So, at 8:00 AM on Tuesday morning I force myself out of bed. I am slighly dizzy from the trip to the Irish Bar the night before. I get in the shower and take one of the nicest showers since I’ve been away from home. Since the shower had a sliding door instead of a shower curtain, the shower stall seemed much bigger than the shower stall in London. I managed to get myself at the hotel breakfast at 8:30 AM for a croisant and a cappuccino. A few minutes later, Dan followed and we planned the day. It was a story problem from algebra.
“Two people are in Rome. One person must be at a train station by 3:00PM to be on a bus traveling 30 kilometers/hour. The Second person has a few days left and many sightseeing hours availabe. In 5 hours, where should the tourists go in order to ensure a complete Rome experience.”
We settled on Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Trevi Fountain because if you throw a coin over your shoulder facing backwards, you ensure a return to Rome–thus solving the problem that I didn’t actually go inside of anything. The Spanish Steps because they are cool and the view is fantastic. Also, we added in a morning market to see where the Romans shop. The Romans have a great little market with tons of fresh veggies and meat. Yum.
So, then we walked and walked and walked and walked and walked and walked. Had some coffee and walked some more. We went up and down all the little streets around the Spanish Steps, window shopping and looking for good souveniers. Again, trying not to get hit by a scooter or car was key. Around 12:30, we ducked into a sandwhich shop for lunch. I could not physically go another step without more food and they had a very large, open door.
I had a super delicious sausage and spinach sandwich with an ice cold Coca Cola. It was one of the best meals, ever. It helped that I was starving, but I think it would be good anyday. It turned out that this little sandwhich place was the place to be. After we ate, the place filled up with construction workers–then you know you found a deal, huh?
From there is was back to the Hotel via Piazza Novano and then onto the #64 to return to Termini. Waiting for the Terrevision bus, I met an english woman who lives in the Republic of the Maldives and volunteers for an organization like the Peace Corps. Then I waited impatiently for my plane and returned to London, safe and sound. I changed my clothes at the airport, since I had to go straight to a function. I got to the “xmas do” before the appetizers had a arrived and walked up to the table and saw Bruce from the Chicago Office. Sitting at the American end of the table with Bruce, Maureen McD, and Kim, I felt at home.
And that, was my 24 hours in Roma.
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