Day 6: Rome

Hang on y’all, because I am about to write something controversial and argumentative. I was not that impressed with Rome. However, there are a number of things that impacted my thoughts, and I look forward to hearing what you think as well. 

The main reason I felt this way is there simply wasn’t enough time. We docked in Civitavecchia at 8am, and by the time we could get to the train station (fastest mode of transport) and get into Rome, it was approaching 11am. The all-aboard call was at 6:30pm so we had to be back to the train station at 4pm to catch our train back to the port and the ship. That gave us only about 5 hours to explore a city that should be given days. 

The second reason Rome didn’t make my list was totally beyond its control. We were there on a Sunday, which meant a lot of things were blocked off or closed (the streets around the Vatican, for example). There was also a marathon happening that day, which caused even more street closures. We had booked a hop-on, hop-off bus to see the city, and because of the closures it was more of a large circle than a city tour. Not their fault at all, but still a disadvantage. 

Finally, the crowds! It seemed like there were more tourists than locals. Jam packed with people wandering around with their heads on swivel. Keep in mind, I was absolutely one of those people, but it gave strong “tourist” vibes rather than “authentic Italian experience” vibes. Especially since we were on such a limited time frame that the only spots we were hitting were the tourist spots. On a related note - if you’re on a crowded sidewalk, please, please don’t stop suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk, or allow your small child to dribble a soccer ball. Irritating. 

But…..one of the people I’m traveling with had a good point. This cruise is to give you a flavor of many different cities, he said. You’re not getting a full meal of any of them. In order to get the full experience, you’ll have to do a different style trip and spend multiple days in one city. What he said made sense. So, the short version of the story is we saw the Spanish Steps, had a good meal (really good!) and then saw the Trevi Fountain. That was all there was time for. I don’t think I got the full meal of Rome, so I probably will go back one day. In shoulder season. With a good tour. 

And now, pictures! 

OOTD: Banana Republic Factory (clearance) top, Goodwill skirt. There were no tags inside the skirt, so I think it’s handmade. I was lucky enough to find the matching top at a neighboring Goodwill a week later. 

The Spanish Steps. We walked down the steps, into crowds and a neighborhood of high-end luxury stores. My tote bag is a Longchamp dupe (gift from the cruise line), so I did feel a bit funky wandering into the actual Longchamp store. 

The Spanish Steps. I need more info on these to understand the popularity. 

I love my thrift stores, but I also love my Hermes. Was sad to discover the store closed and the heavy wooden doors locked when we visited. Sunday blues…… 

Lunch was fabulous. We found a side street between the steps and the Trevi, and took our chances. Restaurants near tourist attractions often have higher prices and lesser quality food. This one was delicious, and we were treated to a limoncello shot as a digestive (didn’t see any other tables offered this). 

No historical significance, just made me laugh. 

Before I paid the entrance fee for the Trevi Fountain. At some point, you just have to laugh at yourself and all the picture taking. 

The line to get to the inner area of the Trevi Fountain was less than 5 minutes, so I took advantage of the opportunity. A sweet person standing with her friends saw me doing selfies and offered to take my picture. She was a good photographer! Good reminder that people are kind. 

Pretty landscape shots. 

My favorite souvenir so far - I was gifted a duck! While waiting by the display board my knees just couldn’t handle it anymore, so I sat down on the floor beside some teenagers (it was a very clean floor). After a few minutes one of them tapped me on the shoulder and handed me this little guy. Not sure the significance (when I Googled all I found was the Jeep duck thing), but I’m taking it as a kindness. I also think they figured if this crazy older lady could get all the way down to the floor and sit next to them, she deserved a duck! Ten minutes later they also saved our bacon by getting us to the right train, so double blessing. :)