We bought a train ticket to Rome.
It gave us a ride on a bus to Chiusi instead.
Admittedly it was a very scenic ride along the ridges of Tuscan hills through Tuscan villages to Chiusi where it met a train.
But it was not fast and it was very annoying having watched the Rome Direct buses leave Siena station. Why did the bus people not volunteer this information yesterday when we asked THEM about travel to Rome? We could have been in Romes HOURS earlier. Especially since the Intercity was running 45 minutes late.
But everything has a reason...
I had anticipated that the gypsies at Rome station would be the biggest negative today. However, we arrived at our Rome accommodation to find no-one home.
No office. No-one answering any of the doorbells. The kebab shop lady across the road knew nothing. The neighbourhood was nowhere near that portrayed on the internet map and the graffiti and surrounds were rather off-putting. The kebab shop lady said it wasn't good at night. We eventually reached the owner who said he would be there in 30 minutes...
In the interim, we met Roberto - brother of the restauranteur next door. Roberto had a flat to let in a better part of town for a cheaper rate. He gave us his card and direct phone number.
He promised breakfast and a washing machine. We girls listened.
Massimo showed us his plain flat - adequate to sleep in, but you wouldn't want to walk to anywhere from there. We complained bitterly about the misleading advertising. He blamed the internet agency. He would not be moved. For three people who had pre-booked everything and liked things to be all in order, we lived dangerously. We walked...
We rang Roberto and caught a taxi across town to a flat unseen.
The flat is around the corner from the Forum, on main tram and bus routes and is surrounded by cafes and shops. We are all back in the one bedroom but are not complaining. It is yet another apartment furnished by Ikea and is clean and comfortable. Roberto has stocked the fridge with juice, milk, 6 eggs, yoghurt, water, apples, beer and Coke! The table is set for breakfast with peach jam, rusks and Danish scrolls. There is real coffee and tea supplied. On each bed was not just a towel, but a showercap, soap and a new toothbrush! There is 1000ml of bath foam for us - but only a shower. He brought in some English DVDs for us to watch. He gave us a bottle of red from his locked cupboard and introduced us to his brother who runs the deli downstairs. He scurried off and came back with a bus map for us. Payment? Ehh! - sometime later... When could the cleaning lady come in?
The sceptic in me keeps asking where's the catch.
If that train had been on time today, we'd have been very unhappy little Vegemites in Massimo's place.
Email me if you need Roberto's address.
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