Although our next tour doesn’t start for a few days, thought we might get to Rome early to get a better, longer look at some things we already notice on the tour itinerary.
Our travel through the Rome airport turns into another adventure. We get directed to the wrong baggage pick-up area. We are told to exit through the door ahead of us and turn right. Once past the door, which will not let us back in, find we have taken a “shortcut.” We skipped the customs check altogether. Again, after some additional help, do find where to get our luggage. Get “special permission” to re-enter the customs area and get our luggage.
The next adventure is getting a cab to take us to the Hotel Diana. As we follow the signs which direct us to where to get a cab, find we are getting many offers of “special rate.” Only 75 Euros – about $90 US for a 20 minute ride. As we just about finish the gauntlet of many cabbies trying to snag some unsuspecting tourist – us, we agree to an offer of “only” 50 Euro.
http://www.hoteldianaroma.com/en/default.html
Our cab driver converses with us totally in English. While driving us to the hotel, claims to take us on a short guided tour of some of the key places to make sure we visit while we are here. We do get to our hotel. Tell our story about the rate to the desk staff who say we should have taken a white color cab which is the “official” cab. The rate would have only been 45 Euros. We were happy to get to the hotel and after checking in set about “learning the neighborhood.”
We first do a 1 block round walk, then decide it is time for lunch. Stop at a local deli for a sandwich and cold drink. Fully fortified, now try expanding our area of familiarity. On this walk, we locate the Termini train station that we will be using when we leave Rome for Florence. Being curious, I convince Carol that we should “investigate” the inside and see how difficult it might have been to take the train from the airport. After seeing so many people going helter-skelter, decided the cab ride was less taxing on the nerves.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma_Termini_railway_station
http://www.raileurope.com/europe-travel-guide/italy/rome/train-station/termini-train-station.html
We continue to walk and observe all we can until we can tell it is getting near dusk and time to fill the personal fuel tank. We pick a café just around the corner form the hotel and enjoy watching people walk by as we eat Pizza Margherita. We find the Gran Caffe del Passeggero may become a regular stop (-:
http://www.grancaffedelpasseggero.it/gellry/
http://www.grancaffedelpasseggero.it/welcome-in-fish-restaurant-rome-termini/
We talk about having 4 days on our own, before meeting with another new group of Road Scholar travelers.
Photo 1. Leaving Sliema Malta early morning.
Photo 2. Entrance to Malta Airport.
Photo 3. Open air book sellers near Hotel Diana. (-:
Click below for today's online photo album.
https://picasaweb.google.com/magwheel44/2013C2CDay12of28
