Travel journal: east Med Princess cruise 2010 (Day 13, II)

Spanish Steps and the Trinita del Monti

Fountain, Piazza d'Espagna

Trevi Fountain, base

Trevi Fountain, top of building

Day 13, 11/22/2010. Part II:

Rome independent tour and journey home

Knowing that finding a hotel to put our bags down was the first step, we found a cab driver who dropped us near Stazione Termini, Rome’s other main train station which was closer to more of the city’s attractions. There were tons of hotels here. The first one we walked into offered us a room for 60€. Shocked at how inexpensive it was, I passed him my credit card without even asking to see a room.

As could have been expected, the property was antiquated at best. Literally terrified of the iron-box elevator with manual doors, I carried my bag up the four flights of steps to our room.

Bags set aside and determined not to let the falling drizzle dampen our spirits, mom and I set out to explore the Eternal City. I had in hand the trusty free map I’d picked up from the hotel’s front desk, and though it was difficult to orient ourselves at first, we finally pinpointed where we were on the map in relation to where we wanted to go.

The first stop on our self-guided walking tour was a nearby church, Santa Maria Maggiore, whose interior bore a surprising semblance in some respects to St. Peter’s. Then we started heading towards two of Rome’s most famous landmarks: the Spanish steps and the Trevi Fountain.

On the way, we discovered this city of architecture, art, history, and culture. It was Monday, so all museums were closed, but I felt like I was in a living museum the whole way, the 2 million other people around me part of the exhibit. We arrived at the Spanish Steps at dusk and at the Trevi Fountain shortly thereafter. Mom and I each took one coin in our right palms and tossed it over our left shoulders, as instructed earlier that day by our tour guide. According to the legend, we’ll both be returning to Rome someday.

We stopped at a small trattoria close to the Trevi fountain to split a liter of house red wine and a four-cheese white pizza. We enjoyed everything thoroughly: food, drink, hospitality, and experience.

We walked back to the hotel, a new predicament in our minds: what about our transfers to the airport? We had no more Euros left to find a cab, we didn’t know how to approach taking the metro there (the map insinuated that we’d have to change lines at least once), and there were no trains departing from Termini station to the airport between 10:52pm and 5:18am. We knew 5:18am was too late a train to take and still make our 6:30am flight. So, we decided to check out of our hotel for the night, grab our bags, walk the two blocks to Termini station, and use my credit card to purchase two open tickets to Fiumicino airport. We boarded in time for the 10:52 train and once at the airport passed our time waiting on the second floor until it was time to check-in for our flight. Thus our great European vacation ended.

While at Termini station, though, I noticed trains departing for Civitavecchia. So when the Trevi Fountain’s prophecy comes true, should I return to Rome by cruise ship, I’ll know how I’m handling my transfers.