Italy: Day Two
Uh... So I slept for like 12 hours. Well, no. I was awake for around 2 hours in the middle of the night, but was in bed for 12 hours. During those two awake hours, I just laid in my uncomfortable-ish bed smiling. I seriously could not stop myself from just grinning like a spastic. I really cannot believe we are here.
After my epic slumber, day two began with a much needed shower and then a fabulous breakfast buffet at the hotel. All I can say about that is: Best. Coffee. Ever. And in my opinion, all breakfast buffets should include chocolate cake. Just sayin.
Following breakfast, we decided to go full on tourista, and got tickets for one of those open topped, double decker, hop on hop off bus tours. Jumped on and hit the upper deck. There was supposedly narration, but their little earbuds did not fit in my tiny ears, so I decided I didn't really care what they were saying anyhow - I just wanted to SEE some things. Didn't really even care what. Hell, the "plain" old buildings were just as magnificent to me as the giant palaces and ancient churches.
We only did one hop off - at the Coliseum. But we did NOT battle the lines to try to go inside. After we hopped back on, we just rode the rest of the tour til we got to Trevi Fountain, where we jumped out again for photos and then walked back to the hotel for a quick rest. Then an enormous salad for lunch, followed by the tiniest bowl of the richest chocolate gelato I have ever had. It was barely bigger than a coffee scoop (2 tablespoons?) and I could not finish it. We debated what to do next, but opted for just hopping BACK on the bus and riding the entire loop again. The day was warm, sunny and breezy and it just seemed like a relaxing way to get a few good photos.
Back by our hotel, we did some quick little shopping (I went into every silk tie shop within blocks of the hotel, and discovered that neither paisley prints nor diamond point bow ties are currently trendy here. Sorry, Steve.) I picked up a new leather belt and a bracelet with the pope on it for me and a postcard to send to my buddy, Spencer - now I need to find STAMPS! We then hit a sketchy crypt right across the street from our hotel. There were literally skeletons so small they had to have been children decorating this whole joint - including ON THE CEILING!
Dinner was yet another unfinishable pile of delicious food. (They say portion sizes in America are too big... Holy Christ. I have not finished a single thing here yet - and the waiters and waitresses always seem shocked, so people much usually...). I had an incredible pile of gnocchi with meat sauce and my mum had an awesome lasagna (which I stole an amazing bite of). And then it was off to see La Traviatta. I have wanted to see a GOOD opera since we walked out on a horrendous performance of Madame Butterfly performed by a Russian troupe in Albany when I was in middle school. Act I was stunning. Act II bored us both. We snuck away during intermission. So I still have yet to sit through an entire opera. Maybe I should take the hint.
Back at the hotel now thinking about the day. A few random thoughts that hit me during today: 1. Smart Cars do not seem anywhere NEAR as stupid as they do in the states. 2. I kind of really want a Fiat Panda. 3. I saw a building today that was like 2800 years old... Makes my 84 year old house seem like an infant. 4. Italians wear too much perfume/cologne, but... 5. This city smells amazing. 6. I love shutters. 7. My next house needs shutters. And a really big door. And a rooftop terrace. And 8.:
...it was a year ago on this very day that I had the first doctor visit that truly terrified me during the year long quest of trying to figure out what was wrong with me. A year ago today that I called my mother crying, certain I was dying, and exclaimed, "But I've never been to Italy!". I was on bus tour when I realized it and I just could it stop crying. Amazing to think of what all this year has put me through. All I can say is that I am grateful to be here and thankful to be alive and well!
It was sort of strange missing St. Paddy's Day back home. It is, obviously, Ryan's Pogues cover band, The Boys from County Hell's big time of year, and they always play pretty much all day. I've never missed it since we've been together, even with my awful doctor stuff last year. I missed him today and hope that one day, he and I can take a vacation TOGETHER!
Oh. One more thing before I go. In an ultimate act of touristiness, on the way to the opera tonight, I bought a fake Prada bag on the Spanish Steps! And I talked him down from €20 to €15. It's real leather, and my favorite green, so I feel pretty good about it.
Ok. That's all for today. My sister arrives tomorrow and I want to be rested for whatever we decide to do while avoiding the Rome Marathon all day.
Xxo, Phoebe
After my epic slumber, day two began with a much needed shower and then a fabulous breakfast buffet at the hotel. All I can say about that is: Best. Coffee. Ever. And in my opinion, all breakfast buffets should include chocolate cake. Just sayin.
Following breakfast, we decided to go full on tourista, and got tickets for one of those open topped, double decker, hop on hop off bus tours. Jumped on and hit the upper deck. There was supposedly narration, but their little earbuds did not fit in my tiny ears, so I decided I didn't really care what they were saying anyhow - I just wanted to SEE some things. Didn't really even care what. Hell, the "plain" old buildings were just as magnificent to me as the giant palaces and ancient churches.
We only did one hop off - at the Coliseum. But we did NOT battle the lines to try to go inside. After we hopped back on, we just rode the rest of the tour til we got to Trevi Fountain, where we jumped out again for photos and then walked back to the hotel for a quick rest. Then an enormous salad for lunch, followed by the tiniest bowl of the richest chocolate gelato I have ever had. It was barely bigger than a coffee scoop (2 tablespoons?) and I could not finish it. We debated what to do next, but opted for just hopping BACK on the bus and riding the entire loop again. The day was warm, sunny and breezy and it just seemed like a relaxing way to get a few good photos.
Back by our hotel, we did some quick little shopping (I went into every silk tie shop within blocks of the hotel, and discovered that neither paisley prints nor diamond point bow ties are currently trendy here. Sorry, Steve.) I picked up a new leather belt and a bracelet with the pope on it for me and a postcard to send to my buddy, Spencer - now I need to find STAMPS! We then hit a sketchy crypt right across the street from our hotel. There were literally skeletons so small they had to have been children decorating this whole joint - including ON THE CEILING!
Dinner was yet another unfinishable pile of delicious food. (They say portion sizes in America are too big... Holy Christ. I have not finished a single thing here yet - and the waiters and waitresses always seem shocked, so people much usually...). I had an incredible pile of gnocchi with meat sauce and my mum had an awesome lasagna (which I stole an amazing bite of). And then it was off to see La Traviatta. I have wanted to see a GOOD opera since we walked out on a horrendous performance of Madame Butterfly performed by a Russian troupe in Albany when I was in middle school. Act I was stunning. Act II bored us both. We snuck away during intermission. So I still have yet to sit through an entire opera. Maybe I should take the hint.
Back at the hotel now thinking about the day. A few random thoughts that hit me during today: 1. Smart Cars do not seem anywhere NEAR as stupid as they do in the states. 2. I kind of really want a Fiat Panda. 3. I saw a building today that was like 2800 years old... Makes my 84 year old house seem like an infant. 4. Italians wear too much perfume/cologne, but... 5. This city smells amazing. 6. I love shutters. 7. My next house needs shutters. And a really big door. And a rooftop terrace. And 8.:
...it was a year ago on this very day that I had the first doctor visit that truly terrified me during the year long quest of trying to figure out what was wrong with me. A year ago today that I called my mother crying, certain I was dying, and exclaimed, "But I've never been to Italy!". I was on bus tour when I realized it and I just could it stop crying. Amazing to think of what all this year has put me through. All I can say is that I am grateful to be here and thankful to be alive and well!
It was sort of strange missing St. Paddy's Day back home. It is, obviously, Ryan's Pogues cover band, The Boys from County Hell's big time of year, and they always play pretty much all day. I've never missed it since we've been together, even with my awful doctor stuff last year. I missed him today and hope that one day, he and I can take a vacation TOGETHER!
Oh. One more thing before I go. In an ultimate act of touristiness, on the way to the opera tonight, I bought a fake Prada bag on the Spanish Steps! And I talked him down from €20 to €15. It's real leather, and my favorite green, so I feel pretty good about it.
Ok. That's all for today. My sister arrives tomorrow and I want to be rested for whatever we decide to do while avoiding the Rome Marathon all day.
Xxo, Phoebe
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