Phil and I in Rome

1st pic is of castle. The Tiber River runs through the city and there are beautiful bridges to compliment it.

2nd pic is the line to get into The Vatican (actual church). The line was unreal. I couldn't imagine what it's like in the summer. We went in the morning so we only waited 20 min.

3rd and 4th is Philip and I cheersing at a restaurant.

5th pic is us eating gelatto in front of the famous Trevi fountain.
___________________



We saw everything in about 3-4 days. I mean everything. We trucked our asses all over that city despite the occasional rain.

I think I'm most amazed with The Vatican. Unbelievable. If that church was in my neighborhood, I may have considered becoming Catholic.... OK, maybe not. But seriously, it was breathtaking. And the Sistine Chapel was glorious. You have to go. You have to go. OK, one more time, YOU HAVE TO GO.

Oh, and we ate nice lunches and dinners and drank tastey wine. And of course we did nothing but lay around for a couple of days.

I tell ya, renting an apartment is the way to go. It comes furnished with pots, silverware and plates, so you can cook. It can be real money saver and it's relaxing. I cooked breakfast a few times. And it's nice to be able to store drinks and snacks in the fridge. And in Europe (not sure about US) it's cheaper than a hotel.

In addition to my rant on Rome

OK, so I reread my rant on Rome and I have to say I wasn't entirely fair. Yes, I meant what I wrote previously, but not everyone was an a**hole.

Philip and I had great service in all but one or two restaurants we dined at. It was the best service I've received in Europe in regards of attentiveness. In addition, the people were very friendly.

The woman we rented our apartment from was extremely nice. And the agency we went through were very accomodating. We changed places because first we stayed in a b&b, but it was more like staying in a room at your grandma's house. Don't get me wrong, I like staying at my grandma's house, but not with my boyfriend, if ya know what I mean. ;)
______________

Yeah, and grandma (not my lovely grandma) but this grandma can kiss my a**. So Philip and I had our own dining room where we received a nasty ass complimentary breakfast, which consisted of store bought pastries that you purchase in the gas station in the US for .50 cents; Kellogg's Corn Flakes; and white bread, like Wonder Bread.

Come on! Are you serious? Considering the money we paid grandma she should have made us some homemade bisquits and jam. No only that, but I'm in Italy I don't want to eat Corn Flakes! I don't eat that s*** when I'm at home. And there's bakeries on every f***ing corner!

OK, one more complaint about grandma. So like I said Philip and I had our own dining room. On our second day I'm having coffee while waiting for Philip to get ready and she tried telling me I couldn't sit in that seat, that it was for someone else, and that mine and Philip's seat were over there. I just about had it with her.

OK, so one more complaint, I swear it's the last! On the third day when we finally decided to jump ship as we are walking out, I notice on the other dining room table (for other guests) was bakery style bread. Not only one, but two!

F*** you grandma!
________________

Anyways back to Rome.... so it was like in 48 hours all those little things added up to total frustration and feelings of helplessness.

I'm sure it can be hard for service employees to work in a touristy city. I remember serving and bartending and I hated tourists. If you got a southerner or a European, forget about it, because you knew no matter how much you busted your ass you were not gonna get a 15-20 percent tip.

BUT I just don't like being nickeled-and-dimed. And that's what I felt in Rome.

(In pic above is an example of kindness in Rome. A gift to me from a waiter at a restaurant that Philip and I dined at two nights in a row because the food was really good. OK, second night was not planned. The first restaurant that grandma recommended wasn't very good. Cool atmosphere and good apps, but entrees well, they weren't buono!)

Arrived in Bologna, Italy on Friday

After a 3 hour delay, having no seat for 1 hour, and hearing a couple f*** in the bathroom that reeked of piss, I finally arrived. I'm staying with a Couch Surfing host Francesco and his brother.... um I forgot his name!

They live in a little country housed 20 min outside of city center. They're very nice.

I'll write mo lata.

Arrived in Florence on Tuesday

Stayed for 3 days with my Couch Surfing host Checco, a Sicillian, and his two roommates, Luca from Naples and Carmen from Madrid.

They were great. Exceptional hosts. I'll post more lata.

Not staying on farm near Venice

I made a boo boo. I totally forgot to register for my Italy WWOOF membership. And I need it in order to wwoof on the farm. The owners told me they would wait for me, but I need my membership card upon arrival, and that may take a couple of weeks to receive via mail. And I'm hopping around so I do not have a permanent address to send to.

You're probably thinking Why not have it mailed to the farm? I asked, but again, they need it upon arrival. I understand because they want to make sure people pay the membership fee (35 dollars). It's a little disappointing because I would have liked to spend Christmas in Italy. But on the bright side, now I get to visit Naples and Sicilly. So next week when I'm done visiting Italy, I will go to my farm in Greece. Luckily the owner has room for me now.

And the farm in Greece will be more quiet and low key. Whereas the farm in Venice is huge and appears to be a bit chaotic. Not only do they make wine, cheese and sausage, they also offer field trips to local schools. So yeah the more I think about it, I'm glad I won't be surrounded by kids. Hey, what can I say? I like quiet.

Brooke's Dirty Thirty

So, I just realized I won't be in town for my 30th birthday (Feb 10). Awe shucks.

Well, I think I will have to throw a little bash when I return.

2nd adapter broke

Mother F***er! (That's for you Nicole.)

The Best of Rome

The view from Orto Botanico, a park.

We went here on Friday and it was so clear you could see snow capped mountains, but my camera was out of juice! D'oh!

So we went back on Sunday on a not so clear day, but you get the picture.

The dome building is the Vatican.

Where's Brooke?

Where's Phil?














Pics are of the Palatino and Foro ruins, next to the colosseum. It's a huge park, that was once considered the center of the city.

This is an example of why Rome is so amazing. In the middle of the city are ruins.

Train from Barcelona to Milan

Our train left Barcelona at 8pm and arrived in Milan at 11am. We woke up to views of snow capped mountains.

Then from Milan we took a 4.5 hr train to Rome.









Us eating dinner in the dining car. Wine was delicious. Food was OK, but better than Amtrak.













Phil and Brooke getting drunk in the bar car.












I think this is the "Creepy Brooke" look.

FYI, close family and friends of mine say when I drink "Creepy Brooke" comes out. Meaning, I get a little freaky. OK, that's all I'm gonna say.









Our room.

Behind the chairs, two bunk beds pull out. To left (not in pic) is a small closet and sink.

It may look extremely small, but it's comfy.

I like taking overnight trains. I've done it twice to DC. Spending 10-12 hours on a train may sound like hell to some, but I really enjoy. It's relaxing and romantic.

We could have spent .25 less money to fly, but it's just not the same.

I highly recommend taking an overnight train whether it's in Europe or in the US.

More Water Please

That's me filling my bottle with water from a spigot in a park. Spigots are pretty common in Rome. You can find them in parks, near some monuments.

The water is perfectly safe to drink. From what I've read, Rome has some of the best drinking water in the world. (Oh yeah, and so does Chicago. So people, quit buying bottled water. It's all good!)

Lady, play me some music

It was neat watching this little old lady playing an accordion by the Patheon in Rome. She received a lot of coins from pedestrians.

Brooke got duped

I'm a chump.

See the a**hole dressed as a Roman gladiator? Yeah, those guys are everywhere in Rome. But the first time I saw them was Saturday at the colosseum.

After we walked outside, I saw this guy and found him amusing, so I decided to take a picture of him from afar. But he caught me. He grabbed my hand and with his charm persuaded me to wear a stupid headband and pose for a picture.

Then he insisted Philip take a pic with him.

Then the mother f***er said, "5 Euros." I was surprised. I thought to myself Aren't you a character like at Disney World or something who gets paid to do this? No, he's not.

Philip claimed he knew the guy was gonna ask for money. So I argued why did he let me take a picture with him. He said because I was having too much fun. OK, Phil, that's cool, but not cool that this guy is getting 5 Euros for being a sneaky prick.
_________

I was more mad at myself for falling for this scam. I felt like a country bumpkin in a big city. My game was totally off in Rome. I lost my street wits. I blame it on Philip... I was in la la land with my boyfriend and not thinking clearly.

Rome, the city of hustlers

See now, I have a love/hate relationship with Rome. It's absolutely beautiful and the history is down right amazing, but seriously, this city is ridiculous. It's run like a credit card company, ie, expensive charges and hidden fees. From the restaurants to the street vendors - it's like they're all out to get your money with no ethical standards.

The street vendors are out of control. They're in your face constantly trying to sell you roses, glow stick things and telescopes. Mother f***ers even try selling you umbrellas when you're using one!

It's to the point where it's just plain obnoxious. Hey, I understand these dudes gotta make a living, but no is no. Last night for example, my reserved, sophisticated boyfriend told a vendor if he brings a rose over to our table he will punch him in the face! If you know Philip, this type of behaviour is out of character for him.

Don't even get me started on how outrageously priced food and drinks can be. I understand restaurants and bars are overpriced in tourist areas, but 4 euros (about 5 US dollars) for a Coke? Kiss my fat a**! Even when Philip and I ventured out of the tourist hoods, prices where the same.

Not to mention, more restaurants than not, charge you for a basket of bread. Come on, are you serious? Or are we just spoiled that in ALL Italian restaurants in the US, a basket of bread is complimentary?

AND a few times we have been over charged. Now, I understand this happens as a tourist, but I've been traveling since September and this is the first city I have been over charged in, and not to mention it's happened more than once.

One more complaint, the cabs. Automatic charge is 2.40 Euro plus mileage, OK fine, but at night it's 4.40 Euro plus mileage. So you're paying 4.40 Euro right off the bat, just to get in the cab. What's so bogus is Rome's metro doesn't run all night, so your forced to take a cab, because you're not gonna truck your ass all over Rome at 2 am in the morning.

Omigod, I almost forgot! Get this one. On Saturday, Nicole, Philip and I go to this jazz club. It was a 10 Euro cover charge. When we received our drink bill there was a 5 Euro fee, per person to sit at the table! F*** off!

It's common in Rome to be charge 1-2 Euros to sit at a table in a cafe, bar or restaurant. BUT we paid a 10 Euro cover charge! And you're gonna charge us an additional 5 Euro to sit at a table? Philip the attorney that he is, told them we weren't paying the table charge and we didn't.
__________

I know I've complained a lot, but my comfort level was not at its highest because I was consumed with being ripped off. Frankly, I was pissed off too much. I know there's nothing you can do about it, but I don't like. It doesn't make me feel good about this city or its people. At one point I told a dude to f*** off. Now, I know it's not smart, but that's how pissed off I was. I kept thinking Oh, my Denmark, how I miss you so!
__________

Now don't be scared to come to Rome. My recos, come for 3 days to sightsee and go to other cities for food and drink.

Oh, and pretend like you don't speak English. I've learned to just shake my head and talk gibberish as if it's another language, when they're in my face. These people think Americans are rich, which I suppose we are compared to them.

Or just be a bad a**. Don't let anyone take advantage of you. If you show any kind of weakness they will.

D'oh!

Philip missed his flight yesterday. Obviously, I spent one more night in Rome with him.

I'm ready to bust out of this city. I'm tired of these triffling ass people. Yes, you read right, I used the word triffling.

I leave for Florence in 1.5 hours.