For the previous story: https://uncouthmusings.wordpress.com/2019/12/25/euro-trip-diaries-a-doctors-visit/
After watching the race and the next stop was Rome. The trip to Rome was done by an overnight Flixbus. That trip is one of the worst trips I have ever taken. Normally, Flixbus would let passengers keep a small carry on board and a bag to be kept below in the luggage compartement. The bus driver was quite rude and did not allow our backpacks on board. They are carryon sized luggage or even smaller. We told him that we had our cameras and expensive gadgets inside and he become more rude. This was the first time I had such a bad experience. He spoke very little English and kept saying that there was no space on board. We told him that we would carry the bags on our lap or keep it below our seats( I have done that before and since we had small backpacks it would fit). Finally, we simply gave up and boarded the bus. I was fuming and this was ill treatment of us. When we boarded there were a few seats vacant and enough space to stow the luggage. We were more than a little bit irritated.
We arrived at Rome around 5 a.m and we had to get to the Hotel Camping in Town which was located in the outskirts of Rome. But the buses and subways start their service at 6 a.m. There was no other way than to wait at the station sleep deprived. So, we waited till 6, and by this time we were exhausted and just wanted some much needed sleep. For our travels we purchased the 48 hours Roma pass without any museum tickets. Finally, the station opened and we got our train. And then a bus and reached the hotel. The hotel was located right opposite the bus stop which made it quite accessible. Sadly, upon arriving the hotel informed us that the check-in time was 2 pm. I had already emailed them and asked whether we could do an early check-in. Apparently, it was not possible due to the holiday rush. So as there was no other way but to wait and we did wait. Then we decided to have some breakfast from the hotel buffet. At least the food in our bellies should keep our spirits high. The buffet was awesome with bacon and eggs and fruits and we really loved it. After our breakfast, we came back to see a whole crowd of people in front of the hotel waiting to get checked in. At this point, we were sure that we wouldn’t get checked in before 2 pm. So, we decided to go exploring even though we were tired, sleep deprived and our patience was frayed.
Which would be the first place to visit? Hmmm. Didn’t have to think much about it. The Vatican Museum. We left our baggage at the hotel(the staff was really helpful) and got a bus to the Vatican museum but the crowds and queues sank our spirits. People were coming to us with skip the line tickets and we did not want to get some kind of shady deals there. So we decided to visit the Vatican Museum the next day after gaining some knowledge and/or purchasing the tickets online. Then the next stop would be the Dainese store in Italy. I opened up the Google Maps app and checked the route and it was quite close to where we were. Our spirits lifted quite a bit. We then took a bus and then walked for around a kilometre towards the Dainese store. The place was freaking awesome. Upon entering the store we all felt like kids in a toy store. Oh, I want this Pista GP, and this leather jacket, and this one piece suit. We all wanted to buy some gear from there but restrained ourselves as we had a lot of travelling to do and we couldn’t lug around the cumbersome riding gear all around Paris or Germany. The place also had some cool memorabilia from Simoncelli, Pedrosa, Lorenzo, Fogarty and of course Rossi in the form of knee sliders. I could stay there looking at those knee sliders all day long. Sadly, after more than hour we had to leave the shop. At this point, my stomach had notified me that it was almost empty and I wanted to try Gelato. I dragged Krishna and Naveen to the closest gelato shop close promising them that the gelato there would be little drops of heaven. Luckily, the place was quite nice and stood up to the hype that I had given(lucky for me too). Italians will spoil you with their food and hospitality. That was the case even in such a touristy city. After having gelato, we wanted pizza and stopped at a nearby pizzeria. Wow, food really tastes good here. As always, Krishna went with Mozzarella and tomatoes because he did not want to risk it while Naveen and I just gorged on whatever flavours we could find.
Next stop, back to Hotel Camping in Town as it was getting really warm. We arrived at the hotel and they said they had upgraded us to a better room and had the key cards for us. We arrived at the room and it was a really nice place. The whole place was a large rectangle, with a shower on one end and the toilet right opposite it. Three beds were there in the room and it had air conditioning. The whole place was very clean. They even had a pool. The place was awesome and well worth the wait.
We wanted to visit the Vatican the next day and booked our tickets at the hotel grounds itself. We paid a 5€ fee for skipping the line at the Vatican. We would have to pay the rest at the booking place. The lady told us to be at the tour place at 10:30 am and not to be late. By the way, these tours could be booked online well in advance for a much cheaper price but we did not do it and needed that extra convenience.
Sadly, at this point Krishna had problems with his foot. His shoe was not comfortable and his feet had blisters from all the walking we did. It got so bad that he did not even want to leave the hotel and told us to continue with our sight seeing. We refused( You owe us one KP :P) and went in search of a new pair of shoes for Krishna. There was a supermarket right next to the Hotel and it had some running shoes. We sent Krishna the pictures and told him that they should be more comfortable. We then returned to our Hotel Room to see Krishna’s foot looking like a mummy. He was in excruciating pain. We slowly coaxed him to come over to the supermarket with us and also have dinner. It was quite painful to see him limping along and trying to put a tough guy face for us. At the supermarket, Krishna tried on the shoes and it seemed to be much more comfortable than his previous pair. So far so good. We bought the running shoes and while I was traipsing over to the billing section, I happened to chance upon the Stella Artois beer which I have only heard(Belgian beer is supposed to be good) and wanted to get a couple of them. We also got some chips from San Carlo just because it reminded me of Simoncelli.
Next, we needed fuel for our bodies in the form of a sumptuous dinner. And there was a Old Wild West burger place right in front of us and we decided to check the place out as we had seen one in Cattolica too. The advantage was that it was quite close so that Krishna wouldn’t have to walk much and we were quite tired from the ordeal of the previous day and the trip in Flixbus. The whole place reminded us of an old Western saloon with witty quips written over the doors. We got the menu, and ordered some burgers along with beer. We also ordered some pancakes for dessert but our server told us to wait until we had the burgers, and then we could confirm the pancakes. The burger was quite good and the quantity was amazing. It filled me and I could hardly eat anymore. Sadly, since we all couldn’t eat another bite and had to cancel our dessert. Our server really knew that this would happen.
The next day we got up bright and early, had another amazing breakfast at the hotel and got ready for the Vatican. We decided to take the 9:30 bus to the Museum but horror of horrors the bus never arrived. We got a bus only after 10 and by this time, we were sure that we will not make it on time. We were like 15 minutes late and we were sad that we missed the time slot allocated for us. But we decided to enquire at the tourist office where we were supposed to collect the tickets for the Vatican. We reached there and asked them if they had tickets for the Vatican and they said yes and that it was 27€. But, we made the mistake of blurting out that we already paid 5€ at the booking office(thinking that it would reduce the cost) but instead the guy said now the price goes up to 32€ because we need to pay commission to the booking agent. We were clearly swindled. ( Note: Book all the tickets beforehand. We did not do this because we did not finalize the plans for the time in Rome)
Bad things happen, and if it is just a small monetary loss, it is nothing on the grand scale of things. We proceeded towards the museum and got inside quickly enough. It was jam packed with people. We couldn’t find our way to the exhibits and stopped to ask a sweet old lady how we should proceed. She then showed me all the places on the map and then handed me the map itself. Wow. That was really sweet of her as she was also a tourist.
The place was filled with statues and artifacts from different time periods. There was even a mummy on display. There were statues of Egyptian Gods too. I would really recommend getting a guide book or an audio guide when visiting here. Getting a human guide means that you might not be able to spend as much time as you want next to certain displays. Finally, we reached the famed Sistine Chapel. The whole place was packed with people(and with good reason too). And you were not supposed to take any photographs of the place. It was amazing. I would have loved to lie down on the floor gaze upon the ceiling. It is something nice and lovely and you have to be there to really experience it. I don’t think the pictures do the craftsmanship any justice.
After leaving the Vatican museum, I wanted to go to St. Peter’s Basilica. I wanted to get some souvenirs and also the holy water. I got some postcards for home but did not know where to get the holy water. I went to a couple of military personnel and asked “Holy Water” but they did not understand. But I showed them the crucifix signs and they understood. Sant Aqua is the word it seems. So, Krishna, Naveen and I went towards the Basilica but the queue was very long. They became disheartened and did not want to stand in the queue. I couldn’t blame them. It would be more than a bit tiresome to stand in the sun for quite a bit of time without having food. And we decided, that I would stay there and get everything while they returned back to our hotel to the comfort of the air conditioner and food.
I stood there in the sun patiently and finally got through all the security checks. So far so good. I also got to see the legendary Pontifical Swiss Guards. I took some pictures of them and moved on. Further closer to the entrance, I saw a rush of people. Intrigued, I followed them and saw a Swiss Guard handing out small slips of paper. I asked some people next to me and came to know that they were for the next day papal mass. I wanted to attend the mass but the mass would be at 7 a.m. No way, I was going to get up that early and go to mass. So with a heavy heart, I gave up my wish of seeing the mass and went inside.
The inside of the Basilica is a work of art. It is so beautiful and peaceful(mostly). This is one of the reasons I love churches. I got to see the Pietà and it was surreal. The way the sculpture was done was breathtaking. And this is to a blockhead like me who knows nothing about art or architecture. I slowly walked around the place taking in the sights. In the midst of all this there was a lady who video called 3 other people and was speaking to them without a headset. She was speaking so loud that the people on the other end did not actually need a telephone to listen to her. Some people are so insensitive.
Soon, I left that place and went in search of the Holy Water. The lady’s voice ringing in my ears. I found the place and we could collect the Holy Water in a container. I did not have any and bought three from the Vatican Store. They are lovely to see. I had to wait in the queue for another forty minutes for the Holy Water. It was getting late, and as soon I got the Holy Water I left the Basilica.
Next, I called up Krishna and Naveen and we agreed to go to the Colosseum and would meet up at the Central Station. I reached there early and was ravenous since I did not have a bite after breakfast. Walking around, I found a pizza place and got myself a couple of slices of pizza. The pizza was delicious. Soon, Krishna and Naveen arrived and we left for the Colosseum. I have no words to describe the Colosseum. The whole place is imposing but even more awe inspiring is the history surrounding it. Sadly, we had arrived too late to get inside the Colosseum and could only walk around it. Even then, it was an imposing place. It is a sad thing that we couldn’t get inside the Colosseum and we were leaving the next day.
After some customary photographs, we left for our hotel as we all were tired. Krishna and Naveen started feeling hungry as well. So we went to the pizza place which I had visited earlier. The guy there recognized me and we made small talk. I was quite surprised that he remembered me in that busy place and it felt quite nice.
The next day we were to leave for Paris and we checked out of our rooms. We visited the Circus Maximus and made our way to the airport. At the airport, we saw a Ferrari store and I wanted to look at the model cars they had inside. Krishna and Naveen stayed back while I went inside. The lady inside wished me Good Evening and I wished her back and then said “I am not here to buy anything but just to look at the model cars”. She then said “It’s okay sir, I just wished you a Good Evening”. She then proceeded to get a model car out of the display case and explained all the intricacies of it. The paint was made the same way as it was when the car was launched. The leather was hand stitched and all that. Man, talk about customer service. If I had 700 bucks to spare I would have bought the car then and there, not for the car itself but for the customer service that I received.
Soon, we were on our way to Paris where we fell for a touristy trap. That’s a story for another day
Musings of an uncouth 