Wash day in Italy

After our full day yesterday we planned on taking it easy this morning and washing some clothes.

Clothes hanging on line

Wash day in Italy

I proceeded to figure out the washing machine. I should have paid more attention when our host showed me how to use it, but I was so tired when we arrived I couldn’t concentrate. How hard could it be to use a washing machine anyway? I loaded it up with the delicate setting and waited for it to wash. It went through its cycle and finished but did not spin so I waited…oh oh, it started over again and again and again. Finally,I realized it was not going to spin and I took a chance and quickly grabbed the clothes before it started to fill again as it was a front loading. To my dismay I found some of my lingerie had no elastic left in them!

I was really careful with the next load, I noticed that the setting on the dial stated, “Cont”; I guess that means to continue, and it saves energy as it does not spin. You take the clothes out and wring them by hand. I didn’t save much energy on that first load. I found the settings for one short cycle with spin and made up for my earlier blunder.

Wash hanging on line

Wash hanging on a line across balcony

Most people in this neighbourhood had no dryers; this is very common in most parts of the world. Here, in Trastevere and much of Italy the wash is strung across narrow roads, over balconies, on lines or a plastic twirler. I really enjoyed the fresh smell of the sheets. It reminded me of my mom hanging out clothes in our back yard when I was little; sometimes they froze stiff on the line, but no chance of that happening here.

Clothes hung on a twirler

Clothes hung on a twirler

I watched the ladies expertly handle those large sheets shaking them out bringing them together like an accordion; shaking some more until all the wrinkles were out, and then unfolding them over the railings to dry. I struggled with them and couldn’t imagine doing this week after week.

I always do a bit of hand washing at home and on the road, but I use my drier in Canada-I want to be energy conscious really…but just don’t want to take the time. Our condo association in Mexico made it a rule not to hang cloths over the balcony, not even a damp beach towel. It is strange because Mexicans, in general hang the wash. I suppose it is because the majority in our building are Canadian or from the United States.

Trevi fountain Rome at night

Trevi fountain-Rome at night

When the wash was done and we were rested we headed out to see the Trevi fountain. It was nice to see it lit up at night, and of course we threw in our coins. We had to make sure we would be returning.

I wonder how may people hang their clothes to dry.

 

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Cowichan Bay a cittaslow community – part 2

Maybe other baby-boomers can relate to this. There comes a time in your life when you know you’re probably not going to sky dive or climb Mount Everest but you still can enjoy the outdoors; o.k. maybe skydiving is still on your bucket list. For me I can’t say these were ever on my list to start with but I get to enjoy the outdoors in my own way.

I found that the Cowichan Bay area has so much to offer in this respect. There is whale watching excursions, crabbing  fishing, camping, hiking, picnicking, beaches, bird-watching, kayaking and playgrounds for children to name a few activities. There are bicycle trails, swimming holes, and tennis courts.

Welcome sign

Welcome to Cowichan Bay

 

Whale watching business sign

Sign up for whale watching

kayaking business

kayaking

Another thing that makes this place attractive for me is that it is only a half hour by car from Victoria and there is bus transportation.

Bus

Transportation on land

It is part of the Cowichan Valley district when the route is completed it will link all the communities with trails that will be uninterrupted for 122 km. I enjoyed a beautiful day, bird-watching and checking out the beaches, even though it was a little windy walking .

I passed many quaint cottages, Inns and B&B’s with neat names like Peggy’s cove ( maybe the owner of that one is transplanted from Nova Scotia).

sign-peggy's cove

Cottage named Peggy’s cove

B&B

B&B

old abandoned cottage

old abandoned cottage

They are trying to control the development with new condos blending in with the current type of homes.

New condows

New condos

I walked over to Hegate Park. There were lots of benches to sit and rest have a snack and watch the activities on the water.

Water view

View of Cowichan Bay

Boat leaving peir

Busy on the water

Then I visited the nature centre at the Cowichan estuary. There was a group of young people enjoying everything including the interpretative installations. They were stopping in from Alberta on a sailing trip around the Gulf Islands having great fun. We all enjoyed the wildlife viewing platform.

nature centre building

Estuary and nature centre

flowers pushing up through the ground

Flowers are coming up through the ground in the woods

 

info about estuary sign

Info signs placed all along estuary walk

There is a group of individuals that are protecting the heritage of the Qu’wut’sun people the ecosystem and adding to the uniqueness of this cittaslow community.

http://www.cowichanestuary.ca/

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Cowichan Bay a cittaslow community – part 1

Have you ever found a gem of a place, close to home, that previously you never knew existed? That’s what I found last week on a visit to Cowichan Bay BC …cittaslow the first slow city in North America.

Cowichan bay Oceanfront suites

Cowichan bay BC Canada view from my room patio at Oceanfront suites

This was a business trip for my husband and as I can work from home or anywhere, I was able to join him. We stayed at Oceanfront suites in a one bedroom. Really nice for me as it was an efficiency suite. There was a nice pool that I swam in everyday. I met a nice friendly lady that told me about the aqua aerobic class and since I was going to be there at one of the class times I joined them. There was a  $7.00 drop in or free to guests of the hotel. This was my first time doing this kind of activity and I really enjoyed it. The instructor was very nice and explained everything well.

Waterside of Oceanfront suites Cowichan Bay

View looking at the water side of Oceanfront suites Cowichan Bay BC Canada

While out for our first evening walk my spouse said , It reminds him of a village in France  and at first I wasn’t so sure about that comment. After spending a few days wandering around I agree with him…there was something about the quality of life. It is a wonderful old fashion community. Maybe they were able to keep it this way, because as luck would have it they were bypassed by the Island highway. Everyone seemed so happy and friendly and the shopkeepers so helpful. We picked up essentials including a bottle of wine at the Market.

The next day I checked out the local shops.

Vickers art gallery

Vickers art gallery

DSC02202-1

 

In the front of Naked mermaid massage is a neat store with all kinds of wonderful collectibles.

DSC02199-1Naked mermaid Aromatherapy massage

Naked mermaid Aromatherapy massage Cowichan bay BC Canada

The Naked mermaid has a great view from the massage table and they also sell natural make-up.

Naked mermaid

Naked mermaid Natural health and beauty

Purchased some great cheese and hand-made crackers.

Hilary's cheese

Hilary’s cheese

True grain bread really fascinated me they mill the flour on site from old varieties of grain. I picked up their pamphlets and in them they write about gluten and modern wheat. Learn how humans have changed wheat and about grains before hybridization. This explains why I have less trouble with inflammation because of  Rheumatoid arthritis when eating bread in countries like Italy.

True grain bread is like an old world European style bakery. ..fresh and organic.

True grain bread

True grain bread

true grain bread

Bread counter at true grain bread

Besides bread I bought a bag wonderful ginger cookies.

flour

True grain bread mill and sell flour on site

coffee or tea with goodies

Have coffee or tea with your goodies

I had a nice cup of organic tea and an apple strudel for breakfast.

When I was exiting the back door I noticed this sign that explained why this town gave off such good vibes. It lays out the rules they follow that lets them belong to an international network of towns where quality of life is paramount.

cittaslow sign

cittaslow sign

The more I find out about this town the more I like it.  When I got home I investigated more and found a list of these communities. It turns out that I have been to another one of these on the list…The wonderful town of Greve in Italy.

Have you ever visited a cittaslow community? I would love to hear about your experience.

truegrain.ca

cowichanbay.com

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Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Cathedral

On Monday Oct. 15th, 2012 we had a big day Visiting Vatican City.

map to Vatican city

You can print out map for directions to Vatican city when you purchase your ticket on line

For some reason God must have thought that we needed to be cleansed before entering the Vatican museum as he released a torrent of rain upon us. It was as if he dropped buckets of water over our heads. We were drenched going from the bus to the entrance of the museum. In Italy it can come down so suddenly and the water rushes down the sidewalks and gutters. In the autumn  an umbrella is useless, you really should have some plastic to put on like a poncho and plastic boots, even if they look awful.

Vatican museum ticket

ticket for Vatican Museum

Because i had purchased our tickets on-line along with our entry time we only had to pass through security, show our passport and trade our printed voucher for a ticket.

Don’t just show up as even in low season the lines can be crazy. I lost my husband but a really nice Italian lady saved my place while I went back to find him.

Line up to Vatican post office

Line up to Vatican post office

map of Vatican musrum

lay out map of Vatican museum

You can pick up a layout map of the museum.

Then the sun came out and we sat in the courtyard and dried off. There was a feeling that maybe we had been given a fresh start for the day. All the rushing in the rain left us in a high energy mood and this was very calming.  It was very peaceful to sit there and just take it all for time.

Court  yard at Vatican museum

First Court yard after entering the Vatican museum

Vatican garden

Looking at the Vatican garden

A ticket can be purchased to include the gardens also and as much as I love to stroll through these peaceful places, physically it would be too much to include in one day ( for me). To view a glimpse of it left me wanting more but it will have to wait for a return visit.

If you have a chance, do go see the Vatican museum. If you love art, you will not be disappointed. I especially liked the Raphael room and the maps. We wandered through many other rooms including, ceramics, Roman antiquities, and tapestries…the museum is vast.

 Vatican museum art

Vatican museum art

Vatican museum art

Vatican museum art

 art on ceiling- Vatican museum

Vatican museum

Ceiling of map room- Vatican museum

Ceiling of map room- Vatican museum

pine cone in court yard vatican museum

pine cone in court yard vatican museum

Vatican museum-court yard of the pine cone

We rested while having an inexpensive lunch in the modern cafeteria  of pizza and sandwiches. The washroom was very nice and clean.

Then another dream came true for me…we went into the Sistine Chapel.

The paintings were much brighter than I had expected. It always amazes me at how it takes my breath away and sometimes brings tears to my eyes seeing familiar works of art up close for the first time. I was concerned about not being able to look up without falling over but it was taken care of for me. I was grateful when I saw the seats. There are benches with plastic backs that you could rest against in order to view the ceiling.

They very generously allowed cameras without flash everywhere except the Sistine chapel as this is a very sacred place. It amazed me that they had to announce this as people just would not follow this rule.

I had to be selective of course as to what museums and galleries that we would visit on this trip. There are always the time constraints and I am not one to rush around just to tick it off some list. I thought if there was one thing in Rome, that I would regret if I missed it, than that is what I need to purchase tickets for. The Sistine chapel was it.

You can go out after this but we continued onto Saint Peters cathedral from the chapel.

St Peters cathedral - holy water

St Peters cathedral – holy water

Alter St Peters Cathedral

Alter St Peters Cathedral

Like all churches St. Peters is free so even if you don’t purchase tickets to the museum or Sistine Chapel you can line up outside the church. The lines are long but move quickly.

St Peters Cathedral Vatican city

St Peters Cathedral

Bernini's fountain

Bernini’s fountain

Swiss guards

Swiss guards

Then we looked around the city and did some shopping and ate. It is a very well kept place with lovely shops and restaurants. We rested in a little park and then took the number 23 bus home.

Vatican stamps make a nice souvenir

Vatican stamps make a nice souvenir

It was another great…but very long day.

For a list of sections in the museum here is the official web page http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Settori.html

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Wandering around Rome

After the flea market and resting up a bit back at the apartment we headed into Rome on the bus 170. We intended to get off at Piazza Venezia but the bus was so crowded that we could not see out and ended up at the end of the line…the Termini station. We were literally packed so tight we couldn’t move. Is this off season? It didn’t matter, we never had any plans so walking around from there was just as good.

Rome is crazy high energy and the traffic is insane and even though it was October there were still many tourists.  As it turns out we discovered on another evening that this day was actually fairly quiet in comparison.

There were lots of people making their way to various hotels pulling suitcases over the cobbles and people taking pictures everywhere.

The buildings of Rome are colossal, and of course there is history and excavations and restorations at every turn of a corner.

The hotels in this area are very upscale and even the building that houses McDonalds is beautiful.

McDonalds

There are lots of lovely cafes under the colonnades and stands selling souvenirs beverages and snacks.

Some of the things we saw were:

 

Fountain of the Naiad

Fountain of the Naiad

an ancient wall and the baths of Diocleation that have been converted into a church.

Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

We headed back on the 170, we needed to rest up for the next day. This was going to be the first scheduled event for us. I booked the Vatican museum and the Sistine chapel for the next day. I purchased the voucher on line at the Vatican website so we could skip the ticket purchasing queue.  We printed out a map and directions before leaving home.

I pulled out all our maps and tickets that we brought with us and used my new portable office to check out what bus to take.

My office on the road

Their directions were from the airport or Rome central.

 

 

 

 

http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=383

I had a little trouble setting my alarm clock as it was on a new phone. I had to set the date and time to Rome first. Our appointment was for 10:00 and we could not be late.

I didn’t plan a lot ahead for this trip as I new from studying art history that it would get overwhelming if I tried to fit too much in.  There was just so much that I would like to see, it would have been hard to choose.

I thought a very loose itinerary was better and it was low season. If we had to wait in a long line we could pick something else. My spouse prefers this, but normally I have to book skip the line in high season, because of my inflammation. Going in October is giving us a chance to take it more day by day.

Not visiting the Sistine chapel would have been the one thing in Rome that really would have disappointed so I purchased tickets ahead.

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

 

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Porta Portese Flea Market in Trastevere and my 2 Euro coat

On Sunday Oct. 14th we headed down the street to check out the Porta Portese flea market. I had read about this market but had no idea that it would be so close to us until my home exchange hosts told me about it. There are about 3.5 km of stalls set by people from all over Trastevere and some bring their goods in from nearby towns. What great luck. People come from all over Rome for bargains, it is popular with Romans, immigrants and also tourists like me. It opens around 6:30 A.M and goes until about 2 P.M.

Plant stall

Plant stall

I understand that you really have to watch your wallet as there are lots of pick pockets lurking about.

One will find almost anything from trendy cloths, new items, sun glasses, baked goods, shoes, produce, furniture and antiques to brick- a-brack. It had a bit of everything and the tables just went on and on.

Canaries for sale

Canaries for sale

We had so much fun checking everything out. I saw a Venetian glass chandelier and I thought…I want that. Then on second thought I would have to have it shipped home and I would have to haggle for a good price, so I changed my mind. I am sure that if I lived in Rome I would have purchased all kinds of things I don’t need.

Venetian glass chandelier

Venetian glass chandelier

I dove right into the action and started rooting around in the bins of clothes.

New red bag

My red bag from Porta Portese flea market for 5 Euros.

I did buy a coat in the new spring green color for only 2 euros, 2 scarves for 1,50 euros each and a red leather bag for 5 euros. I couldn’t believe that I got such good deals.

There were so many things I liked but it would be to much trouble to cart them back to Canada.

My 2 Euro coat from Porta Portese Flea market

My 2 Euro coat from Porta Portese Flea market

Collectibles

Collectibles

Books

All kinds of books

We got some rustic bread to take back to the apartment and some sweet rolls to eat while resting on a bench in a nearby park.

Park near Porta Portese flea market

Park near Porta Portese flea market

 Everything you could imagine.

Everything you could imagine for sale

umbrellas for sale

umbrellas for sale

Colorful ceramics

Colorful ceramics

Bargain hunting at the Porta Porteses flea market

Bargain hunting at the Porta Porteses flea market

It was a beautiful sunny day to do a little people watching. Everyone seemed to really enjoy their bargain hunting and it was a fun day for me that I am sure to remember. Do you have a favorite flea market?

Plants

Plants

beautiful flowers

beautiful flowers

bags

bags

Lemon trees for sale

Lemon trees for sale

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Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere and mass at the basilica.

Piazza Santa Maria Trastevere

Piazza Santa Maria Trastevere

On our third evening (Saturday, Oct. 13th) we made it to Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere and as luck would have it we were just in time for Saturday evening mass at the basilica. This is one of the oldest churches in Rome and it was such a privilege to be able to join the parishioners in such a lovely setting.

Everything doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. A nice time can be had just enjoying the little things in life. Even souvenirs don’t always have to be expensive. For a donation you can pick up these little cards with prayers and information about the church your visiting. It helps them with maintenance, and they become a nice little memento for a scrapbook.

Little prayers, poems and information

Little prayers, poems and information

Santa Maria Trastevere

Santa Maria in Trastevere

Santa Maria in Trastevere

Santa Maria Trastevere

Piazza Santa Maria Trastevere

Santa Maria Trastevere

Young people gathering at the fountain in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere

Young people gathering at the fountain in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere

The square becomes very livley as the evening goes on and young people start to gather for the partying that will take place through the night.

There are many shops and restauants and it is less hectic than other parts of Rome, with a really nice atmospher and people out for an evening stroll. The food is good and even though it is touristy the prices were reasonable.

We joined in the strolling and checking out the shops and making our way over a nearby bridge to get a good look at the Tiber. It was very romantic with lots of young lovers on the bridge enjoying the beautiful evening.

We had what was becomming our daily fix of geloto for another lovely day in Rome and with perfect weather. (mine was pistachio and Al’s was chocolate)

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Getting settled in to the rhythm of Trastevere…and the breakdown of our tram

The first couple of days we just got settled in and recuperated a bit from our long trip and explored our area in Trastevere. There was a modern grocery store called Simply and we got the basics like tea and coffee, some fruit, milk a few veggies and chicken. We picked up Grilled chicken to eat that first night. It seems like this is becomming a ritual picking up what we call happy chicken on our first night in a new place.

There were lots of nice food shops within a few blocks like bakeries, bread shops, small groceries with fresh produce, cheese, wine, and soft just made pasta, buffalo mozzarella and gelato. Everything we would need. We would buy our food at these little shops while we were in Trastevere. There were also lots of nice clothing stores, shoe stores, pharmacies…everything you would need right in our community.

clothing store in Trastevere

clothing store in Trastevere

The meat shop near our apartment in Trastevere

The meat shop near our apartment in Trastevere

Fresh Produce

Fresh produce and a freindly helpful owner

On the second night we took tram 8. We planned on getting out at the Piazza Santa Maria but missed the stop and ended up at the end of the line at Largo Argentina. What good luck as we got to see our first ruins, the spot that Brutus and the other conspirators stabbed Julius Cesar.

Ruins at Largo Argentina

Ruins at Largo Argentina

It was a lovely area and we strolled around and got our first gelato before heading back.

Largo Argentina area

Largo Argentina area

Fountain at Largo Argentina area

When we got back to the tram, it was stopped and empty and every one was standing around.

number 8 tram

number 8 tram

People were confronting the driver and he was throwing his arms in the air gesturing , from what I could deduce, was that it wasn’t his fault or what could he do. We decided it must be broken down. He moved over to a little grass area and I followed him and asked if there was another tram coming. He said a replacement bus to take us back would arrive in a few minutes. True to his word a bus came and picked us up.

This was also good luck for us as it took us on a kind of free night-light tour of Rome on the way home. We saw lots of buildings lit up in all their grandeur. It dropped us off right at the corner by the Trastevere station.

Since inconveniences seemed to turn to good fortune I was certain that Rome would be a lucky place for us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largo_di_Torre_Argentina

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Living like a local with our home exchange in Rome

We made the decision earlier this year to do a home exchange for our Italy trip.

If you have read my tips about home-exchange on my website or read any previous blog posts about it, you already know what a great idea I think this is. It really reduces the cost of travel so that I can go on more trips but also it makes it like a home away. I highly recommend it.

The Italian couple in Rome that we exchanged with were extremely easy to deal with and very friendly, making it a pleasure to make the exchange.

A women living in Venice offered but then I never heard from her again and she never renewed her membership. As it turned out this was very fortunate for us as Rome as our home base worked out beautifully.

I was a bit frazzled looking; I am sure, after the long trip and my fun getting stuck in the elevator at the Trastevere station. (See last part of the previous post) I am sure that I made a terrible first impression and on top of that my hearing aides needed replacing and I couldn’t get an appointment in time before I left. They were booked up for months so I stuck to English. I felt bad but what could I do. My espouse thought we looked pretty good considering how long we were on the road. It seems to me that men always see things like this in a better light.

Daniela and Rolando were friendly, charming and very helpful. This was their second home and they were not able to do a simultaneous exchange, so they waited in the apartment to give us the key. They showed us around their apartment explaining the do’s and don’ts, how to hook up to WiFi  the quirks and running of appliances.

They gave us a map and noted the tram 8 and bus 170. We made good use of those two modes of transportation over our time there. We told them that we had not committed too much in advance on this trip but would just see how things go. The only thing we had booked was the skip the line Vatican museum, Sistine chapel and a Chianti tour out of Florence. We also had train tickets on a Eurail Italy pass. They thought it was good that we were going to Florence.

The apartment was very nicely decorated and had everything we needed. It was in a  perfect location. There was a lot of activity and traffic outside but the doors and windows closed it all out.

They gave us their phone number and told us to call if we needed any help and they would get in touch later to see how things were going for us.

We were very happy with our exchange.

http://www.travel-tips-packing-luggage.com/homeexchange.html

 

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Getting to Rome or Trastevere from the Leonardo da Vinci -Fiumicino airport Rome Italy…and getting stuck between floors in the elevator

eigen foto. GerardM 10 jul 2004 23:59 (CEST) C...

eigen foto. GerardM 10 jul 2004 23:59 (CEST) Categorie:Afbeelding trein (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We arrived at the Fiumicino airport in Rome in Terminal 1 from Amsterdam. We needed to get on the FR1 to go to Trastevere station as our apartment was near there. After getting our luggage it was easy to follow the signs through pedestrian walkways to the railway.

Apparently you can also exit the terminal and enter the train station across the street outside between parking and office building, but we found it easy just going up to the second floor and following the signs for the airport train station.

It is in the same place as the leonardo express that you catch to go right into Rome. The Leonardo express was on the center track it was red green and white. The Fr1 had two trains using both tracks on either side of it as it goes two ways and it is blue and white.

Purchase your ticket at the window for 8 euros and verify it in the yellow machine. It goes both ways so we had to get on the one going to Orte. It is important to validate your ticket in the machine because they run on the honor system. If you get caught on a train without a validated ticket it is a 100. euro fine.  The Fr1 is not as pretty but fine. We got off at the Trastevere station.

The green red and white validating machine goes with the Leonardo with colors like the train and the ticket  is more expensive.

It is easier to board than high-speed but watch the  space between the platform and the train. It is  nice that the train  is close to same level as platform.

Recap: (At the Leonardo da Vinci -Fiumicino airport  we arrived with  Alitalia terminal 1 The Fara Sabina/Orte stops in Trastevere Fr1 leaves Rome airport every 15 min takes about 25 min 8e 2nd floor. )

Leonardo Express. Italiano: Composizione di ca...

Leonardo Express. Italiano: Composizione di carrozze UIC X trainate da una E.464 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is the route. Make sure you pick the train going to Orte , get ready to get out after the Villa Bonelli stop as Trastevere is next. It was very quick and easy with not too many stops from the airport to Trastevere. Because it was off-season in October the train was not full and so it had lots of empty seats. If you go in a busier season you may want to make your way down to the door sooner.

Here is the route off the Trenitalia site.

immagine linea FR1

When you get out at Trastevere you go down the stairs and up on the other side to get to the front of the station. There are elevators and I made the mistake of using them. Going in the down elevator was o.k. but it got stuck between floors on the up  on the other side.

Lucky for us a lady was on it that seemed very familiar with this problem. I think it’s happened before! Well, she was waving her hands making all sorts of gestures. Calling someone on her cell phone, ringing the alarm by holding it down several times. I saw someone looking in at us and I knocked on the window and mouthed… help. I don’t know if he understood but he nodded and walked off . Finally someone came and I could see him cranking the elevator back down.

It was extremely hot in there and I was wearing a rain coat and cardigan. Rome was unseasonably warm this year. ( we lucked out with such good weather) When we got off the elevator I was wiped out… as if the flight hadn’t already done me in. I caved in and let my husband carry my suitcase up the stairs as I was so weak. Had I been alone I would have dragged it up the stairs… they were ominous.

We were close enough to our apartment to walk as it was just a few minutes from the train station and once we were up on the other side I was able to wheel my luggage.

train travelling on the tracks near the station

Train travelling on the tracks near the Trastevere station.

This picture shows a train going along the track.

This was very convenient to be located near the Trastevere station.

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=99eb7bd0cfdea110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD

 

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