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Published: October 26th 2006
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We arrive in Civitavecchia and the end of our cruise. From here we go to Rome for a couple of days before heading home to California. The cruise line assigns disembarking time based on a variety of things. Making early flights takes priority and it goes on from there. We had signed up with Princess for a tour of Rome so we were assigned a fairly early time. Our bags were picked up around midnight the night before docking and we are informed that they will be placed on a truck for delivery to our hotel in Rome. We did not expect this and it is quite nice not to have to worry about collecting the luggage and moving it to the bus. After a short delay, our bus is loaded and we left the dock for Rome.
When we reached Rome we did a tour of the Vatican and St Paul’s. I used to think Disney Land was crowded but it does not hold a candle to the crowds we have had on this trip. Yesterday was the tops - the line for the Vatican was 20 wide when we got in line. Two blocks later it became
10 wide, and after another two blocks it narrowed down to 4 wide. I can not estimate crowds, but I have never seen lines as long or thick. Needles to say, after about two hours we finally made it in. As we toured the Vatican and St. Paul’s, we decided that the wait in line was more than worth it. When we got to the Sistine Chapel, there were so many people, we stood shoulder to shoulder with other visitors and tried to look up. After leaving the Vatican and St. Paul’s square, the bus made a short tour of the city and delivered us to our hotel. The street in front of the hotel was completely torn up with construction so the bus dropped us off a block away and we had to walk to the hotel. It seems Rome was getting ready for the First Annual Rome Film Festival. Our hotel was located on Via Vittorio Veneto a short distance from Villa Borghese Park. We checked in to the hotel and were advised our luggage would be delivered as soon as it was received from the ship. It was late in the afternoon so we walked down the
street for a few blocks so Marci could go to evening Mass. While she was in Mass, I found a sidewalk café next door and sampled Rome coffee. Back to the hotel, we found our luggage had been delivered so we unpacked and decided to use room service for supper and call it a day.
Sunday the 24th we started to explore the city. An anticipated formal tour did not materialize so on a recommendation from the hotel, we found the “On and Off Bus” and boarded to get a lay of the land. The On and Off Bus follows a route through the city and for a fee you can ride all day and get on or off where and as many times as you want. One of the stops was about five or six blocks from the hotel. The bus could not go to the Colosseum because it was Sunday and some of the streets were blocked. The on and off bus provides earphones and gives you a recorded tour as you pass the main tourist sights of Rome. We got off the bus at the stop nearest the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Again (maybe
because it was Sunday) we could not believe the crowds. We finally worked our way to the fountain long enough to contribute our three coins then we had to move to make room for the next contributor. The Spanish Steps were covered with people sitting in the sun but we did manage to go up them a short distance. Then, as in Paris we made a mandatory trip down the Via Condotti so Marci could window shop the fashion stores and pretend she could buy something if it suited her fancy. It was getting late so we got back on the bus for a ride to our stop. After getting off the bus we decided that it was such a beautiful warm evening that we would eat in one of the Sidewalk Cafes.
Monday morning we wake up to an overcast sky and wet sidewalks from an early morning sprinkle. A quick breakfast and with umbrellas in hand we catch a cab to go to the Colosseum to start the day. At the Colosseum it is starting to sprinkle a little but with rain coats and umbrellas we are not too concerned. After viewing the ruins and other sights
we decided to go back to St. Paul’s square to do some shopping. After picking up a few items it was time for lunch so we found a small café on a side street and ordered. By the time we finished with lunch and stepped out on the street, we found that the sprinkle had turned into a good rain. We stood in line in the rain waiting to board the On and Off Bus. Because the bus is a double deck and the top deck is in the open, the space under cover was very limited. We finally boarded and started back to our hotel stop. About half way to our stop the rain let up so we decided to get off the bus and see if we could find some shops to finish shopping. We guessed wrong, after a block, the rain started again in a downpour. We ducked in and out of doorways and overhangs but it was raining so hard we both got soaked. By the time we got back to the hotel I actually poured water out of my shoes.
Toward evening, the rain stopped long enough for us to go across the street
to a nice restaurant for dinner. We are scheduled to fly out Tuesday morning. Thanks to my stupidity and not thinking, I scheduled a 7:00AM flight home so the shuttle will pick us up at 4:00AM. Our bags must be ready for pickup by 3:30AM so after dinner we packed our bags and decided to call it a night. 4:00AM came very early but we managed to stagger down to the lobby and boarded the bus to the airport on time. We left the airport at 7:00AM Rome time and after changing planes twice we landed at SF International about 5:00PM Pacific time.
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