ROMA Part 2

More time to blog about Rome. Last entry on Rome as we only spent one day. Onward HO! So the 1st picture of our hands and food is our first lunch. It's our first lunch together, a start of our food extravaganza. We eat and eat and eat some more. Food is no where near back at home. Especially how cheap it may be. Well, it's all about eating isn't it!! Okay, not for everyone, but for the Chinese culture.....food is everything. hahaha.

 Alright, tried to find the name of this site, huge white building guarding it by Roman Guards in while uniforms. It's like a city hall, but I guess i didn't take a picture of any info so I can't remember what it is. If I do, i'll let you know. I can't find the map we have....perhaps i should go find that map. Eh, another place that you don't see in Vancouver. hehehe. Important history, only if you study history...Roman history in fact.
We would rather study another history!!!! ICE CREAM....opps, not ice-cream, it's GELATO!!! WHOHOO We followed Tanya's guide book in search of a great and famous Gelato place. All to find that it was closed. Who close their doors during the summer!!! What, a holiday? Not when you are in the Gelato business!!! HAHAHAHA.Alright, so we had to hit up another location. So instead of going to famous hot spots and taking pictures of beautiful buildings made years and years ago, we go hunt another Gelato place.We found a place called GIOLLTTI. It is the most renowned ice-cream parlour in the city. It started in 1890. These people supplied the Italian Royal Family. Now this is a place the you got to try if you ever come to Rome.  It was delicious. The price wasn't to bad. Lots of people. Did you know that you have to pay for everything first before you pick what you want!!!! Some things, like pastries or specific items you would have to tell them what you want, but normally for ice-cream, you pay at a different counter and then choose your ice-cream. It was a hard change from getting your product and then going to the cashier to pay. Different country, different norms.
Their website if you want to check it out. hehehe. http://www.giolitti.it/english/home.html
 Alright Dad, this picture is for you!! I'm not sure what the Chinese words say, but it's a Mr. Chow Restaurant. HAHAHA. I had to take a picture of it. Did I go in to talk to them? NO. Did I go and eat any Chinese food? NO. Will I go and eat Chinese food? NO. HAHAHA. Only what I am, i'll eat. HAHAHA.

So after all the food, gelato, sightseeing, we are off to Florence. Well, we tried to go to Florence. Instead, we ended up in Milan....or how the Italians say it, Milano.  This was not part of our trip. We got on the wrong train, heading to Florence. Just not stopping in Florence. It went right through it. :( So sad. We were not happy campers. PLUS, we got fined for not getting our Eurail not stamped. Why do they take advantage of travelers??




Here I am, after 2 hours (8-10pm) Trying to find a hostel to stay at or a hotel in the area. No luck. Everything is full. There was an exibition going on so there was no room. Well, there was room in a 3 or 4 star hotel at 200 Euros a night. NOT!! Forget it. Not in our budget.





After all that walking, we haven't had dinner, so we decided to share a pizza. Now this was also a decision on its own. I didn't want dinner, and Tanya did. We went to the restaurant behind Tanya and by the time were going to order, they closed....no one came to talk to us. Do we look like tourist? Anyhow, we ordered a pizza to share and paid an arm and a leg. That's what happens when you eat near the train station at night. We are never eating out again. There is tip added to the bill plus a service charge for 1 Euro per person for eating in. Why didn't get just do take out.


So, where did we end up sleeping on our 1st night of our trip? Well, second night since we were in Rome to meet up for one day. THE TRAIN STATION!!! I'm not looking forward to the night. Are we going to get robbed? Are we going to be safe? Are there people watching us? All questions that I didn't even think about. It's just a train station. I've done it before, I think. What could possibility happen?

 Think again! We got woken up by Police, I had no idea who they were. Tanya was alert, and showed them our ticket. We were good, and went back to sleep on the hard floors. Apparently I was out, but was quite sore the next day. Didn't sleep a whole lot. Tanya is my big sister. She took good care of me. :) Thanks Tanya. It was great to spend time with you at the train station. Lets not do that again! hahaha. Then we were woken up by Police again at about 5am that we can't lay down anymore. We had to sleep sitting, so we did while we waited for our 6am train to Florence. I hope we get there soon.

This is us, being bored. What are we going to do at the train station? Where should we sleep? Where should we go? We can't freshen up! It cost 60 cents in Euros to go to the bathroom. We better hold it in until we get on the train. No water for the next couple of hours. But it was getting cold so we found another spot.

During our sleep, an African man comes and sleeps at the other corner close by. We weren't sure if he is waiting for a train or a homeless man looking for shelter to stay in. The police made sure he was up too. But he went back to sleep, making us not be able to sleep because of his loud snoring. Why did he choose this corner. Before he went to sleep, we watched him eat. GUESS WHAT HE WAS EATING!!!!! A JAR OF JAM!!! Who eats a jar of jam? He sure had a big belly, and I guess it's all that jam he has packed in. hehee. Not that funny, but just very strange to see....a jar of jam. I can barley eat 2 tbsp of jam. Talking about Jam, i got fig jam. I'm hungry. That's all about Rome for now. Next post, Florence. :) I'll talk more about figs later. I'm not a fig-ohalic.