Rome

We docked in the port city of Civitaveccia which lies about 45 minutes outside of Rome. After breakfast we headed into town to see the sites. One of our coolest memories from our first trip to Europe 10 years ago was the amazing hot chocolate. The best way to describe it is if you take a really good chocolate bar and just melt it until it is drinkable, add a touch of heavy cream... well, THAT is exactly what Italian hot chocolate is like! YUM, it was worth the wait to taste it again!. In the harbor square there was a huge statue of a Navy sailor and his woman. Well, with Jim being my Navy man and me his woman... we just couldn't resist. See, Linda and Susan.... some places actually encourage kissing!

We wondered around for an hour or so just window shopping and headed back to the ship thinking we might just take a nap.as we had visited all the big tourists sights in Rome last trip and had not really planned on going there this time. However, our wondering spirit got the best of us and we decided to make our way into Rome for a "Roma"antic late dinner. ( Get it...eh??? Roma... "roma"antic. At least I haven't lost my sense of humor) hahaha Anyway, we managed to find the train station and even purchase the tickets on our own. Jim made the mistake of giving me the option of going first class or not..... silly boy. However, my true wisdom would be exposed later. After a very comfortable and liesurely train ride to Rome we wanted to head back to the Colosseum area where we had dined on our last trip. So, as they say...when in Rome...do as the Romans and we did. We found the Metro (subway) Station and feeling quite proud of ourselves, we waited for the public transportation system to work its magic. Well, unfortunately we had failed to realize that we were trying to travel through a major metropolitan area right smack in the middle of rush hour! Sometimes it is hard to remember that not everyone is on holiday, as they say. Luckily it was just a few stops down the line so after being packed in like sardines, having some lady wipe her face on my coat sleeve and realizing that even if the weather is cold, too many human beings in too small an area, ummm.... stink, we arrived.

One of the most amazing feelings is coming up stairs from the subway and walking literally right into a full view of the Colosseum. Talk about culture shock. From the grime and hustle of the modern city right into the world of gladiators and chariots. I didn't think it would feel as awesome this time, as we had already experienced it before, but it still takes your breath away. We made our way to a little outdoor cafe and got a table right under the heater. Yes, the weather is a bit chilly here this time of year, but that is just part of the expereince. People hustle in and out of the subway station, but somehow they all seem to just slow down a bit as they hit the streets of Rome. With the heater warming us and the magnificient sight of the Colosseum lit up behind us..... we ordered some "real" Italian favorites. Jim opted for the lasagna and I had the cannaloni stuffed with meat. We started with some bruschetta which is always great. Now I have to be COMPLETELY honest here..... the food was good, but my cannaloni actually tasted EXACTLY like Chef Boy'ardi Ravioli in the can! I am NOT kidding. So, apparently I have been eating "real" Italian food for years and never knew it!

So after we ate and enjoyed some hot cappacino, we headed back into the subway, or as I call it, HELL. Travel note.... just because you have to PAY to use the bathrooms.... doesn't mean they are being taken care of! STAY AWAY! Then it was back into our sardine can for the few stops back to the train station. Also an interesting note... the are not really big on signs here. But undaunted we pushed on. Well Jim pushed, I kind of limped behind. Apparently the train leaving to go back to Civitavaccia is located at the furthest and I do mean furthest end of the station. And our timing was perfect in one way because the train was leaving almost immediately, but not perfect in the fact that we had to get to it within minutes and I am not exactly a sprinter by nature! As there was no option for first class this time... we had to take the commuter train. There are a LOT of people leaving Rome about that time of day, headed back to their homes in the outlying towns. (clearly it is obvious that I am NOT a "city" girl) So we had to stand up much of hte way home. I managed to grab a stair to sit on a couple times. THe train slowly rambled on stopping in each little town and village until we finally reached our stop (the LAST one on the route). Believe me, the extra expense for the first class ride into Rome was sure being seen as money well spent now! But the good and the not-so-good all work together to make up the memories we treasure, don't they.

So, the sun rises on Day Two in the port city of Civitavecchia. After the very long and very tiring excusion into Rome last night, we were happy just to go into town and soak up some local culture. The streets are full of vendors but most of the stuff they sell is sort of cheap, dime-store souveniers. Although I did manage to find a thing or two that I just had to have. We stopped into this little cafe and we are so happy we did. The place was busy busy busy but still it had a warm and welcoming feel to it. The owner was a dead-ringer for Les from Hardcore Pawn! It became immediately clear that this was a family-run operation (just the kind we like). Every customer that came in was greeted with a big smile and a hand-shake. The owners wife was one of hte cooks and after a few minutes she came out to join her husband for lunch. That both ate a big round ball of home-made fresh mozzerella, still warm it seemed. They shared a hot loaf of bread and some vino. One of the sons was handling deliveries and a granddaughter was running around like she owned the place, or at least knows she will someday! The food was deliscious. We had a bowl of baked cheese and shared a pizza. The pizza was definately made by hand and not exactly "round" but man-o-man it was fantastic. Then we picked a couple of desserts from the case, including fresh cannoli..FINALLY! The atmosphere was just so friendly it didn't matter that we had no idea what people were saying, it just all kind of made sense somehow. With a cup of hot coffee, it was a great way to relax away an afternoon. Back to the ship to get ready for our final excursion. Tomorrow is is on to Piza and Florence.