Day 9
Today we were going to Rome. On the one hand, I was excited about it, on the other I feared the worst. So much of this visit to Italy had been disappointing, would today bring more disappointments?
I had told Dieter stories about St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Mouth of Truth, and my personal favourite the Victor Emmanuel II Monument.
In a way, we had already experienced some disappointment. The night before, we had tried to book tickets to the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum online, only to find that there were no tickets available. We decided to take our chances and go anyway.
During our research, we also learned about the option of an Hop On - Hop Off bus. This seemed particularly convenient as there were several sites we wanted to visit. We paid the fees and Dieter received electronic tickets.
Just like the day before, the hotel shuttle bus took us to the subway station, where we took the train to the Termini Station in Rome. So there we were, outside the station of Rome with no idea where this Hop On - Hop Off bus was. I checked with a bus driver and he pointed across the large square … there on that corner we would find the busses.
The sun was rising, it was getting warmer, and by the time we had crossed the square, I was overheating. Fortunately, there was a restaurant with a large terrace where I could stand in the shade.
If I thought only a handful of people would be waiting for the Hop On - Hop Off bus, I was sadly mistaken. Hundreds of folks stood gathered at the street corner. Some were waiting for a red bus, others for a yellow bus, and others still for a green bus. Dieter went and stood inline so that we would get a space when our green bus came along.
It wasn't long before he signalled that he needed a drink. I went into the restaurant and got him a can of Fanta. 6 Euros please. 6 Euros for a little can! My goodness, in the supermarket I'd paid 2 Euros for a 2-litre bottle. Never mind though, I got Dieter the Fanta.
Afterwards, I sat back down and fanned myself to cool off. It didn't take long for a waiter to appear. If I wasn't eating or drinking, I had to vacate my seat.
A short time later, a green bus rolled to the corner of the street and Dieter signalled to me to join him. We got on the bus and so did a few other people. We decided to go to St. Peter's Basilica first, it was the furthest in the city, and to see the rest we would make a plan.
When we passed the Collusseum our mouths just about dropped open … thousands of people were milling about. This was not how I remembered it. When I first visited the Collusseum there were tourists yes, but not nearly as much. Still, Dieter was suitably impressed with the building.
"Next, St. Peter's Basilica," the driver announced. I thought the bus would drop us off near the basilica, but that was not the case. The bus stopped in some street, and we all had to get off and find our own way. Fortunately, I recognized Castel Sant'Angelo, so I knew we were close.
We crossed the bridge, turned left, walked a distance and turned right and … there it was St. Peter's Basilica.
Unfortunately, thousands of people crowded the square. I heard someone say that it would take a least three hours for some tourists to gain access to the basilica. Three hours standing in this heat!
Since we couldn't get into the basilica, we tried our luck with the Sistine Chapel. That was a no go too. While we could get tickets, there too the waiting time to get into the chapel was between two to three hours. I sighed in frustration. We had come all the way to Rome to see St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel and we couldn't get into either of them. Well, we could, but who wants to stand in line for hours on end, especially in this heat?
Despondent we stepped into one of the souvenir shops in search of trinkets of friends and colleagues. The manager overheard us talking of our disappointment and stated that he could help. He organized tours of St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel and we could join the following day at 12:30. Tickets were 75 Euros each.
I didn't think twice, I accepted and paid.
While I should have been grateful and excited that Dieter would get to see these buildings, I was also fearful. I had been on guided tours before and didn't like them one single bit. Guides have a tendency of droning on and on about this and that for far too long. I don't have the patience for that. I want to go, see, and move on. But, for Dieter's sake, I would suck it up.
By late afternoon we were back at the hotel and after a long sweaty day, I couldn't wait to get into the pool.
A swim would have to wait though as a group of youngsters were having fun in the water and there was no room to swim. So, we sat in the shade, waiting for them to get tired. From the looks of it, this could take a while. They were jumping, trashing, and throwing each other around, and generally having a ball. The men in swim trunks, the ladies in bikinis that left little or nothing to the imagination.
After an hour or so, one by one they left the pool area though, and once a few of them made their exit, the rest followed. Okay, now it was our turn.
We shed our outer clothes and in swim trunks (Dieter) and swimsuit (me) we made our way to the pool. Being on the cautious side we took a seat at the edge of the pool and let our legs dangle in the water. Yikes, the water was cold.
Who was going to jump in first? I looked at Dieter, and he looked at me. Eventually, he took the plunge. Okay, if he could do it, I could do it.
1 - 2 - 3 … I was still seated. 1 - 2 - 3 … could I do it, yes I could.
"Don't be a wuss," my dear son called, "it's nice."
Okay, I would do it. Here I go … 1 - 2 - 3 … 1 - 2 - 3 ... and I took the plunge. OMG OMG OMG … the water was … well, not freezing, but very very cold. Dieter called this nice … nice? Yeah, for icebears maybe.
Still, I was in so I might as well swim. I did a few laps but could hear my body screaming … what the hell are you doing to me? The water temperature might have been fine for young people, but my old bones and muscles did not appreciate this torture. So I got out. This was enough for one day.
In our room, I had a hot shower, got dressed, and we went down to dinner. Today, I would not have the menu of the day, I would go a la carte. When I noticed that entrecote was on offer, my choice was made. The meat arrived with fries and a small salad and was in one word divine.
On the balmy evening that followed, I would have loved to sit on a terrace, with a drink, watching the world go by, but that was not possible. The hotel being in an industrial area, there was nothing to see and nothing to do. So we watched Chicago Med on TV, where all the American doctors, nurses and patients spoke perfect Italian.
We had an early night because tomorrow we had a busy day. Dieter would finally get to see the basilica, the chapel, the Colosseum, the white monument, the Trevi fountain, and the Mouth of Truth.
To be continued
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