Sep 13 2004
Train to Rome
In the morning, still in Civita, we woke up by the sound of church bell (which was just next door). It was a bright day. Franco, the B&B owner, told us that if it rained the day before, the next morning, the town would be surrounded by a sea of clouds.
On our way to Orvieto, the town that has a train station to Rome, we took a unexpected detour. Unable to understand what the bus driver was trying to tell us, we boarded a bus that took a longer route.
Which was great! The bus was almost empty except every now and than, a few locals got on the bus, chat with the driver and nodded head with us. We were driven to towns just like Civita. Cats and dogs napping on the strees, barely bothered by the passing bus. In couple of towns, the driver had to make three point turns in the town square in order to get back on the highway. The country side, under the Tuscan sun, was pretty but not novel pretty. Yes, there are cleanly aligned fruit trees and grape vines. But since the land is used in rotation, next to the columns of rolling vines, you’d see dry dirt left bare.
We didn’t take many pictures, just sat back and enjoy. The roads were pretty hilly and winding. When the bus finally arrived in Orvieto 1hr later than we planned, we were both a little dizzy.
The train to Rome was relatively eventless. The main train station in Rome, Termini, was huge. We got off and took a taxi to the apartment we rented. Unlike the owner in Florence, this owner didn’t speak any English. So it took a while to get used to each other. We both loved the apartment immediately. It was spacious, much better furnished, and everything was thoughtfully arranged for us. Since it was on the 7th floor and had a lot windows, the rooms were bright.
After settling down, we followed Rick Steves guide book and took a “Night Walk through Rome” tour. He plotted a route that covered several popular squares and fountains. First we went to the Tourist Information office and boarded a Rome bus for the first time. Since we heard so much after thefts on Roman buses, I have to say it was the most stressful bus ride in my life. All senses went to high gear trying to intercept any unwanted stimulus. I probably over-reacted. Nothing happened in the end:)
There are many public monuments in Rome since the Roman Empire days. The monuments could be beautiful fountains, huge statues, or obelisks. The fountains were especially impressive because of the sculptures around them. But over all, my first impression of Rome was less than pleasant.
Rome is dirty, noisy and crowded. Many city streets were paved in cobble stone, as in Florence. But you see a countless cigarette butts stuck between the stones. The locals are so used to just throw trash on the streets, they don’t even blink. Mopeds and bikes roaming around everywhere there is a space. The only way a biker can alert pedestrians ahead is to make more engine noise than others. Sirens run constantly. Only when you see a policeman sticking his head of the police car, waving his arms fanatically, then you know he’s serious.
It was said that people driving like crazy in Rome. The other way is more true in my opinion: in Rome it is the crazy people driving. They run traffic lights (by law, mopeds don’t have to follow traffic lights!), and park anywhere they want. The subway is no much better. For unknown reasons, the driver like to jerk the train every once in a while, as if he’s running a traffic light on the surface. And the trains are without exception fully coated by street artists. Like many public places (walls, billboards and bridges everywhere in Rome), graffiti are everywhere. Like the Visigoth and the Vandals never left Rome.
Rome can certainly get better.