I was just thinking if i don’t write about the Europe trip i think it will be wiped out from the memory just like the post below and so i started writing a some weeks back and finalised it a couple of days back but after clicking on post - everything just disappeared ! Pooof it was like a magic show :D I was tired and annoyed but well here i am trying to recollect on what i have written previously.
The journey started as we flew into Rome, Italy also known as Roma in Italian. If you don’t already know Rome is the capital of Italy and the country’s largest and most populated city. The city is full of history which spans over two and the half thousand years. Simply magnificent.
This was near our accomodation , actually literally outside. Poor hubby battling with our luggage throughout our trip
We landed at Fimiucino Airport 23 April 2011 about 7 am and took an express train into the main terminal train station and from there we took a metro train to the nearest stop of our B&B accommodation. This place was just a stone throw away from Colosseum. One of pictures below show Hubs admiring the view of the Colosseum by the window. This place was not best for its entrance and having to climb up 3 flights of winding stairs everyday was truly a struggle. Especially after 10 – 12 hours worth of walking. From its entrance it looked really old and rundown as they were apparently renovating it. However, the room was neat, clean and not too small . Private ensuite was always our option and it was non negotiable for staying at a B&B. We paid 100 euro per night for this place.
Straight after we checked in we left our luggages and headed out to check Rome out 
. We walked around and found a buzzing coffee bar. We were told prior to our trip that drinking coffee and having your pastry or baguettes over the counter/bar helps saves lots of $$$. Its very true that you pay corpetto (surcharge) if you plonk your butt on one of those chairs at cafes or bars. If you would like to sit down just be prepared to pay 3 to 4 times the price in comparison to having it over the counter.
We paid 4 euros for 2 cappuccinos and 2 pastries. We walked out with a big smile plastered over ! So cheap !
We continued our journey walking around and did what tourist do best – taking photos ! Lots of photos ! haha
Us outside Roman Forum
We engaged ourselves with Dark Rome – Colosseum & Ancient Rome Tour for a 3 hour session in the afternoon. So ,we found ourselves walking very near Colosseum for lunch. This was a huge mistake as we walked in to a big tourist trap! We were convinced by the waiter to order a medium coffee because he said “small is really small ” The medium one was like 6 euros (because we are seated) Both our coffees cost us more than the pizza itself !!!
Anyway, to make the whole experience worse , i had this faint memory thai read somewhere that says Americano was similar to a cappuccino style one! But i was obviously WRONG ! It came out like a long black served with milk on the side. Like Kopi –O. Lesson well learned !
Pizza tasted great though and Hubs focaccia too
We went around taking more pictures while waiting for the tour to start
We were in Rome over Easter weekend and you can imagine the crowd. Well, it was not only overseas people flocking to visit Rome, but Italians from all over Italy too !! The crowd was crazy ! If you don’t go with a official tour that provides the skip the line services, be prepared to queue for hours. No kidding , the lines are as seriously long .. kilometres long.
Hubs and i found ourselves always on the guard, on the look out for pick pockets. We avoided crowded areas for photos. We normally take quick peek and move on if the particular spot is too crowded. We heard too many scary stories of very clever pick pockets to take such risks.
I personally was struggling to catch up with this tour session,. I was tired from climbing the hill , overloaded with information – the history and stories that the tour guide had to share. I was trying to multitask. Steal some shots, listen to them , look around and soak in to the whole history thing. Don’t get me wrong, Dark Rome tours made it very easy, with an extremely friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. They provide a remote device with a disposable earphone where we can hear our guides – best thing is you don’t need to keep to a close proximity to hear her. It was probably impossible due to the crowd.
Finally us and the MIGHTY COLESSUEM
Overlooking the Palentine Hill
Part of Palentine Hill
After our tour we continued walking around the city central . We saw
Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II
We had our first gelato in Rome ! This was it. Pistachio & Hazelnut flavours. *smacks lips*
Oh and we had really bad food on the first night in Rome. We were tired so we opted for a Ristorante (restaurant) very near our B&B ! It was horrible although there were heaps of people eating there. My pasta was undercooked. I was thinking this can’t be how the Italians cook right????
And our journey continues …
I guess they were trying to have a rustic finishing to their cafe ?
