Sand, steps and saying goodbye

Monday 16th August

Sunday was sunny and hot again so we went on the metro and another train to the beach at Roma, Lido Centro.  Walking from the train station we passed some very full beaches.  They all had about 50 feet of sand between the road and the sea, and they went straight onto the sand from the pavement.  We walked onto one part to be met by a 'Ciao' and a guy asking us for our tickets.  We left to find a 'free beach' and found it a bit further down the road.  We chilled and  sunbathed on the sand for a couple of hours, then went back to Roma for food and packing.

We went back to the Spanish Steps for the last time, after first eating down a side street.  There were two little restaurants on opposite sides of the street, both with waiters trying to get people into theirs.  We chose one and sat outside, as the waiters discussed us being 'bella English girls' not very subtley.

At one point a strange man stood next to our table in the street, looking at us.  The waiters all laughed and told 'Billy' to leave us alone, then told us he wasn't dangerous.

We went and sat on the Steps and enjoyed the warm evening whilst listening to music.  As we got up to leave, a group of people started chanting Spanish football songs and waving a Spanish flag.  People joined in and started clapping so we stayed for a while longer before finally walking back to the metro and back to our hotel.

This morning was an early one - alarms went off at 5am - and we were walking to the train station at 6 to get our bus to the airport.  We were served breakfast in a cafe by a woman who hated either her job, English people or both and waited to get on the coach.

We're in UK airspace now and should be landing in about half an hour.  It feels like the trip has gone so quickly but then looking back over everything it seems like we've been gone for ages!  All in all it's been an amazing experience and a fantastic adventure!

Stride like the rooster!

Pretending to be gladiators and getting lost in ancient Roma

Monday 16th August

Saturday dawned rainy, causing our hotel woman to apologise profusely.  Compared to Prague it was nothing, so we took jackets and got off the metro at the Colosseum.  We queued and queued and queued until we reached the ticket desks, when all queues seemed to stop meaning anything and it was more of a free for all.  There was a guy a bit ahead of us wearing what looked like a Roman toga, stripy dress affair.  We wondered if he was working or dressing up for fun.

We got in and promptly couldn't find the way into the main arena.  Eventually going through an exit we emerged into the rain.  The tour group game was on again as we dodged and tried to overtake people en masse.  For a while we couldn't figure out how to get upto the higher level of the arena, but after more walking and following confusing signs we found stairs.  It seemed to be warmer and less rainy at the top so we walked around it thoroughly.

It had mostly stopped raining by then so we headed out of the shelter of the Colosseum and over to the Roman Forum and Palantine Hill.  We walked all around the ruins and sat in the sun for a bit, listening in to English tour groups.

We ended our day by going to the Spanish Steps again to watch the world go by some more.  Before going back to our hotel we got snacks of pizza and chips from a little takeaway.

Stride like the rooster!

Spending a day with the nuns

Monday 16th August

Friday called for us to go out in 30 degree sun wearing jeans and tshirts, in order to get into the Vatican.  As we arrived we saw a huge queue snaking around the open space in front of the Basilica and joined the end.  We actually kept moving and were at security in about twenty minutes.  People were then getting turned away if they were 'innapropriately dressed', including a family who had decided to completely jump the line.

Once inside St Peter's Basilica we walked around and tried to avoid tourgroups.  Everywhere we looked there was another huge part in an alcove, or another side chapel; at one side there was a nun and a priest going into confessionals.  We had a bit of a ponder about who the Pope confesses to, and carried on.

We saw the Pope's tombs and then queued to go up the main dome.  The prices said that to walk it was €5 and for the lift up it was €7.  Looking like there were a lot of stairs we opted for the lift.  We then saw another sign further along that warned anybody who had the slightest ailments, or who wasn't an Olympic athlete, that there were 320 steps after the lift.  Turned out it is 551 steps without the lift.

After a lot of slightly concerned looks, the queue moved forward and we were herded into a lift, past families with young children whose tickets said 'on foot'.  Out of the lift we had a view of the Basilica from up high and the ant people below looked very small.

We hit the steps and strode up all 320 without too many stops.  At the top it was pretty crowded but the views were awesome.  We realised that we could describe each trip destination we had been well by it's roofs and layout - having been up something high everywhere.  Back on the ground we wandered around looking for the Sistene Chapel for a while before admitting defeat and asking a nun where it was. 

She directed us to the museum so we paid and followed more tour groups going through lots of amazingly painted rooms before eventually getting to the Sistene Chapel.  Everyone was looking around in awe and a uniformed man at the front was shushing loudly and telling everyone to be quiet.  We spent time looking around, craning our necks to see the ceiling and noting how it didn't look like there was a join of wall to ceiling - instead it just curved round.

After another quick walk around the outside of the Basilica we went back to the hotel to change into much less clothing.  We went out and over to the Castel Sant Angelo and found a market so we wandered around before going to eat - lasagne and pizza called. 

We ended our evening on the Spanish Steps watching people come and go, and getting in peoples' photos.  One man decided to tell Claire that she was clearly 'Britney Spears!' and then proceeded to sing 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' at her.

After a few hours and after the sun had set we headed back to the hotel.

Stride like the rooster!

Buongiorno bella Italia!

Monday 16th August

We got off the night train at Roma Termini station and wandered outside, armed with only a map from Google.  We found our hotel, even though Google evidently didn't deem half the road names worthy enough to be on the map.  We found the building anyway and met a maid who told us to go up to the third floor.  A tiny lift complete with old fashioned doors and gate took us up and we checked into our room. 

The owner of the hotel was a lovely woman who gave us a map and circled everything of interest, then told us the Vatican would be closed on Saturday and Sunday because it was a big holiday in Italy.  We decided to go the next day - Friday - and see all the major monuments the afternoon we arrived.  After showers and a change of clothes we went to buy a week pass for the metro - as recommended by our hotel woman. 

With only two metro lines it was very straight forward but for some reason all the signs were painted orange.  This did not become our favourite colour.  We hopped on at our stop - Vittorio Emmanuelle (an early Italian soldier) - and hopped off at Flaminio to see the Piazza del Popolo, and then walk down to the Trevi Fountain along Via Del Corso.

We threw coins into the Trevi Fountain and sat watching the world go by for a while.  We then crossed over to the Temple Adriano, which we walked past slightly by accident on our way to the Pantheon.

The Pantheon was very impressive and not too busy so we went inside and walked around, looking up at the huge domed ceiling.

Piazza Navona was next and we sat in the sun while Claire had gelati.  One half of the square was full of artists and stalls selling pictures, the other side of the centre fountain was emptier and just had tourists walking around.  The centre fountain is said to be the most beautiful fountain in the world.

We had been told to go to Campo di Fiori but it looked a bit empty, like a market had just been packed away.  We carried on to Ponte Garibaldi, a bridge crossing the river to the old part of Roma.  It seemed very quiet and a bit deserted so we didn't stay for too long and decided it was time to eat instead.  We ate in a small restaurant which advertised it's air conditioning.  After a while it did get slightly chilly and it was nice to step out into the evening sun once we were finished. 

We jumped on the metro back to our hotel for an early night in real beds again.

Stride like the rooster!

Overnight travels

Monday 16th August

We just took off from Roma Ciampino airport, heading for Liverpool.  It's strange being in the air instead of going through countryside on a train. 

Once we got on the train to Rosenheim it was a quick hour until we arrived.  Rosenheim station was, inevitably, under construction so it was a bit of a trek to the food shops.  We found McDonalds and feasted before making our way to the platform.  Our night train was due at 9:43pm and we were ready and waiting to go. 

9:43 came...and went. 

After a short burst of impromptu dancing, much to the amusement of the other passengers on the platform, the train arrived just after 10pm.  We clambered aboard and were directed to Cabin 9 in Wagon 255.  We knocked on the door when it wouldn't open and a man let us in.  We had the top two bunks of two 3-bed high bunkbeds. 

There were two men on the bottom bunks, one was from Malaysia, the other from London.  Both were getting off at Florence.  We didn't know if anyone would join us between Rosenheim and Roma, so we settled into our bunks and soon fell asleep.  It was surprisingly comfy, with plenty of rucksack space by our heads.  We set our alarms for 8am so we could gather our belongings and be in a fit state of awakeness when we arrived in Roma.  A woman came along to give us back our passes which she'd taken when we got on the train.  She greeted us with the news that two bags had been stolen in the night and that police were on the train arresting people.  A lovely welcome into Roma.

Stride like the rooster!

New friends, sherbet and a fortress adventure

Friday 13th August

After the Mirabell Gardens we headed back to the hostel and then walked over to the Old Town across the river.  We saw Mozart's birthplace, the Old Town Hall and generally walked all around the little cobbledy streets.  We saw the Marionette Theatre which was performing the Sound of Music, but it was a bit too pricey (and a bit too much Sound of Music for one day).  Instead we walked to Residentzplatz and the fountain there.  Also a location from the film, so more photos and us going 'ooh, they did this, that and the other here!'

We had been told on the tour to go up to the Museum of Modern Art on the mountainside - but for the view, not the actual art.  We did just that and looked out over the whole of Salzburg.  It was yet another amazing view and really showed how small the city is compared to Berlin and Paris.  We ate dinner in a little historical restaurant that had part of the original 13th century wall still intact.  After eating we headed back to the hostel over the Mozart bridge (also in the film).  We went to the bar about 8pm for a quick drink before bed.

After two drinks one of the staff came in and asked if there were any native English speakers.  A load of us all went over when he explained why - he wanted us to proofread new webpages for the hostel website.  In return, we'd get vodka.  I went up to collect some pens and pages to look over.  We were soon joined by a guy travelling on his own and we went through a few pages whilst talking about our travels and England and Manchester, bonding over Primark and the nightlife there. 

Once everyone was done we stood around talking as vodka shots were poured.  The staff guy took out sachets of sherbet and introduced us to 'vodka fizzers' - emptying the sherbet into your mouth then having the vodka shot.  Slightly nervously we all did it and the reactions varied from smiles to gagging.  It was a strange taste but chasing it with our original drinks helped a lot.  Two guys started singing 'God Save The Queen' - as you do - and we went back to our table with new drinks.  Our friend from earlier came back with the two singing guys, who were also from England - and a Spanish guy called Carlos.  We all chatted and had another vodka fizzer.  We were suddenly joined by another guy who plonked himself down and proceeded to talk at us for hours and take lots of photos. 

At about midnight the barmaid came over and said it was time she cleared the bar out.  We looked around and realised we were the only group left.  We moved next door to the dining room and carried on chatting for another half hour, until the two singing guys had to leave to get their night train.  We eventually got into bed and fell asleep at about half 1 after a greatly hilarious night.

Next morning we felt a little delicate but were looking forward to going to the fortress, which we'd been told was good in the bar.  After an amazing hostel breakfast of omelette with every possible filling, we walked over the river and through the Old Town again to the fortress.  We got on a funicular railway to the top and then walked all around the museums.  As we were walking through the courtyard we met the strange guy from the bar again.  After polite conversation we made our escape and proceeded to enjoy a game of Fortress Hide and Seek.

Our train wasn't til 7pm so we wandered around Salzburg and sat in the sun in the Mirabell Gardens until it was time to get our rucksacks from the hostel.  We were set to get a train to Rosenheim then a sleeper train overnight to arrive in Roma at 9am the next day.  We ran down a platform and jumped on an earlier train to Rosenheim.  We were on our way again.

Stride like the rooster!

The hills are alive!

Thursday 12th August

Our first day in Salzburg was met with sun and warm temperatures; we had arrived in the sun at last!  We got up early, had breakfast at the hostel and went out to join the Sound of Music tour we had booked on.  There were posters all around the hostel advertising it, so I wasn't embarrassed to say I'd been on it.  (Not that I would have been anyway!)

We met the coach at 9:30am, with a huge picture of Maria and the children painted on the side.  I lost count of the amount of people taking photos of the coach as we drove past.  We set off and our tour guide - a very camp man named Peter - told us about the history of Salzburg and bits about the film and where we were going.

After a short drive, our first location was the lake where the kids fall out of the boat.  Rising above us was the mountain the film was shot on - the Untersberg.  We took photos and didn't act out falling into the lake.  Back on the coach we drove to the Hellbrunn Palais and gardens.  It was all painted yellow, a colour which would have no doubt looked awful in England, but here looked sunny and fresh.

We went into the gardens and saw it.  The gazebo from 'Sixteen Going On Seventeen' and 'Something Good'.  It was locked because an 80 year old woman had visited some years before and tried to run and jump around the benches, as in the film...she ended up breaking her hip.

 

After a few photos we went back to the coach and were told we'd be heading out of Salzburg for our next stop.  As soon as we crossed the border out of Salzburg the bar opened and the soundtrack was played.  the views were much like those from the train with amazingly clear skies above. 

After a while we saw a lake with a small town on one side.  It was Lake Fuschl and it's town.  Some shots from the start of the film, and scenes with the children's Do Re Mi picnic were filmed there.  We couldn't stop as the coach was too big but we drove around very slowly instead.  It was so beautiful, all the houses - a lot of them 'pensions' (B&Bs) or with 'zimmer frei' (Rooms available) - had lots of flowers all over the balconies.  It looked very traditionally Austrian; people in lederhosen and long dresses were walking around and the views were just incredible.  We want to retire there.  They had little poles sticking out of the roofs, so that when it snowed it would melt slowly and not avalanche and hurt someone. 

We left Lake Fuschl and drove on to Mondsee, where the wedding scene in the church was filmed.  The church was also painted yellow - an Austrian favourite apparently.  The rest of the buildings in the small town were painted all different colours; blue, pink, pale green.  We had an hour to see the church, wander and have some food.  There were two gift shops, one selling really nice lace and handcrafted cuckoo clocks, the other the tackiest of souveniers, including all sorts of Sound of Music magnets and books.

Resisting buying a singing magnet, we got back on the coach and were driven back into Salzburg. 

On arrival back we were told to go into the Mirabell Gardens and see where 'Do Re Mi' was also filmed.  It was an amazing place, with flowers and pathways leading up to the Pegasus fountain, next to the ivory covered walkway.  Up some steps was a 'dwarf garden' with about ten statues of strange looking dwarves.  We spent some time taking photos and generally walking around before seeing the steps from the end of the song montage.  More photos and then onto the rest of the garden where we found the statues at the entrance and thus took even more photos.

Stride like the rooster!