We were up early this morning to catch the hostel's breakfast in the restaurant next to the main building; it was a little sad compared to other places we have been and yet still better than some of the reviews about Italian hostel breakfasts we have read about (packaged croissant and coffee). Jeff had two buns and butter and I had granola and milk (something like 3 percent, I think - a little thick for my liking).
We then headed off to do our laundry which was conveniently located around the corner from us. We got a deal because of where we are staying and saved 1 euro! It only cost us 6 which was a nice change from 8 or more.
We then parked ourselves at the kitchen table to do some planning. There is just so much to see in Rome and it's not cheap, so planning is absolutely essential (unless your budget is endless).
Similar to Innsbruck and other towns, Rome has a city card called the 'Roma Pass' which is for three days and covers all public transportation, two free admissions to sites/museums, and discounts on other places. It took some figuring out and a visit to the Enjoy Rome tourist office to come up with a plan where we would spend our money wisely, which includes the Roma Pass. We are heading to the Vatican tomorrow to take a guided tour with up to 10 other people (quite small compared to many tours we've seen with 15-20). It wasn't cheap but considering we know little about the Vatican, we thought it made the most sense to be guided along the way. We'll get to see St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel too! We'll probably see the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill on Thursday, then we'll head to Ostia Antica on Friday. The weekend is up in the air to do some more exploring and to wind down for our trip home.
After our stop at the tourist office, we took off to see the Spanish Steps that lead up to a 16th century church and is famous for people posing... lol. And then we headed to Trevi Fountain, which was a chaotic mass of people trying to get close and take pictures. It was a slight nightmare trying to squeeze yourself in the smallest spots possible. Jeff and I were really irritated by people who whacked you with their bags or arms without care and one guy who slowly walked through the crowd reading the newspaper, completely oblivious to the hundreds of people trying to get out of the place! The Trevi Fountain was neat to see but chaotic!
After that we headed off in no particular direction to find food. We found sandwiches and then found something called the Four Fountain corner... obviously with four fountains. Jeff found an old church to look at although we didn't stay long, we're nearly churched out (and yet going to the Vatican tomorrow... lol. Did you know that the Vatican is its own country? I knew it was separate from Rome but I didn't realize it was its own country!).
We sat for a bit outside the Opera Theater to take a break with a gelato, Jeff had pistachio(a guy in Cinque Terre's favourite, so Jeff wanted to try it) and said it was really good and I had coconut that was amazing.
We headed home in the warm sunshine to pick up bread and meat for lunches tomorrow (as well as a few more treats - brie cheese for me and peanut butter for Jeff, lol).
We're just hanging out right now in our place, having a beer and listening to music (Europe - The Final Countdown, 90s dance music, and oldies... lol) as no one is here.
We're going to make pasta tonight for dinner and do a little more research about what else we want/can do before we leave.
Hope you have a super day today,
Lots going on this way and yet not much at all as we sit and and enjoy some fun music!
Amanda :)
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