Well that was a rough night. The bed was only one level better than sleeping on cement. The shower had zero pressure and the heat came and went like my youth. We opted for the 11am train to Rome so we wouldn't need to rush. Breakfast was included and the host said he would pick up something gluten free. I tried not to have high hopes. The only truly important part of breakfast was the coffee.
We went downstairs to the dining area and were greeted with a smile. There was a basket of prepackaged toast and a muffin for Julie. The hostess went into the kitchen and came back with 2 prepackaged gluten free items for me. A package of gluten free chocolate wafers and a package of gluten free tea cookies. Neither of which I would eat at home or ever. I appreciated the kindness but didnt open them. I had healthier snacks in the room and would prefer fruit and yogurt to packaged sweets. The coffee was great and a basket of fresh cake and croissants were brought out for Jules. I had juice and a yogurt with my own granola. The host now came over to greet us and questioned why I hadn't eaten the treats and I was strongly encouraged to try them. He was so proud of himself for making that special trip to the store for me. So I had a side of guilt for breakfast. I opened the package and took a couple for the train ride. We walked 2 mins to the train station after breakfast and I made a classic rookie mistake. I stood there looking at the screen and saw that the 2 train tickets I bought online for train 4101 were for Florence not Rome! So we approached the ticket booth attendant in a panic and the old guy looked at us like we were idiots and said "that's the arrival screen, try looking at the departures next time". Then he made a gesture that my Dad used to make where he pointed at his eye and pulled it down a bit as if to say "use your eyes!!"
After a short wait we were on our way.
The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. It was mostly an uneventful train ride and it was not crowded so Julie's, as well as my own anxieties, were in check. That is until the train went into an underground tunnel and stopped. Our ears were popping to the point of feeling uncomfortable. Julie as some of you may know is claustrophobic. This has kept her from climbing narrow stairs and towers on this trip. So I said, "I wonder why they haven't made an announcement yet" and Julie said, "please don't talk about it... you need to distract me" we had no signal on our phones so we looked through our pictures. Then Julie noticed my dirty boots (again). We both bought new hiking boots for this trip and Julie wiped hers down daily refusing to accept the trail dirt into her life. I, on the otherhand, wear my boots with every bit of trail dirt like a badge of honour. So to satisfy her, I let her clean my boots with wipes on the train until they almost looked new again.
This seemed to do the trick and we eventually started moving again and arrived at Rome-Termini. It was a very long walk from the platform, through the station and eventually into the light of day. We made a bee line for the taxis and the first taxi driver said why don't you just take the metro, it's only 4 stops. He told us to buy a ticket at the newspaper stand and go down the stairs. Sounded easy enough. Keep in mind, Julie still had her Monster on her back and I wore mine plus a tote bag of our extra stuff. We bought tickets, made our way downstairs, then down a long hall, then more stairs, then the escalators were broken so more stairs, people were multiplying, corridors were narrowing, noise was increasing and when we reached the tracks that we thought we would never get to, people just stopped. They clustered at the bottom of the stairs and made it impossible to proceed without forcefully pushing our way through. We found a clearing and went for it and after all that effort, Julie said "I can't". She had a panic attack and in front of us stood two policemen. She said "I need to get out of here, is there a way out?" I looked behind us and knew there was no way in hell I was going to fight my way back through that crowd. The policeman was trying to calm Julie and just get telling her to breathe while she was digging through her bag for her Ativan. He directed us away from the crowd to the end of the track where there were far less people. Julie calmed herself but I was still feeling apprehensive about getting her on to a packed subway. The train came about 10 mins after the initial panic attack and now here we were stepping on to it.
The doors closed and Julie stayed right beside it for an easy escape when it opened again. Beside us, a Peruvian made an announcement and then proceeded to play a flute. I can only assume he was working the crowd for cash. What he didn't know was that his soothing music was working wonders for my own anxiety. The stop suggested to us from the taxi driver was Spagna but the stop prior said Trevi Fountain. It was enough of an excuse for me to get off one stop earlier. Julie didn't need convincing either. The down side was now we had to walk farther with the monster on her back. The streets of Rome were packed with people walking and cars honking and it was a bit of sensory overload after being alone on the white roads of Tuscany for two weeks. Walking through Rome with baggage was a challenge. We were hungry, cranky and now the Ativan kicked in and Julie had no fucks to give. She was so chill that she wasn't laughing at my jokes or even excited by shoe stores anymore.
We were feeling pressured to drop off our bags at our new apartment because we had 330pm tickets to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. We took a taxi for 10€ and saved our strength for the walk back. We bypassed the massive lines waiting outside the Vatican wall for people without tickets. We lined up to trade our vouchers for tickets after clearing a security check. It was already after 3 and we still had not had time to eat. I quickly made a granola bar disappear as we manoevered our way through the thick crowd. It was pure chaos. The entire experience was a walk through that never seemed to end. We passed paintings and frescos and tapestries.
Hallways and stairs that led from exhibit to exhibit. Julie still in her Ativan cloud was not phased by the chaos or crowds but I was dying a little on the inside.
The signs continued to indicate that we were on the path to the Sistine chapel but it took at least an hour to reach it. It was a beautiful place and one of the most impressive Museums I have ever been to. Despite the chaotic crowds and the overwhelming anxiety of having my personal space invaded constantly, it was so worth it. Yes I took pictures and no they aren't allowed.
After many halls and stairs and turns and of course the famous stairwell, finale we made it to the almost fresh air.
It was noisy and busy but so was every street in Rome.
The Ativan was wearing off and I was finally getting my friend back. We also found a place to eat and that always makes us feel better.
We found a patio and they had gf pasta so I went with spicy arrabiata and a side of asparagus. Julie had cacio pepe with porcini mushrooms and we shared a caprese salad.
I dared Julie to taste a spicy tiny pepper from my plate and bravely she did. He eyes started to tear and because we had no water she had to chug her wine.
I thought she was joking and being dramatic but she looked up at me with tears in her eyes and I wasn't sure if I was safe to keep laughing. Then made a note to self: 'don't dare Julie with hot peppers'
The dinner was great until Jules ordered an ice cream for dessert that never came. Dont these people know this girl needs her fix? We walked back to our hood and beyond making it to Trevi Fountain for sunset.
It was stunning and crowded. I managed to get some good pics but also took pictures of the reality of the situation. In fact I did that most of today so I wouldn't forget the crowds.
We went to church as we did whenever the opportunity was presented.
We also went to a grocer to buy some essentials... wine and chips, mortadella, cheese and bread. Then a stroll through the streets until we made it home again. Julie passed out. I had a glass wine then also passed out. It was a long and busy day but we really covered alot of Rome. One more full day and then we head home.
Buona Notte x
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