DAY 11, finishing up Rome
We got up early this morning and took our luggage to the lobby of the hotel where we will be storing our luggage until this evening ..our flight doesn’t leave until close to midnight. This may sound strange, but when I book flights and I look for the best deal, I do not want my traveling time to be in the good part of the day….especially since I rarely sleep anyway. But to reassure I did ask my companions if this was something they were ok with…good deal, flying at night, they all said Ok, they were willing. If nothing else on this trip they have learned to wing it, go with it, there will always be a hike involved, nothing is ever easy, and if it could ever go wrong, it will with Kim…. luxury and comfort are sacrificed for experiences, adventure, excitement, and trying new things.
So the plan today was continue exploring Rome. We decided to go to the flea market, but I couldn’t remember exactly where the one I found a couple of days ago was…so asking someone he told me there were two…the big one and the tourist one….of course, we chose the big one….I warned the girls before we came Rome has a thing about saying everywhere is 5 minutes away…no matter where it is….well the guy told me it was 10 minutes away….so I knew this would be a longer hike….the girls decided this was Kim time….”just around corner ” meant 3 blocks ….5 Minute walk =1/2 hour….just up here was about 2 kilometers….so my philosophy: “when in Rome!”
So, of course, we want to go to the big market and understanding Roman timetables, that means it would be around 30 minutes away. After walking several blocks, we realize that we were getting into a part of the town we were not familiar with and they seemed to be getting a little paranoid. May had to do with the constant looks and the strangeness of our presence in this neighborhood. So we turned around and headed back to the tourist market. Angie and I had found a pair of pants we both liked, however, we never bought. I did buy a few things like everyone else. After a few hours of shopping, loading up on carbs, Angie wanted to go back to the area where the Trevi fountain was because she had found a purse there the first night. After several “5 minutes away”, and just around the corners, we made it to the store, and she brought her purse. However, the rain had begun, and our trash bag ponchos adorned our bodies. After taking pictures we decided to go back to the hotel and get luggage so we can begin our trip to Santorini in Greece. It was 7pm and our flight left at 11:30 pm. The gentleman at the hotel called us a taxi to take us to the airport. I think riding with a Roma taxi driver is an adventure in itself.
Emailing our next room in Santorini, asking for a shuttle to pick us up at the airport, and the times of our arrival. However, the plan was to hang out at the airport for a couple hours then arrive at room because the room did not open until 8am. Of course, plans like that never work out.
travelingwithkim 