza place back home.
As the road march ended, Castel Sant'Angelo came into view, getting closer with every block. The door to the AirBnB practically pointed at the castle. The place was every bit as tiny as the word "little" implies. But what did we care -- we were in Rome.
After settling in and getting cooling showers, jet lag hit hard. It did not stop us. We pulled ourselves together and headed out around 5pm to see at least a little of the city. Not far from the lodgings we found a nice pedestrian street lined with shops and restaurants. My goal at that point was simple: cacio e pepe, wherever it was offered. Found it quickly, got a table outside, watched the people walk by, and had a fantastic bowl with a bottle of wine that paired well with all of it.
As the sun started setting we walked over toward the castle. There's a river between us and it with several bridges to choose from. On the way, through a gap in the buildings, we could see the sun setting behind Saint Peter's Basilica. Old photography instincts kicked in immediately.
We walked back along the river, listening to jazz bands warming up for what looked like a long night of it. Plenty of empty seats. We would not be joining them.
