Arrival in Rome
Trip Start
Nov 16, 1995
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10
Trip End
Nov 25, 1995
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Rome,
Lazio,
Italy
Friday, November 17, 1995
The train is packed, with nowhere to sit except a first class carriage at the front. We enter and blatantly seat ourselves. Other foreign tourists are intimidated, and beat a hasty retreat back to second class so they can squeeze into the mob all the way to town. The Italians sitting in first class smile sympathetically, but offer no solace. Later we find that although there are first and second class carriages on the train, the airport train has only one fare, which is valid for any seat. The regulars keep very quiet about this surprising fact in order to retain all the seats for themselves! Ten minutes after we start, the train stops in the middle of the country, and the slow train passes us!
As we get off the train, the taxi drivers attack. What suckers we must look! A five minute ride from the station comes out to US$ 30.00 on the meter. Some hopes!! We are not that dumb! We argue it out, and finally pay US$ 9.50. Great introduction!
Our hotel, The Bolivar, is just up the hill from Piazza Venezia in a cul-de-sac, and hence very quiet. Also very close to the Colosseum and Forum. We get attentive and helpful service, small, but well appointed rooms and an excellent buffet breakfast.
Hotel Bolivar
US$ 126.00 the night. That afternoon we spend strolling the Via del Corso, Spanish Steps (closed off, under renovation), The Quirinale Palace. On the elegant Via Condotti, Japanese are buying out the stock of Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Fendi and other classy stores. Everyone else is just window shopping. There's a huge Japanese school group at the Piazza di Popolo, they are probably on a field trip.
The weather is clear, sunny but very cold. The highest temperature during the whole trip was 52. Sunset is at 5.30 pm , and its dusk shortly thereafter. It makes the day very short. This evening we are recommended by our guide book to dine in Trastevere, a less touristy suburb across the Tiber where we may eat with the locals. There is no lack of snack bars, but few restaurants, or trattorias as we have been told to look for. Eventually we find a likely prospect hidden up a side street. It's quite charming, and we choose our repast, pasta of course, which is most excellent and reasonably priced. The atmosphere is very Italian, in spite of the fact that many of the clients are visitors. We are entertained by the proprietor who is recounting an enthralling story of the latest soccer match between Roma and Milano to the entire staff, including the cook, complete with incredibly complex and expressive hand actions. If only we could have understood the story. Incredibly the service did not suffer a jot. For our first night out, it's a triumph.
A few words about eating in Italy .
Trajan's Column & SS Nome de Maria Church
The menu consists of four basic plates; antipasto (appetizer)or zuppa; primi piatto (pasta); secondo piatto (meat or fish dish; dessert. On top of this, many establishments charge a cover and a service charge. Usually we got by with a pasta plate, as the meat and fish plates were very expensive. A regular evening meal comes to around $ 15.00 each, and can climb to dizzying heights from that modest base. Wine is cheaper than Coke! There are three main class of eating houses here: snack bars, which proliferate, are equivalent to fast food establishments here, but with very limited seating; trattorias, which are modest restaurants, our equivalent of a "greasy spoon" or neighbourhood diner; the full fledged ristorante, which are usually quite expensive. We always searched for the trattorias, but found them a disappearing breed. Most diners were tourists; we found very few Italians eating out, even in their own neighborhoods. We feel so good that we decide to walk back. I consult our map and find we are quite close. All we have to do is to keep our eyes out for the massive King Victor Emmanuel II monument, the original "White Elephant" This remarkable monument in the Piazza Venezia can be seen from virtually anywhere in Rome, and Romans love to hate it. We cross the Tiber River and come to Largo Argentina . This square has been excavated to reveal extensive Roman remains, and we wander around in fascination. We continue on down the Corso Victor Emmanuel. It's only a short way to the monument, but after six or seven blocks, there is still no sign of the monolith. Something's wrong! This is indeed the right street, but where's the Piazza Venezia? Finally Miryam forces me to ask a passer-by. He points...in the opposite direction!
I realize that, on going around the Largo Argentina, we came out at the wrong end, and we are walking towards the Vatican instead of our hotel.
Miryam and Bryan are not pleased. I will be reminded of this inexcusable gaff many times during our visit. We have to walk all the way back past the Largo Argentina (where I would like to bury myself in the Roman remains)! Eventually, footsore and weary, we see the welcoming light of dear old Victor Emmanuel looming over the Roman skyline, and we know we are near home.
