And on the Seventh Day
Ok, it’s only Day 5 in Rome but I am only a mere mortal after all. After a very busy few days with lots of walking and lots of craning of neck looking at wondrous things above its as time for a quiet day and so it was rather thoughtful of the big fella to let it rain so didn’t feel guilty sitting indoor watching 007 on the dedicated HD channel. Time for some reflections of Roma
People. They have that familiar arrogance of the French but with a bit more charm. No real effort is made with speaking English but most service people have an acceptable grasp. The women are well maintained but stern bordering on sad. The men are the flash ones here in their fancy suits.
Food. Very reasonably priced once again along with alcohol. They like their beers in big bottles here – 650ml – but despite being 4.7% don’t seem to knock you around like Aussie beer. Very tasty pale ales. The pizzas are rather good and thin but the range of food is limited in most Ristorantes – no doubt there are posh places around that serve a more extensive menus. As with all European cities so far you get plenty of bread – but you do pay for it. Smoking in restaurants is very prevalent and not really appreciated but when in Rome…..
Traffic. The driving is crazy, the roads too narrow and parking rules non existent. “Zebra” crossings are a lottery and honking a popular pastime. The metro works well though very crowded and the stations are fairly spaced out requiring a lot of walking cf NYC for example. Aren’t I the little name dropper?? Plenty of buses around but never had that pleasure. The trains run on time
Sites. Plenty to see and most are rather stunning but of course overcrowded. Do yourself a favour and get the Roma Pass for 30€ – great value. Colloseum is awesome especially from inside . Trevi Fountain impressive and crowded. Vittorio Emmanuelle monument has a superb viewing platform on top. Sistine Chapel is the standout around the whole Vatican shebang. Plenty of impressive churches and museums fill in the gaps.
It’s a town for tourists and so has the negatives that go with that. We were very fortunate to have a quiet and spacious apartment away from the hustle and bustle. You can walk most places but is a hilly town and warm especially after Prague and Vienna. It has some unique attractions and a truckload of history naturally but will be ready to leave in 2 days. Should have maybe spent an extra day in Prague and one less here but am certainly glad finally got to get up close and personal with such famous sites.
And we braved the rain for a great lunch
flashman181 