We woke to thunderstorms. It seemed to have been raining all night. We had a quick breakfast, showered, packed and cleaned up after ourselves and then waited for Antonella.
Camilla had booked a taxi for us, for 9:55am. Our train was not leaving until midday but checkout time is 10 am; we don't mind waiting at the station. We both prefer to be early, rather than late and stressing. Antonella arrived at 9:50 am and the taxi soon after. We filled in some time at the station in the cafe there, where we had coffee and a Danish. We then went out to the concourse to wait. After a little wait we found a seat then took turns going into Feltrini Bros bookstore to look at the books. There was a table of English language books and I found one to take on the flight home.
Our train was on time and our seats (singles at the end of the carriage) allowed us to stretch out and better yet, to keep our bags with us. The Italian fast train is the best way to travel. The seats are comfortable and you don't have to sit scrunched up.
We arrived in Rome at 1:35 and fought through the crowds to the taxi rank, which is at the side of the station, in a one way street, which means the taxis have to go all around the station before they even get anywhere! We were to go to Lazio, Trastavere, which is on the other side of the Tiber, the same side as the Vatican.
The journey, through Rome's winding and sometimes one-way streets, took about 20 minutes. The driver dropped us at Vicolo Bologna, which translates as Bologna Alley. The driver was unsure of the numbers so we got out at the church and I left Lindy with the bags while I walked around to work it out. The 'Alley' turned back on itself and number 20 was at the other end, of course! I went back and collected Lindy and the bags and then we had to figure out which bell to press. None of the names on the list were even remotely like the name of the apartment host.
Fabia luckily stuck her head out then, and came down to let us in. (I discovered later that the apartment is owned by her mother.) She spent about 15 minutes explaining everything to us, before leaving. We spent the next hour or so sorting out bedrooms, reading through the tourist information she had left in the apartment, and studying maps. While we did that, we had a cup of tea, which we didn't actually drink. It was foul. (We later discovered that the bottom of the kettle was full of scale build up, but the water is actually very hard. It was difficult to get soap to lather and my hair never felt clean.)
The stairs are a problem. They are steep, and the steps a bit deeper than we are used to, but the lovely apartment, filled with art works, makes up for that.
At 4:15 we thought we should go out and buy some supplies for breakfast. We rugged up because we were both feeling a bit cold, then staggered our way down the cobblestones. This place is a rabbit warren of little streets (alleys) lined with little shops, from tattoo artists to opticians and all thing in-between. Every second place was about food, from small bars to restaurants. We decided on the one we'd come back to for dinner, and then continued looking for an Alimentari. Had almost given up when we found one, where we bought yoghurt, milk, biscuits, and chocolate. We also bought some large bottles of water for our tea and coffee.
On the way to find food supplies, we passed through about three Piazza's, thronged with people. In one, someone at a table in a restaurant was being serenaded, and in another a man was performing with string and soapy water, producing lots of bubbles. There were armed guards in another, standing in front of a building, and plenty of police presence. Every Piazza seemed to have an old church standing guard.
Back at the apartment, we finally had a nice cup of tea!
Later, we went out to the little restaurant we had seen earlier, for dinner. We sat in the back garden, which was decorated with sunflowers and pretty yellow tablecloths. Our waiter spoke English and of course wanted to practise using it. He was a bit of a character. I ordered a bottle of wine and he gave me a taste for approval. Lindy didn't want wine, only water, and he offered her a taste of that too!
We made a simple meal - pasta with meat sauce for me, risotto for Lindy - and had an early night.
Because Trastevere is a nightlife area, it was a bit noisy, but I managed to sleep. At least they keep reasonable hours, with everyone expected to close by midnight.
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