Europe 2001: Rome!

This is our second to last destination.  Our morning was very interesting.  First we got up at 4:30 am.  We put our stuff together and left for the train station at 5:00 am.  On our way, we spotted a McDonald's that was open and stopped for breakfast.  I got a chicken sandwich sort of thing and Amber got some fries.  In a hurry to get to the train station, I slipped off the curb and fell down onto my bare knees on the stone road.  I was unhurt but having some difficulty standing up, as I was at a weird angle.  I was leaning over my duffle that was wrapped around my shoulders in the usual fashion and my feet were still on the raised curb.  I must have looked fairly ridiculous.  Amber grabbed one arm, and a policeman rushed to my aid and grabbed the other arm.  I was hauled onto my feet and we went on our way.  I snoozed a little on the way to Rome, but my sleep was interrupted every half hour when the conductor would make some sort of announcement on the speaker system.  When we arrived in Rome I was surprised at how cool the weather was.  We headed in the direction of our hostel.  It was kind of funny: Most of the street names and signs were different from the ones on my map, so after being lost for 45 minutes, we got to our hotel eventually.  Our room would not be ready until 4 pm.  I left my big bag and we set off for a grueling all-day hike in 90-degree heat.  The first thing we were going to have to do was find a change bank, as I only had 3000 lira in my possession (about $1.50).  As it turned out, the change place we found was also a net cafe.  Currently, it was "happy hour" (free), so we decided it wouldn't hurt to do a little emailing.  There was an episode where I was quite rude to Amber about a poem she shared with me, but after a slightly ungracious apology on my part the rest of the day was fun.

After the Colosseum, we wandered under the hot sun in search of a bathroom.  It seemed like all the shops were closed.  Nothing was available.  Finally, a security guard for a really ritzy hotel took pity on us and let us use the hotel bathroom.  When we left we wandered past the Circus Maximus to the Santa Maria in Cosmedin where the Mouth of Truth is (of Roman Holiday fame).  It was really funny to see all the tourists who had formed a line of their own to wait for the chance to go and take a picture with their hands in the mouth.  I just sat in the shade and watched the giddy travelers, and later went inside the church where I bought two really nice calendars at the gift shop.  

 

 Beware the Mouth of Truth!

We went to Capitoline Hill.  It was really beautiful, but the heat was unbearable.  I had barely enough energy to realize where I was actually walking because I was so affected by the heat.  I had to take "shade breaks" about every ten paces.  The ruins were really magnificent.  There were walls and archways and fallen columns and remains of lower basement structures that were neat to look at.  Next, we wandered up the street about a quarter mile to the "Wedding Cake" building, which was beautiful.  There was a fountain in which people were cooling their feet.  Amber and I joined in.  The water was freezing cold, but I loved it.  We sat there for about 20 minutes until a policewoman chased everyone away.  We next went to the Piazza Navona.  By this time it was REALLY hot out and I lost all my steam REALLY fast.  I plopped down in the shade and Amber ate the ice cream she had purchased.  When I had the energy, we wandered to the Pantheon and then I got some ice cream for myself.  We had the idea to buy groceries and cook dinner at the hostel, but it was going to be a 2-mile walk back to the hostel in all of the heat.  I did not want to be hauling groceries!  We headed for home, and along the way Amber bought a peach and some grapes.  Tired, sweaty, and relieved, we made it back to the hostel.  Our dinner was said fruit, since everything was now closed.  We went to our room and listened to music and went to bed.