15th July 2010 - On a train

Not to Rome yet.

We slept badly as the ride is really rough and the noise level very high. Only coffee as there is no food left on train. The crew say they have no change but of course they have change they are just stealing from people. Time passed and so did Italy though there is no sign of the breakfast that they said they would pick up at a stop and we are 5 hours behind schedule. The guard says that we will be 4 hours late into Rome. This train is spectrally  bad (the company running it has lost the contract and service has since ceased)

Spoke to a person in the next compartment she thought she had left enough time to make a 3 hr connection in Bologna and is now very worried. They gave us water tea and a small stale bread for breakfast and we were 3 1/2 hours late into Rome Termini.

The hotel was about 10 mins walk from the station. Daniel checked us in, the place is spread over several floors but strangle the lift does not server any of them! The lift stops at mezzanine floors not attached to the real floors. 

The room is small and clean. The it was out again. Walked to the pantheon. At last a really impressive building. Stopped at a water fountain that they have scattered around, it was really cold and really good. Then a good walk to nova something. Quite packed, we had drinks at a cafe but the spoilt brat of a waitress was not impressed when I did not leave a tip.

Then down to Argentine square that Gemma knew. It was a bit early for dinner so we had a walk around. Watched a woman trying to be run over by a tram! Lots of Roman stuff, surprise!

We had a very nice dinner, with (for me) a 1L beer. Afterwards we took a taxi back to the hotel. The driving was fine, no like I had imagined it. When we got back Gemma realised that she had left her paintings in the restaurant , we phoned them and confirmed that they were there.

Went to bed, woke up boiling as the air con was off. Wondered where Gemma was, turns out she had snuck down stairs to see the boy on reception, as she had taken the room key with her the air con had switched off.

She was down there quite a while as she was trying to get a trip for the next day sorted and needed to send a fax. While the boy was sorting that out she had the work reception including booking some people in and handing out keys etc. Still she also managed to get us some free Wifi.