BootsnAll Travel Network



Rome if you want to, Rome around the world

You may have noticed by now that I have a bad habit of getting lost incities and spending disproportionate time wandering around with my pack on. Rome was no exception. Didnt help I didnt have the hostel address but I couldnt find anyone to help me at the train station….I dont know but things like SIGNS are a good idea. And not putting the tourist info counter right at the back of the station hidden away…anyway after awhile I finally found the hostel but surprise surprise they run 2 hostels in Rome and I was staying at the other one!!

Rome is a strange city, theres a bout 2 main roads then hundreds of little tiny backstreets which buses seem to think driving down is a good idea, basically its very easy to get lost and not very easy to place yourself on a map so walking around takes me about 5 times longer than what it should. Also Rome drivers…the worst! How do they get away with driving like this! its mental! Heaps of scooters that speed around corners and cut people off, I even saw I guy driving his scooter while talking on a cell phone and smoking a cigerette! Crazy italians. Im still unsure of whether I like Rome, I mean it has really cool stuff to see but it fels kind of disjointed as theres no really central area and the building are all so high you cant really get a perspective on things. But like I said a crap load of ridiculously famous things to see so it was straight to work ticking them off my list.

Fist day was the Colosseum. You know like the thing from the movie Gladiator? Just a bit older. A big areana where they used to have crazy fights with exotic animals. Hugely impressive and set in this valley full of all these cool old ruins. I splashed out and got the audio guide for the Colosseum and spent a bit of time wandering around there then checked out the ruins. Its super cool to think about what it would have been like way back then. So that took up a good part of the day, checked out the Trevi fountain on the way home, which is this awesome fountain. I couldn’t beleive how busy it was there though, this is supposed to be low season and its still packed, so glad I wasn’t here in August. Of course I got lost on the way home and ended up back at the Colosseum instead of the hostel so needed a bit of a rest when I eventually got back. Ended up going out for dinner with 2 guys from my room, a mexican and a brasilian. The Mexican was at the end of his trip and wanted to go out for celebratory dinner and well since it was my birthday the next day I thought I could afford it. He did want to go to a stupidly flash place which cost far too much and obviously aimed at tourists…but he really wanted to go and didnt seem interested in my idea of finding some little place tucked away that actually serves italian food. So we ended up in a crazy flash place and we definiitely stood out as backpackers! It was a nice meal though and a cool evening. Not too late a night as lots more sight seeing to do the next day.

So day 2 in Rome and it was my birthday!! Happy Birthday to me! 21, Im so old now! Gave home a ring and had a talk to family which is always good then it was off to the Vatican to take in some religious education. The Basilica there is very beautiful, you can see it from a bit of a distance and just looks incredible, wednesday was the day the Pope meets people so had to wait for a bit until that was all over to be allowed in and while waiting happened to bump into a cool English chick from my dorm. So Ally and myself had some icecream then headed into church.

to be continued…when I dont have a train to catch! Vienna tonight!



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