Logistics - We said ciao! to our little apartment in Lucca and drove to Pisa to drop off our car to take the shuttle to the train to Rome. When Greg had to rebook our flights after they got cancelled due to the Iberia labor strike we could have booked straight into and out of Pisa from London but at that time we were focused on just getting to Italy. Luckily Greg is molto contento driving just about anywhere so the short commute was facile. Greg had pre-booked us seats on the train to Rome - a very good thing - as passengers were already standing or sitting on little fold-down seats in the aisles. When he looked into upgrading us to first class at the Pisa train station just for kicks he learned that the train was all sold-out due to Easter break here. Aftter a 3 hour train ride to Rome in our little 2nd-class 6-seat air conditioned apartment that included a nun (who put a damper on any PDA) we got a $70 taxi ride to our hotel from the stazione termini in Rome, about a 5 mile drive outside of Rome centre but on the Gemelle metro stop so only a 20 minute metro ride into the city. Taxis in general are pricey and the clock starts from when you call or during any wait-time. We avoided them when possible, especially since there is a 24 hour metro card for only 4 euro purchasable at our hotel, the larger metro stations, tobacco stores and maybe info booths -that allow access to the metro, bus, and trains. We ended up taking all three modes of transportation during our short stay in Rome.
Day 1 in Rome - After a short frustrating walk from our hotel to the Gemelle metro station and back again - the ticket dispenser machine was broken and the station is so small that no ticket booth was available AND the tobacco shop across the street was out of tickets - we walked back to our hotel to ask about tickets and learned that but of course! they can be bought at the gift shop. Back to the Gemelle station and to Rome centre. So day 1 we visited the Forum, Colosseum, Palentine Hill, Spanish steps and Trevi fountain. We had lunch on the go as we oogled and shopped the stores of Rome. The girls love the panini with prosciuto and Greg and I the spicy salami. That with a drink from one of the many carts scattered along the streets of Rome and a gelato we were well-fortified to continue our walking adventure. Il Chianti, a vineria located on a side street near the Trevi fountain and recommended by a shop owner, provided us with a delicious early 9-ish dinner and lovely atmosphere. We ran into a famous Italian ice cream & gelato shop - San Crispino - and indulged in the most unique and delicious flavors - mine was a scoop of whiskey and another of cinnamon & ginger - and then continued our walk to the happening Spanish steps where we people-watched and window-shopped the chi-chi designer stores.
Day 2 in Rome - Today was perfect weather for our visit to Vatican City, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the Jewish Ghetto and Teatro Marcello, then back to the Colosseum to go inside as we ran out of time yesterday before it closed. Good planning again by Greg paid off as he purchased tix ahead from home for our Vatican visit. Not so good planning by me lead us back to our hotel midday to pick up our Colloseum entry ticket to use before 2pm. We weren't sure we'd make it back in time (we did), and to save us another hotel trip we decided to go ahead and change clothes for dinner w/ friends that evening. A fabulous coincidence, really, that Glenn and Debra just arrived from Oklahoma to visit their daughter Lacey and son-in-law Eric and their 2 girls who are posted here at the embassy for 3 years. So, after a fabulous day exploring the city once again, we grabbed a bus from the Piazza Venezia to their large, 3 bedroom apartment on Via Nomentana past the Porto Pia and about 30 minutes outside the city centre in the other direction from our hotel. Getting the bus was a bit tricky, as there was a papal procession in honor of Good Friday to the Colloseum and the buses were being rerouted. The sign said that during festivals this could occur, but we were hesitant as others were still standing at the P. Venezia bus stops. After about 20 minutes and losing an ipod to a bus tire Greg thought we should head down to Via Battista to see if we could get the 60 bus from there. The short walk paid off, and we were on a bus and headed to our friends' in no time.
After delicious aperatives & drinks at their home we left their kids w/ a babysitter and walked to a lovely restaurant close by where we had the most delicious seafood since Manarola. I had a lobster pici dish - pici is a thick, hand-rolled pasta like a thick spaghetti - that was magnificent. Other delights served were whole flounder (rombo), 2 preparations of shrimp - raw & grilled, seared tuna, sweet clams & mussels, linguine w/ clams, prociutto, olive & artichoke pizza, and a risotto w/ anise & seafood. Fish and seafood, like their meat, is served by weight, so prices for meals vary accordingly. Our waiter gave us estimates so we would have an idea. (Actually we were happily surprised that our meals overall in Italy didn't cost more than they did - with a bottle of wine & bottled water, bread & homemade crackers, apps, pizza and pasta there was always enough food to keep us sated and then some.) We had a blast catching up, exchanging stories and relaxing w/ our friends at dinner, but unfortunately our last evening had to come to a close, so we walked back past the entrance to the catacombs (explore on another visit) to their home. Lacey was good enough to give us a ride back to our hotel as the buses and metro were on holiday schedule and a taxi would have been outrageous. We packed up a bit then had a good night's sleep, a quick continental breakfast and then off to Fiumicino airport for our trip home.
More logistics - attempting to upgrade at the Fiumicino airport was an experience wrought with a roller-coaster of emotions - after 2 hours of 4 airline reps using both computers and the only phone at the ticket counter, we were able to get 2 of us upgraded to business. During our 2 hour wait Greg was kind enough to lend some miles to another traveller whose husband was upgraded but not her. She'll re-deposit them into our account when she gets home. We had to be escorted through security then onto a bus to the train to insure we made our plane and had time enough to grab snacks for the kids before embarking home. Then in Chicago we attempted to upgrade again as well as catch the earlier flight - there was a snaffu where our Rome upgrade only went to Chicago not San Diego - and Greg and the gate rep were both on the phone until gates closed to sort it out. We got the two upgrades and on the San Diego flight with minutes to spare and let the kids fly first the rest of the way while we took center seats on a totally booked flight home. Whew! Taxi to mom's then drive home to our dog Olive and for a welcome night's sleep. Salute! to a lovely family Spring break trip.
PS - in our fatigue we ended up taking someone else's bag home who in her exhausted state having just flown home from Spain had taken ours! After a phone call we will exchange bags Easter Sunday. Never-ending adventures....
PPS - highlights? pecorino cheese, sliced cured pork (cinghiale), arugula, artichokes, Tuscan wine, thin-crust pizzas, paninis from the cart, tomino cheese, fresh pastas, and oh yes, the sites! :-)
