Rome – Day Six

Day Thirty-Seven

While we have been in Rome we have been watching the TV series Rome at night to get a little bit of background information! Also because we are TV addicts and it was in the apartment, in English so we couldn’t resist. I would definitely say it has enhanced our experience here! Also as part of my roman education Rhys has been doing some wikipedia research of all the places we have been visiting so that I have some background information when we get there! haha My own free personal tour guide!

Today we visited Ancient Rome and took a look at the Ruins of the Palatine and the Roman forum. Which was very interesting, but very sad that there were these amazing buildings that we can’t see in their full glory today. We got lost in there for hours and Rhys gave me his best tour information … haha only lasted about 10 mins but its more than I knew before I arrived.

We walked and sat on the steps in one of the big Plazas and people watched for a little while, which is always nice.

Soon after we walked until we were back in the city and we decided to look for a place to have some dinner. Our plan – find the most abandoned alleyway and get lost until we find a restaurant, since the hidden ones are meant to be best and we keep accidentally eating near the square and getting bad food haha!

We found a buzzing place that we had to line up for in a dodgy alleyway It sat about 60 people and the place was full! Perfect! We sat down picked our meals and as I started to order the waiter wasn’t even listening to me … he was looking into the distance, but I wasn’t there for the  service I was there for the food.

I ordered the scampi pasta, and was told no seafood so I got the Carbonara, Rhys got the “pepperoni pizza” which he was told was vegetarian haha so he ordered the salami pizza instead… This is going well! I then tried to order another dish to share and the waiter cut me off took our menus and left and I had to yell out to ask for our wine … Oh well they lost 20 euro straight there haha. Our meals came and the pasta was drowned in pepper! It was edible but very hot on the tongue … shame because I was sure the food HAD to be good here! … guess not! Rhys’ pizza was great though.

We asked for the dessert menu and never received it! We then asked for the bill and our waiter stood and had a cigarette, while the 20 tables he was in charge of sat and waited, watching their food go cold at the kitchen while he finished smoking! wow! Bad! Then when we went to pay the bill he had added 7.50 euro onto the bill, which we assumed was service charge, we paid it too, but then he asked for another 15% as a tip! bit of a nerve to ask for tips, we usually pay tips anyway but we have never been told to pay a tip! haha I thought that was usually for GOOD service, or even mediocre but not terrible service! haha When I asked what the 7.50 that was added on he said “that is other charges”? haha ok! We paid the tip and left but gave big hints to the people lining up that it wasn’t worth the wait! Crazy, funny night!

We took a quick stroll to see the Trevi at night. Rhys seemed to think it would be quiet at night but when we got there, there seemed to be more people than during the day! I loved all the dodgy people trying to “give” you Roses, they kept thrusting them at me and I was dodging them like the plague haha the I also thought the men selling bubble blowers were hilarious because they actually blew a heap of bubbles at your face to get your attention! I’m not sure how many sales they would make that way. Maybe the JB boys could try that! I think not

On the way home there was an amazing dance and opera performance happening at the Spanish steps! We watched it for a little while and then decided to leave to beat the rush at the metro haha oh boy! bad idea! We walked to the nearest metro went inside and followed it through, before we knew it, we had walked about 3km underground and we never found a train line, we just ended up in the middle of the Borghese Gardens! Picture here is Rhys and I in the station that looked like something out of clockwork orange haha

When we got to the top there were so many other people lost! Even a few Romans were laughing that even they had no idea how they got there! It was like a movie! oh man!

Rhys decided we should walk through the park haha! I thought this could have been my end walking through that park but I had myself ready to fight if someone came by haha can you imagine this? what a dork… not sure why because as we strolled we came across an amazing restaurant and there were people walking through the park everywhere! Obviously a very safe and well known area haha We found our way back down the hill to a more familiar metro only to find that by the time we got there, the last train had left. Oh we are getting good at this! and do you think there were any taxis? nahh! hahaha We walked to the square where 10 taxis at a time wait for fares and there were none there either! I saw one over the other side of the road after 45 mins waiting and bolted to get it! and the jerk charged us 6euro before we even got in the thing! arghhh! when will these stupid things stop happening to us! haha but we actually find this the funniest part of our trip! What else will we get ourselves into

Our time in Rome is over, as is the entire first season of Rome! haha we have spent our time here wisely I think; relaxing, eating, cooking and sightseeing thats always a good combo!

Next to Greece! Greek Islands soon!! BRING IT ON!!!!

E