Embrace the Journey: Enjoy Yourself

Express Train was great

I'm enjoying myself reliving our exile in Italy. This post captures our last touring visits to Rome.

Eight days of exile in Italy passed quickly. We had traveled around Civitaveccia, Maori and the Amalfi Coast. For the duration till we could go home, we were staying at the Hilton at Rome Fuimicino Airport. On this Sunday, day eight of our exile in Italy, I was still testing Positive but Donnie was Negative.

The Rome airport was conveniently located so we could do day trips to Rome. There was a thirty minute non-stop Express train advertised at the airport. For our first day trip however, we took a van because it let us off in a better place for seeing sites we wanted to see. 

At the Rome Coliseum

We got to Rome early and got off close to the Coliseum. There were tourists everywhere and it was already hot. I knew two thing immediately. First we had to lose the crowds and second, we wouldn’t see much just walking.

The Hop-On Bus was easy and  outside

“Donnie, let’s keep an eye out for one of the ‘hop-on,’ type red bus. Look at that line going to the Coliseum. Wonder if they’re waiting to buy tickets or to go in? I can see all I need from right here. Let’s take some pictures and call it ‘good’. Besides, we toured a nice coliseum in Arles and learned all about the gladiators and other spectacles.”

Water stations were all over Rome

We headed in the opposite direction from the crowd toward a park. It was up a hill and looked cool and inviting. We spied what looked like a water pump. “Donnie, let’s fill up my water bottle. It’s already empty.” Donnie was skeptical.

While we were talking, a young man stopped and got a drink from the spigot. So, I asked him if it was safe to drink. He said he uses it everyday and that we would find similar water holes all around Rome. Then he pointed us in the right direction to start our walking tour.

No handrails!

We enjoy doing our own thing. I hate guided tours where you stand politely till the guide finishes the spiel and answers questions. We miss details but we wouldn’t remember them anyway. Walking the cobblestone streets and seeing the buildings told us a lot about Roman life. They walked everywhere and in summer, and it would have been hot, and uphill. 

We saw a lot of interesting architecture, landscaping, statues and gardens. Much of Rome seemed to be under construction. We found several churches and another watering spot.

We were hungry so we hopped off at what looked like a high end retail area. We walked around checking several possibilities before going back to one on a busy corner. I think it was “fast food”, Italian style. There was a refrigerated display case showcasing different sandwiches, salads and deserts. After answering our questions and ordering, we sat down and wait to be served. This restaurant seemed very typical of others we had tried. It was small, old and quaint, with friendly and efficient staff.  The service was quick and the dining experience felt leisurely and relaxed.

Loved the architecture!

Our day trip to Rome was a huge success. From our walking tour, we got a sense of ancient Rome; from the hop-on bus, we could see the big picture of ancient Rome blended with the modern city. We rode the Express train back to Rome Fuimicino Airport. It was nice to sit back and watch the scenery. Back at the airport, we had more Covid Testing work to do. 

At dinner, we relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. Our self testing showed that we both tested Negative! Let the plan to get home begin!

Embrace the Journey: Get a Grip

Home Base

“Okay, so we are still testing Positive. Well, at least we have two nights in Rome reserved. Wish we had gotten three. The Airport Hilton will be a central home base till we test Negative.”

One problem was fixed but the Covid problem lingered. Testing Positive hung over us like a heavy dark cloud. We became intimate friends with the airport during our five night stay at Hilton. One by one, we found the places we needed: rental car return, the train station, the Uber pick-up spot, food and restrooms accessible without doing security, a pharmacy and most important, the make-shift Covid testing site.

Lobby was usually packed with travelers

We arrived on Friday and the beginning of a sold out situation at the hotel. In addition to a conference, vacationers on religious holiday, a wedding party and the beginning of summer. People without rooms were trying to get a room. We had reservations for two nights but needed more. Our room wasn’t ready, but we were check-in and luggage stored.

New problem was getting more nights here. Donnie said, “Don’t worry. I’ll call Ramona to get her on it and I’ll keep on it as well. Let’s get lunch and head to the airport.”

Mall was a disappointment

Our first day was like a ‘broken play” in sports. The airport wasn’t close to anything. Transportation was either train, taxi, or Uber. I said, “Donnie, why don’t we check out the mall Ramona said is close. I don’t need anything, but it might be interesting to see what stores an upscale Italian mall has. You can practice using Uber.”

After finding the Uber pick-up place, the Uber ride itself was nice. We both thought Uber driver was taking us on a wild goose chase through literally nothing of note. We had envisioned an interesting mall with boutiques, restaurants and windows dressed with intriguing fashions and merchandise. What we got was a long ride ending at a strip mall identical to any in the states. 

It was already hot outside. We were disappointed and didn’t want to waste anymore time or money. Almost in unison we said, “This is not what we were looking for. Sorry, please take us back to the Hilton.” Uber driver wasn’t happy. 

Express Train

We spent the afternoon researching our trips to Rome. We had at least two days to tour there. Our objectives were to learn how to ride the train; see Vatican City; walk around to get the feel of this ancient city. We did our research, on foot in the airport.

Big signs promoting the Express Train going to Rome in thirty minutes were everywhere. The train station itself, was harder to find. 

Terminal A 

We started inTerminal A where our outside path led us. Inside, we looked around for train signs. There was nothing. “Wonder how we find the station. Surely there’s a way to get there without going through security. There’s an information place, let’s ask them.”

Of course, we were in the wrong terminal and on the wrong floor. We got directions and started walking. After many twists, walking sidewalks,  and different corridor tubes, we finally saw train station signs. Once in the doors, the ticket counter was easy to locate. It wasn’t a busy time, so the clerk patiently answered all our questions. 

Got a grip on mass transit

We were getting a grip on the airport. We noted our path mentally. We would get an early start on seeing Rome. Normally, our travel agent Ramona would take care of  everything. We learned that we could fend for ourselves and have fun doing it. We were slow but steady and gaining confidence. We would do Rome much like we did Civitaveccia and the Amalfi Coast. We got our daily mental exercise to boot!