Day #23
Breakfast
(See day #21 for Breakfast description ;)
Again, no hot food. It seems the standard offer is salami and cheese pieces, cereal, and assorted breads. Tea, coffee, juice, "Acqua Minerale" are all offered.
Taxi to Mestre
We checked out and got a taxi to Mestre (even though it was walking distance we were now packed with luggage and we thought a taxi might be easier). The taxi took us there and it was 15 EU!! What a rip off!! (I later found out that taxi drivers add extra for Sunday + holidays (i.e. Easter Sunday) + to airports (or train stations obviously ;) + whatever else they decide to add). I was not happy with this amount but being in a country that didn’t really speak English I didn’t know what I could do and just paid up.
Train from Mestre to Roma
The train for Mestre to Roma was largely uneventful except we had a long conversation with a Latvian couple (We talked mostly about beaches, alcohol, temperatures [Latvia reaches -30 deg C in winter], capital cities [Riga], occupations [he was real-estate agent - he said that like Australia, Latvia has had a house price boom in recent years]).
Roma Termini
Finally we reached Rome, and Roma Termini train station. As I stepped off the train, I got harassed by a guy wanting to carry my luggage (not a train station staff member - just some yobbo). I said "no, thank you" and he said a whole bunch of things in Italian (probably better that I didn’t know). I then tried to ring the hotel to work out how far away they were (this is quite a daunting task). One phone said something on the screen that I guessed meant "out of order". So I went to the one next to it. I then dialled the number and an electronic voice said something to me in Italian. To my relief it then said in English "The number you have dialled is incorrect". I tried it again (from the print-out) and it still didn’t work so I gave up on this option. I then went to the railway information and asked how far away the hotel was. They said "go to tourist information near platform 24". So I went there (after dropping Amy off at an icecream shop). I looked everywhere but I could not find it, so I went back to Amy. She "tag-teamed" and got and went to railway information. They told her to go to "Tourist Information near platform 24" too. Amy did this and found the place was closed and then went back. The rude #%*$&# pretty much refused to talk to her after this but the other (nicer) guy with him told Amy it was closed because it was a public and told her to get a bus or taxi from outside the station (he also thought the hotel was a long way away).
We went outside and a "touting" taxi guy asked us if we wanted a taxi. We showed him the address and he said "oooh … a long way". We asked how much he thought it was cost and he said "40 EU". We looked at each other and decided we could accept that. He then took our bags and drove us across town (The train station was on the east side and our hotel was on the west side of Rome so it was a long way). I couldn’t see a meter (and he didn’t have taxi written on the top) so I asked him how much? He said "how much want you to pay?" He said "35 EU - 45 EU" I said "40 EU" he said "ok" and I paid. I don’t know if I was ripped off but after the 15 EU trip that morning this seemed like a bargain (we later read in the guide never to accept trips from these guys - it didn’t say why - He did drive like a maniac through the traffic - but that didn’t worry me - I have 2 brothers who have done some amazing things to/with cars ;).
Check-In
Finally we arrived at our hotel. During check-in some people came up and started rabbit ting off questions to the reception lady. She apologised to us and said how rude it was for people to do that in front of us (this is the most polite I have seen anyone on our trip yet!). She also said that the tour companies should be more elastic (her English is a bit funny - she used the word "kind" instead of "polite").
Dinner
For dinner we went to a restaurant down the road. Nobody here spoke any English which I found very refreshing (it made me think we were finally in a non-tourist area). It was great fun making our orders and telling her that the food was "buonissimo" (the word I learnt from a shopkeeper earlier when I misused "bellissimo"). She was very happy with this (especially as she knew I only spoke English and appreciated the few words of Italian that I could get out).
I went to the toilets and they only had female symbol on them. Amy asked her where the "Toilette" was, and she pointed at the girls toilets. I did not want to set off any alarms, so I said "senora" and pointed to myself and shook my head ;). She said "no, duo" and motioned me in. Ok …. I went in and there was a door inside with a girl on it and one with a boy on it. Why they do it like this? Who knows.
After all this I then asked for "il Conto Per Favoure" and Amy paid (she called me her "Toy Boy" which the waitress seemed to understand, and was amused by) and then we left.
Sleep
One down side of Italian hotels is that neither of the (3-star) hotels we have stayed in have kettles, or tea making facilities, whereas every British hotel did.
Also, one of the most critical items on these holidays is Febreeze - don’t leave home without it.
One thing we have noticed is that in Britain and to lesser extent here people spit on the footpath. This doesn’t seem to happen in Australia (anymore). It means you have to keep an eye out when you are walking :(.
