Italy Part 4: To Rome & A Tour

3 years ago in what seems like another life I visited Europe on a whirlwind tour with 50 people from around the globe. Now, I was in Italy with a firmer grasp on the language about to do an intense, in-your-face, fast-footed tour of this amazing country. And while all of that describes exactly how the tour seems now that I can look back on it - in the moment it was actually pretty leisurely and really, really amazing.

On Sunday morning the 27th, I said good-bye to the Pecchini's who accompanied me at the Modena train station platform. I had not expected to feel so attached to them as I had become. The Italy tour which I was heading towards had been my motivation to go to Italy. But while there I had discovered a family and fell in love with them. We took photos and shed a few tears and when the bullet train arrived I hefted my suitcase up onto the train (with my backpack on a la turtle) and waved good-bye. It was difficult. Yet, in my stomach were the butterflies that come before an adventure into the world of unknown. The next part of my journey was about to begin. (Photo courtesy of Martina Pecchini)

The train from Modena to Roma was pretty uneventful. I sat across from a cute, young Italian guy who slept the entire ride. It was a fairly full train with at least one of every pair of seats occupied in the car I was in. I attempted to take a nap but wasn't able to doze so I looked out the window and watched Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany roll by. It was a combination of farmland, town and graffiti-ed walls. Laundry was being air-dried on every building we passed. What a way of life. Not in the "instant, 40 minutes in the dryer, raise the electricity bill and rush onto the next thing" attitude we have here. In Italy, you have fast trains so that when you reach your destination life can slow down and be spent with the people around you. I love it.

I arrived to Rome's Termini station, feeling like I knew the layout of the place this time around. I found the train heading north towards where I wanted to go (Metro A line to Piazza del Popolo). From there I meant to transfer to the tram or whatever it is that takes me to Euclide station. Well, when I exited at Piazza del Popolo I couldn't find anyone to ask how to get to Euclide. There weren't too many people around and when I reached above ground there was a gruff looking tourbus driver who was already annoyed that tourists were asking him how to get to somewhere. I figured I'd just walk around for a few minutes and see if I could figure it out. I hate asking for directions in a foreign country. Back home I will ask 9 times out of 10. For some reason, on this day, I just coudn't do it. I'm sure it was pride. I paid for it in the end!

I found myself in the Piazza del Popolo which is a gorgeous place. It is known as the People's Square and is a huge piazza with an Egyptian obelisk in its center surrounded by a fountain. To the north is the Villa Borghese and the Borghese gardens. Forgetting I was likely no where near my destination and thinking I could walk to the hotel where I was to stay for the night, I headed north up the winding, hilly road to the Borghese gardens. It was hot. Probably around 90 degrees, as it would be the entirety of my stay in Italy. I had my backpack, purse and heavy suitcase that I was pulling behind me on cobblestones. Let's just say that if I wanted a workout I couldn't have designed one that was better. It was like doing a treadmill workout with 30+ pounds on my back and toting another 50 behind me in temperatures suited for a bikram yoga class.

After nearly an hour uphill and on cobblestones (not the smartest idea, which I knew within minutes but kept plugging along) I finally was approached by a nice Italian gentleman who worked in the Gardens as an information assistant. He walked me to a gorgeous 5-star hotel just outside the gardens so that I could hail a taxi. Best decision ever. I certainly by this time did not look like I belonged at this amazing hotel but the bellman kindly called the taxi and away we went. I definitely couldn't have walked the distance. It was a 10 minute ride. Every euro of the 11euro I spent was worth it at that point, even though I beat myself up for not being willing to ask for directions at the Metro station. Hey, I got to see the famous Borghese Gardens (although I'd have to go again to really soak them in). (photo courtesy sluicerobber.com)

I arrived at the Hotel Regent in the early afternoon and the rooms for people on our tour were not ready yet. It was a nice hotel, although pretty far away from anything else. I met Brittany in the lobby and we chatted on the couch for a bit. When our rooms were finally ready we dropped off our bags (after the man at the desk joked with Brittany saying her room wasn't ready even thought it was) and then headed out for a little walk. Brittany was from Calgary, Canada and we chatted about several things during the 40 minutes we wandered. We then grabbed some bruschetta and water (yum!) and then went back to the hotel to prep for our 1st tour gathering. (photo courtesy Hotel Regent)

That night we met in a rectangle meeting room in the hotel and all sat around a long, wood table. People for the most part were not shy and folks chatted with the people near them. I still hadn't met my roommate yet, but I had the chance once the meeting began! Our tourguide, Angie, gave us a brief introduction to the tour, checked our passports and documents and then we headed for dinner in the hotel dining room. The first night together with new friends is always a bit awkward but I had met some of the girls on the tour online ahead of time and that helped to break the ice a bit.

I went to bed "early" around 9:30ish, having worn myself out with my misadventure earlier in the day. Our start the next morning would be too early, but early enough to warrant a good, sound night of sleep before we headed south to scenic Sorrento and solemn Pompeii.