We arrived at Stazione Termine via train after being rejuvenated in Tuscany. I was on high alert as we entered the hoard of people shoving this way and that in Rome’s main train station, keeping close watch on all of my belonging as the station is a prime area for pickpockets. We emerged unscathed but a little bewildered as we approached the taxi stand. There were just so many people! It was like New York City, but on a cocktail of speed, crack, and acid.
A cabbie jumped the queue yelling at the other drivers. He had one hand on his horn and the other making hand jesters. He waved us over. I felt uneasy. Something about him wasn’t right. But none of the other drivers were trying to shoo us to their cabs, and he was now first in line. He helped us with our luggage, took a quick glance at our hotel name and address, and sped off down the road. A few blocks away I noticed the meter wasn’t turned on. Shit.
Travel Tip – Always make sure the meter is turned on in Rome!!!
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Trevi Fountain Selfie
We raced from Stazione Termine to Trevi Fountain almost as fast as the scooters weaving in and out of traffic around us. I wasn’t sure what made me more nervous, the fact that I knew the cabbie was scamming us or the death wish of anyone operating a motor vehicle in Rome. It was all just too much for my taste – too many people, too fast paced, too chaotic.
Our cabbie slammed to a stop at Trevi Fountain double parking and only leaving a narrow pathway in the road. He jumped out of the car and grabbed our luggage from the trunk, dragging our suitcases a few blocks down the pedestrian street to a hotel. He then demanded 25 Euro. The guidebook said 10-15 Euro should have been the fare. We reluctantly paid, and he vanished as we moved onto our next problem. He left us at the wrong hotel.
Mrs. G. panicked. I panicked. Deep breath. Worse could’ve happened. Nothing was stolen. We were only ripped off of maybe 10 Euro. And our hotel was in the Trevi neighborhood. How long of a walk in the throngs of Roman tourists could it be?
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At The Spanish Steps with all of my Closest Friends
I decided to ask the wrong hotel we were dropped at where exactly our hotel was. We waited for about 10 minutes while the front desk clerk finished up with actual customers. Another employee, probably sensing our panic, approached us and asked if he could help. We explained our situation, and he literally walked us the six blocks to our hotel. I tried to tip him but before I could reach into my pocket for my wallet, he was gone. My faith in the Roman people and this last leg of our journey was slightly restored.
Tiger, the clerk at our hotel’s front desk, helped further restore that faith. He greeted us with a warm smile and enthusiasm that at first seemed almost fake. I thought, oh good, now four star hotel is going to be a hostel… But no, not only was our hotel room ready at 11am, but Relais Trevi 41 was even better than the reviews on TripAdvisor described. Well, except for the occasional wafts from the nail salon downstairs (can’t believe none of the reviews picked up on this). Tiger also assured us that most tourists get ripped off for much more than we did by cabs. While that wasn’t a great consolation prize, it did make me feel like a savvier traveler.
Travel Tip – Don’t let one bad experience ruin trip. There are far more good people in the world than bad people.
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View from the Top of the Spanish Steps
After checking in, we hit some tourist “hot spots” visiting the Trevi Fountain with thousands of our closest friends. I felt like a bumper car bouncing through the masses. I still wasn’t in love with Rome but was trying to find the beauty as we sat to watch the water flow from the Baroque sculpture. There was something magical about the sky blue pool of water contrasted against the white stone. Next we ambled over to the Spanish Steps where even more of our closest friends had gathered to welcome us to Rome. I couldn’t imagine what the place would look like during the peak of tourist season (we were there in May). While the steps themselves weren’t impressive, kind of dangerous in fact, the view from the top was. I was starting to see a romance to this ancient city.
We then completed a walking tour of the Tridente neighborhood popping into a few churches and touring the high design shopping districts. At Piazza San Lorenzo we were reminded of the city’s often violent past where we saw the grill Saint Lawrence was barbecued on. We stumbled down Via Margutta admiring the ivy and brick buildings. It’s here where I thought that maybe I could actually live in Rome. We stopped into a few art galleries, engaging the sales person in conversation and pretending like we actually had the money to purchase a piece. In the midst of the tour was a reminder of just how ancient Rome is – the Mausoleum of Augustus, the first Roman Emperor. Our self-guided tour wound up at Piazza del Popolo where we ascended yet another set of stairs and took in even more of Rome. I was really starting to dig this city.
Travel Tip – Frommer’s Day by Day Guides provide some great neighborhood walking tour itineraries. They are light and compact and are our go to guide books for big city travel.
Frommer’s Rome Day by Day (Frommer’s Day by Day – Pocket)Image may be NSFW.
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On Top of Piazza del Popolo
Dinner was at a local restaurant – as local as you can find in Trevi – a few blocks from the hotel down a dark alley. It was a perfect way to end our first day in Rome with a true Roman feast. We began the meal with crostini’s of prosciutto and spicy salami. The salami wasn’t that which you would find in the United States. The texture and flavor wasn’t as coarse but more delicate and spicy. My main course was pasta carbonara. Once again, it was much different than the carbonara I prepare at home. The sauce was thicker and pancetta was used instead of bacon adding a peppery layer. We topped off the dinner with a courtesy glass of house lemoncello and a salud to the first day of our Roman adventure!
For those of you who have been to Rome, what was your initial impression?
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Trevi Fountain at Night
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