step by step the roman journey begins

we had a slower morning this morning...we did not leave the hotel until 9:30...we took a taxi to the train station and boarded a train for rome...it was a beautiful ride through tuscany...we arrived in rome our last stop on this INCREDIBLE trip...a little frustrated with the station...information was not easy to find...however, our hotel is very close to the station...only a few minutes by foot...we make a quick stop at the hotel...eat a little and hit the streets...the streets of rome are busy...very busy...we are certainly in an urban center...

we decide to take in a couple of specific sites today...we have 2.5 days to see it all...as we walk, we once again are caught up in the window shopping...ginny loved the look of these sandwiches...she thought that they looked like sushi (sorta)..we have eaten a lot of sandwiches on this trip...this makes me think of food in general...my friend kathy will cringe to read this but i have not enjoyed food in italy as thought as i would...we ate great pizza in vernazza and that as been the highlight...i miss french bread...oh how i miss the bread...

we make our way to trevi...you know the fountain...it was packed with people on a thursdy afternoon in the off season...lots of energy and activity there...we take the opportunity to mark our spot...

it really is quite spectacular....

other sites from the fountain...

we hit the streets again...off to the spanish steps...

at the steps there were lots of tourists....lots of energy...horse and carriage rides (maybe tomorrow night)...vendors selling there goods...there was a group of men selling these stress ball like things to the crowd...they were balloons filled with sand or something...they had yarn pieces glued on for hair and paper eyes glued on...they were nothing special at all...in the 20 minutes we sat on the steps we were asked to buy at least 6 times...they were persistant...we were more so...this makes me think about all of the requests made of us on this trip by people in the street...there are lots of people in the streets begging...the most distressing for we were the young mothers who came up to us today in the train station...baby on hip and hand out...they were insistant...i really hate the way i feel in these moments...at dinner tonight (we ate early and the restaurant was empty)...a man came in...looking over his shoulder to make sure he would not be caught by the restaurant host and approached our table...he had watches and bracelets for sale...it took a strong NO to send him away....arghhhhhhhhh....anyway...here are the spanish steps...

the infamous long-armed shot on the spanish steps...

more of the steps....

we are really into this marking our spot stuff...

from our spot on the steps we watch...we have definetly arrived in a new land...the energy of rome is different than that of florence...venice...nice...even paris...looking forward to seeing more of it...

we ate a little dinner close to the hotel this evening...we will hit the streets tomorrow...map and rick steves in hand...ginny has so carefully torn out the pages for the various cities we have travelled over the past two weeks...tomorrow we will take a bus tour...a classic hop on and off...rome is a little big for the walk everywhere approach...the bus will give me a good feel for the sights and then we will dive in to those things we want to see more of on saturday...

i can not believe that we are 3 days from our journey home...it has flown by...and yet it seems like we are a world away from paris...from nice... from the cinque terre...in many ways we are...