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Just Stuff on Rome

August 18, 2019

On the train to Spoleto, I’m catching up on this blog.  Traveling alone is doable, still not preferred. I don’t think there is anything I could have done to better prepare. Thanks to Brittney I had fantastic tours set up.

I never over sleep but I had to hustle out both days.  I had walked over to Termini and found the Metro to take to the Vatican but the next morning the metro was shutdown. An Asian family and I shared notes and hustled about the Termini to find the replacement bus.

Once I got off the bus and couple from the UK was also lost and they joined the group.  None of us were on the same tour but we all got to the our locations.

Google maps is a comforting thing.  RF radio is also a godsend.  Both tours issued them.  Without them a tour guide would have been a waste of time especially in the Vatican.   The guide also carried an Ipad for close ups of items to focus on in the Sistine Chapel.

The Sistine Chapel is a lot to take in.

I arrived on the Feast of the Assumption, an Italian holiday.  The homeless population seemed to honor it too and only showed up for the weekend.

Street signs are not well marked, Google maps filled many gaps.

The graffiti was very prevalent. Train I took to Spoleto was covered.

I was told that all the Italians would be on vacation and that seemed to be true.  Observing the number of families and variety of language patterns.

In the Vatican there were two Muslim women.  They were definitely enjoying themselves and taking a lot of pictures.  I’d love to read their blogs, since Muslims don’t allow pictures of Allah and so many of the pictures and statues were nude. But I’d visit Israel with enthusiasm and it’s not my faith, so I guess it’s the same thing.

Outside of Rome appeared very rural and more mountainous than I expected.

Then it was oops, will I know Spoleto in time to gather my bags and get to the door of the train.  Ah ha! I knew the train should arrive at about 2:57.

Phillippe arrived moments later and I met Elliot and Annie on van ride in.