Don't Get A Roma Pass

In all my glory of the Vatican I forgot to discuss our decision making process on going in the first place. We expected to get the "Roma Pass" to access all sites within Rome and we assumed the Vatican would be a selling point. Once we noticed it was excluded along with many other attractions we opted not to get one. Heres how we came to that decision and how you can figure out if its a go or a no…

The Vatican - The Good, The Bad, The Evil and The Better

It is duly noted I was not having the best day when it came to going to The Vatican. After all that happened I'd lost all faith. However, this was the one thing we discussed and planned. It was no longer about the train incident. It was more about this is the only day we can do this. I'd already wasted a lot of time in the morning. There is a lot of preparation in going to Vatican City. You have to be well dressed. You have to have your camera and phone all ready. You have to have money preferably cash. Actually, take cash! You have to be ready to receive the gift of going. The reality is it isn't just some tourist site. This is an international place of worship. This is a place people make great sacrifices to get to. While we were discussing the Roma pass versus normal entry fees someone was begging or fundraising to just get close. We were upset knowing that we may not be able to everything and some people just want to be as close as they can even if they see nothing.

7:30am 7/25/2013 Renfre 730 222 Passengers 79 Dead

I don't even know where to begin. I guess it started with my arrival in Europe. I'd like to think there are young kids that come from land locked rural towns. They eventually escape their surroundings via the train and travel far off to a big city like New York. From there they may take their first subway ride to get to the airport for their first plane ride. They may have a layover in Boston or someplace exciting to them. Then they make the grand voyage over the Atlantic to the United Kingdom. From there they take the cheapest route through the English Channel via train. Once in Europe proper they continue boarding these trains to and from. They grow used to the speed, convenience and become travelers in their own right. Then someday they return to their hometowns via slower, uglier trains to tell their story. There is a privilege in riding Europe's fleet of futuristic, high-speed trains. The unimaginable feat of going anywhere in no time. The beauty of high end stations and accompaniments. The scenery so far from blue mountains and amber grain. The honesty of it all. And then….

Footsteps to Sora Lucia

Rome has this great sense of nostalgia. You know of the places and you feel this overwhelming familiarity. Why? You've seen everyone else there … in the movies, on tv and in ads. You feel prepared to walk in the same footsteps of those before you. Those same cobblestone streets. Those same obscure cafes. In the moment you cannot breathe to figure out which direction to go. The anxiety swells up inside of you. What a magical position to be in! To walk, drink, eat, laugh, cry where others have done the same. It's like a honor and homage at the same time. Just being there is enough but that is just the start. To be able to just walk to all points of interests - ancient, classic and modern - you want to run. Trust me on one night in particular I wanted to sprint. 

Travelin' Hygiene - B.O. and Various Shades of Nasty

In Italy, I glistened with the sweat of hard working trolls and stick of a thousand honey bees. It was by far the hottest place I'd ever been - slightly hotter than New Orleans in mid-July. I'm not one for cold but I don't go well with heat. I've had a series of involuntary hormonal changes that just doesn't sit well with it. Let's just say I know what a hot flash is and Italy in Summer is a constant, radiating hot flash. The most annoying part is this never goes away. There is no such thing as a cool morning where the sun moves in creating the days heat. No! The heat is constant, through the night, rain and everything in-between. One day I showered a total of four times. There was just no other alternative. If there were conservation rules I would have easily broken them just to escape that heat and ultimately the stink. I would have even paid to shower.

Roman Holidaze

Having arrived in Rome at night we didn't see much. Our fountain trip and dinner was close to 10pm at night. The next day was our first full experience of Rome. No more running into places and stumbling into things. Now we were trekking the unknown parts of the city and planning our remaining days. She again was the leader on this journey and I simply followed. This time I had plans of my own. I was well equipped with Italian sayings saved on my phone, maps of places I wanted to go and images of the hidden treasures I needed to see. Inevitably, we separated and not in a good way but it was for the best. This way she got to keep aimlessly walking and I zeroed in on the places I'd dreamed of. 

When In Rome

When I think back to Rome I first recall the energy. There was mutual anxiety about the unknown. Neither one of us bothered to learn Italian. I relied on Google to teach me how to say "hello" and "excuse me". She thought her Spanish alone would suffice. For the first time we both had no phone service. The maps didn't work. We didn't have any guidance. There were no plans. We both had short, varied lists of must sees. We just hadn't talked about them since NYC. Surely those lists had changed. I tried to research things and talk about the Roma pass for us. I assumed that was enough. However, we never settled on the pass or anything Italy. Yet things were kosher. The frustrations had only subsided for the journey. Once we landed they returned ten fold. We now were on separate paths. The airport - insanity. The hotel - an hour away. We didn't even know who we were in Rome. Were we Americans? Were we EU travelers? Were we rebels that bypassed customs?