Some journeys seem to take longer the closer you get to your destination.I left Roma’s beautiful (cough) Termini Station early on Satuday morning, having secured my ticket the day prior and even remembered to reserve a seat.
A 3 hour train ride to Ancona Falconara on the Adriatic coast was the first leg.
At Termini station I was that guy that always gets those looks from yourg girls or older ladies who are having or are anticipating having trouble freeing up a baggage trolley… and being the all round nice guy (read sucker) that I am … I helped out when I could, even with a rather large backpack strapped to me, … and to answer the question… no,.. not all the ladies I offerred assistance to were good looking… some of them were great looking, I think one of them may have been a model, although for what who could say, but there was at least one who was rather plain. maybe… (more…)
Rome basically shuts down for May Day, so in my travels i came across several shops that i had been looking for, the local supermarket, tabacchi , post office, phone shop… so i started my day with a mission, purchase a few things, including bus tickets and head into termini station to purchase tickets i would require to travel to Pesaro on Saturday … tomorrow on my way to Urbania.The bus whisked me off to Termini and it was all rather orderly… Melbourne has been plagued with public transport ticketing problems … looks like rome has had a taste of their own.. each bus has 2 types of ticket validating machines… 1 old one and 3 new ones… but there is no ticket selling on board,.. you have to buy tickets from Tabacchi,.. but not all Tabacchi sell them because they dont make a cut on them that they are happy with… The newstands sell tickets but they are the old ones that they purchase via rather dodgy means apparently… they are still good, just not new fangled ones. fangled doesnt necessarily mean better,.. its just has added fangles. (more…)
I spent most of today in Trastevere, the place has me hooked.. its the cliched image of a narrow lane, a small dimly lit cafe at the bottom of a run down building, cobbled alley with garbage, cats, beggars and locals enjoying a frascati,.. family discussions flowing from the windows in the upper floors and washing strung on lines betwee the buildings… but its real and there is street after street of it just waiting to be seen. (more…)
I have always been against planning, this will come as no shock to my past employers.. and this holiday had a bit of a plan but i wanted to just land in a city and have to fumble my way around at first… it was a luxury that only time can give, and i had that in buckets.
So here I was in Rome. i knew little about the city … I had a map but wasn’t sure exactly where I was, wasn’t sure which way the river was so wasn’t even able to just wing it… but I did have myself some most comforbale lodgings at Hotel San Francesco in Trastevere, so it wasn’t like I was camping or anything… lordie lordie (more…)
I’m shagged i say to myself,.. i walk out the gates at Flumininco and didn’t realise i was past customs until i found myself staring at a bus, dodgy people offering me everything from hot showers, to roses to “drivings in most comfortable of car”. what sort of business plan does the rose seller have ?? Am I a niche?? “hey I just got off a plane,.. how about a rose to celebrate”!!!The intersting signage at rome leads me to the train station conveniently located near the station via a series of escalators,.. they should just replace them with sheets of aluminium make you sit in a bag and give you a big push so you can go wheeeeee all the way to the ticket office.
Now the bulk of Tourists catch the express specifically designed train to take you direct to Termini station in central Rome…. but no… i like to do things differently,.. im not staying in central rome i am stayin in Trastevere, anybody who knows Rome will be oohing and ahhing about now… but that meant i had to catch the local “regionale”… i accomplished this and was feeling pretty proud of myself… even got off at the right station, remembered that uscita was exit and walked out into romes brilliant sunshine at trastevere station the bags under my eyes feeling heavier than the pack on my back.
I had some excellent instructions on how to get to my hotel however and set off… ok so i didnt have excellent instructions,.. in fact .. i had this map which looked reasonable if you have never been to rome,.. well it turned out to be a useless piece of crap.. and i didnt even notice when it blew out of my back pocket.. the map that is.
I circumnavigated Trastevere station which took approximately 45 minutes walk in full sun… yeah i love rome i was thinking… oooh what a great day… collected my thoughts and figured i need a drink… go to the “bar” at the station and ask for a chinotto…
Asking for a chinotto in melbourne is responded to in one of two ways, “what the?” which means “I am sorry sir but we do not stock the item you requested” … or “yes”. in rome however, chinotto comes in various types and is presented in a number of different receptacles… so i had to go through this pointing exercise but finally got what i thought i wanted.
And then despite my hours of training,.. forgot that you pay at the cashier and not at the counter,.. anyway i think i walked into the only bar in rome where the owner doesnt have at least a rudimentary undrestanding of what theyt have been led to believe is english… i got a drink,.. i think it kept me alive…
I collected my thoughts and headed back out the front of Trastevere station, i started to lose it,.. albeit in a really cool and interesting kind of way. Trams buses, ladies with prams, beggars (polite beggars) all started to whirl into a crazy cacophony with me in the middle and a shower and bed visible on the other side of a chasm… yeah and there were frogs in that chasm as well.. and everyone is scared of frogs… and they were croaking and all.
But the special powers of the chinotto plant kicked in, i saw a group of white cars arranged in some kind of weird circle as if they were taking part in a seance, I staggered towards them,.. an older man walks towards me and says ? “taxi!?” i say “siiiiiiiiiiiiii” I mutter the name of my hotel… he says “ah yes i take you straight there” it wasnt literally around the corner, but it was literally around 3, the fare was 3,80 and in my stupor,..i didnt tip the guy, and even after i didnt tip him he carried my bag to the front desk and said thanks
But that failure to tip will come back and haunt me, taxi karma.. that’s bad karma.
The rest of the day involves me showering and expresing deep feelings of love towards my bed and pillow and the comfort it provided,.. i don’t think internet publishing laws in italy allow me to go any further… i slept for 12 hours from 3pm to am…
Oh i did manage to slip in an hour of late night Italian television… see this is why these people are so sensible,.. freely available soft porn,.. it has to be good for everyone.
Basically a day on bloody planes or around them or within the centres that cater for them.
Most of you know that I am not petite,.. I am “rather large” so the prospect of sitting in confined space for some time is a bit hard to deal with.
First leg was melbourne singapore, Thanks to the silent killer SARS. Iraq and all that other good stuff the flight was empty. I exchanged pleasantries with the guy sitting near me and enjoyed 7 hours of lounging around, empty seats everyplace… watched “Adaptation” several more times,.. great movie … glad it won zero oscars however. (more…)
