25 May

We checked out of the hotel and caught the city bus to the train station. The bus ride was rather thrilling, with much zigging and zagging and slamming on of brakes. If there is ever a national brake failure event in Italy, about 1/3 of the population will perish in moments, as they seem to rely on their brakes with an almost religious zeal. We paid 20 Euros for first-class reservations to Rome on a fairly fast, very nice train.

We wandered around in the very large Rome train station for a while before getting our bearings. There was a large book store in the station and we finally found an Italian phrase book. The first thing I looked up was "Get away from me," which immediately proved useful with the panhandlers. A hotel reservation desk in the station found us a hotel in the run-down Motel 6 category about three blocks from the station for 65 Euros a night. It's the Hotel California, and we are in room 42, so maybe it was destined. We could have stayed in a hostel cheaper, but would have had to take the Metro and one city bus to get there. This way, we are situated better for a quick getaway. The strangest thing is the towels. The hand towels are like dish towels, and the bath towels, although quite large, are like tablecloths or heavy sheets. At least the shower is big enough to turn around in – a first since leaving Texas.

We walked to the coliseum, then down to some emperor's pyramid. We started to ride the city buses, but got the impression that we needed tickets and couldn't find out where to get them. We stood in a Metro station for a while in front of a booth that should have been labeled "Stand here to be ignored" before we gave up and just walked. We found the same hop-a-bus company that we've been using elsewhere, bought tickets, and rode a lap around the city while listening to the recorded commentary. The most interesting thing was the traffic. The interplay between cars, buses, scooters, and pedestrians is almost amazing. I don't see how anybody ever survives past forty here. We bought supper at a kebab shop and ate on the steps of a monument in what is hopefully the nastiest city park in Europe. The food was good.

leaving Cecina

Coliseum

Circus Maximus

Coliseum	Coliseum	Coliseum	costumed performers
beggar	Arch of Constantine	Pyramid of Caius Cestius	Porta San Paolo
hotel room