The McCutcheon's Take Italy: Part 8 of 11

July 8, 2019: Cinque Terre to Rome

It's finally happened... the red wine has given me a hangover. Or perhaps it was the one shot of limoncello we drank post dinner. Whatever culprit is to blame, getting up at 6 this morning was not fun. We said goodbye to the beauty of Cinque Terre and boarded a train for La Spezia at 7:22am. In La Spezia we transferred to a different train that would take us to Rome. The ride was about 4 hours and lucky for me the seat next to me was empty the entire way so I got to stretch out and sleep. Needless to say when I arrived in Rome there was no more hangover. We bought Roma Passes inside the terminal and then got on the most crowded bus of my life. It sat, engine off, for 15 minutes before it departed. Passengers were touching every part of my body and I was starting to sweat in places I didn't know were possible. Finally the engine started and the bus pulled away. 12 stops later we were faced with the daunting task of exiting the most crowded bus ever, with luggage. We made it off the bus, barely alive, and walked the rest of the way to our airbnb. Our host greeted us, gave us an overview of the apartment, including the extensive rules regarding trash separation, and then sent us on our way. First on the agenda was lunch. We ended up passing an organic cafe so we grabbed takeaway so that we could cool off inside of our apartment. After lunch everyone napped while Candace and I finalized our itinerary for Rome. After the nappers were roused we headed to Piazza Navona, a beautiful outdoor piazza with fountains, street performers, and a small castle house built in the 16th century.

We stopped for chips and champagne at a small outdoor cafe. They brought us finger sandwiches but the typical american in us responded with "we didn't order these". Our waitress laughed and said she knew we didn't order them. "They're on the house. We usually give small plates to those who order drinks." These italians are really hospitable. We could get used to this. And we did.

At dinner we were given complimentary champagne upon arrival. We now knew better than to say "we didn't order these". 😂We showed our appreciation of their hospitality by doing the only thing sensible-- taking back the bubbly. The champagne wasn't the only perk of this place. The food was excellent. Mom even got homemade gluten free ravioli (the homemade part is a rarity) with lobster (I made sure she shelled it this time!) To top it all off there was an accordion player close by who serenaded us while we ate. Yep we could definitely get used to this.

 After eating and drinking our fill it was time to explore. First stop was the Trevi Fountain. Next were the Spanish Steps. And finally a walk home along the river. A wonderful first day in Rome was had by all.