Happy 2013 everyone! 2012 had been an amazing year for me! with all the wonderful victories achieved (in gakkai & my life), getting 1 paper published (another in the midst), getting a PhD position in DTU, meeting new people and new friends etc. 2012 has juz been amazing!
Prior to travelling to Italy, I was a little paranoid, coz there were still things that were left unsettled. Especially my train ticket from Rome train station to Lamezia (where I'll be spending christmas eve and several days there). Coz until 20th Dec, Trenitalia still had not sent me a confirmation email with the PNR number for the train ticket. Coz I read on Tripadvisor from the various forum pages that it was necessary to have this PNR number which the train conductor will note down. Otherwise you'll be given a fine or thrown off the train. So you can say that I was a little panicky. I sent 2 emails to Trenitalia, but my mails got bounced back, coz apparently the Trenitalia mailbox was full. So I tried calling the office. I must say that I had the wisdom to call them using the school's phone, otherwise I'll need to pay quite a bit for my mobilephone bills. the 1st call, went to the message box. i left a message, but i was unsure if it was recorded and if the people will call me back. So I tried calling a 2nd time. I must say I was really fortunate! Coz a guy picked up my call. He was really nice, he sent me the confirmation ticket immediately. And he even called me 5min after sending me the email to counter check. So what I read on the Tripadvisor forum pages are pretty true on Trenitalia about them not sending the confirmation email of the train ticket. However, about the phonelines being engage, i guess that really have to depend on your good fortune. Anyway it was later that I got to know that I was really fortunate to have purchased the ticket at a super good price. Coz it cost me 19€ to travel from Rome Termini station to Lamezia Terme Central station! But there is a catch in travelling with such cheap ticket. You'll find out more on my 3rd day recap of my adventures!
The other issue i had was taking the bus from Fiumicino airport to Rome center. Coz I was contemplating purchasing the shuttle bus ticket online. Coz after reading the forum pages on Tripadvisor and also recommendation from the lady whom I was going to stay at her Bed and Breakfast, on the bus company Terravision. Apparently, this was the more popular bus company that people use. After thinking through, I decided to purchase the bus ticket when I arrived at the airport. And this turned out to be the best decision I made!
So I travelled to Rome on 21st Dec. Took the 10.30am flight on Norwegian Air. I was duely surprised that Norwegian Air is a budget airlines. So food on the plane had to be purchased, just like Jetstar and Airasia. Thank goodness, I had the foresight of knowing I'll be hungry when I reach Fiumicino Airport (also known as Leonardo Da Vinci airport, Rome) I packed some muffins in my hand-carry.
bye bye Copenhagen, see you in 10 days time!
After about 2hr 40min of plane ride, I arrived at Fiumicino airport! Hmmm.... I've had my share of seeing different airports in all the countries that I've travelled. I must say that the airport was not as nice as I was expecting it to be. Hmmmm....looks pretty old to me.... oops! And the baggage belt was really really far from the arrival gate and the signposts indicating the baggage collection were not clear. I just followed the crowd and got to the belt to get my backpack!
Finally I can exit the airport, and after asking around, the shuttle bus company was in the same terminal that I landed. so its good. I found the bus company, Terravision. it cost me 5€ to get to Rome. it was ok! and there was already a queue for the bus. I must say, it was a bad choice to purchase the bus ticket from Terravision. coz i waited for about 50min for the bus! coz apparently the bus that was susposed to come earlier did not arrive! and i saw some of the people started to take another bus from another company (T.A.M.). And Terravision's staff kept telling us that the bus was held up because of traffic. Which we thought was absolute lies, coz the buses from other companies kept arriving in intervals of 30min! hmmm.... thank goodness i did not purchase the return ticket on Terravision! Whilst waiting for the bus, I had a conversation with a Venezulan girl who was there for holidays with her family. by the way, bus ride was 1hr.
i reached Rome at around 4pm. and there was no traffic congestion at all! hmmmm.... so apparently Terravision was telling lies then. anyway with the instructions that the lady-owner of the Bed and Breakfast 'Casa Romana', Fulvia, gave me, I found the place where i was going to stay for 2 nights! i must say that the reviews of this Bed and Breakfast on Tripadvisor were all true! Coz Fulvia was really friendly and warm. She gave me a map of Rome and told me where to eat (good eats), where to visit and how to get to some of the sights by public transport. And the room that I was given, it was really spotlessly clean!
my room in Casa Romana
the ceiling was high and you have everything that you want in the room. Bed was good. Only downsides were there was no TV and the showerstall was really really small. Hmmm... for me it was pretty ok, but a bigger size person may have some problems squeezing through the showerstall doors. But with the room and the location, i highly recomend this wonderful Bed and Breakfast to those who are visiting Rome in the near future!
Bed and Breakfast: Casa Romana
Address: Via dei Mille, 41, 00185 Roma, Italy
Website: http://www.myromeapartment.com/
Price. 45€ per night
So after putting down my heavy backpack (not really that heavy, about 7kg), i decided to stroll to Republica Plaza. Coz Fulvia recommended a nice pastry shop, Dagino, there. When I reached there, really the shop was very nice. I bought a sandwich, which the person placed between 2 hotplates and pressed it down hard to sort of toast and warm it up. So the sandwich became 2 flat toasted bread with the parmigano and proscuitto and tomatoes inside. cost me 3.50€ It tasted great!
Republica Plaza
After getting something to eat, i decided to stroll to Piazza di Spagna. But i kept getting lost. Coz it was not easy to read the road names in the dark.... and i was also not familarised with the roads yet. I had to ask for directions or ask people to indicate on the map where I was. hahaha....
Fontana Del Tritone (this was done by Bernini)
but finally i found the Piazza di Spagna. This is also known as 'Spanish Steps'. This set of steps comprised of 138 steps. they were built in the Baroque period, and at the bottom of the steps is a fountain 'Fontana della Barcaccia' (Fountain of the Old Boat) built by Pietro Bernini (father of the famous Gian Lorenzo Bernini). However, I could not take the fountain coz lots of China tourists were sitting at the fountain. i think probably there was a Chinese tour group there. however, the huge christmas tree standing tall there was really beautiful. And there were lots of Bagalis selling lighted toys, scarves etc. there. hmmm... they can be a little irritating... coz they kept approaching people like me (whom they know are tourists) to pester us to purchase their items, when what interest me most was to capture nice pictures of the monuments and sights! Urgh.
By the way, Piazza di Spagna was made famous by the American film 'Roman Holiday' starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Pack.
Church at the top of Piazza di Spagna
the oblisk in front of the church
the huge majestic Christmas tree at Piazza di Spagna
walking down the steps
Piazza di Spagna
Shopping street in front of the Spanish Steps
After Piazza di Spagna, the next on my item as Fontana di Trevi! Yup! I've seen this famous fountain so many times in photos, but now, I'm finally able to see it with my own eyes! hahaha....its the largest Baroque fountain in Rome. I must say the fountain was really majestic. Read from Wiki, that it was sort of designed by Bernini. This fountain is situated at the end of Acqu Virgo, the acqueduct constructed in 19BC! The central figure is Neptune, the god of Sea. he is riding a chariot of seasell, pulled by 2 seahorses. On his right is the statue of Salubrity, left is Abundance.
that's me at the Fontana di Trevi
close up view of the fountain
After viewing Fontana di Trevi, I had to take dinner. so i went into a Bar (by the way, Bar in italian context, is similar to a pizzeria where pizza, pasta, drinks are served) I had a thin crust pizza and a bottle of coke. After dinner, I wanted to head back to the B & B coz tomorrow will be a long day for me. As I will be visiting the Vatican City!
my dinner 6€ for the pizza and bottle of coke
However, as usual, I lost my way. And ended up in a place where there were ruins. So i took some photos... and it was later that I discovered that those were the ruins of Largo di Torre Argentina. This was the place where Julius Cesare was assisinated.
one of the many coloumns I saw in Rome
Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II
Piazza Venezia
The ruins of Largo di Torre Argentina
After asking around, I finally found the correct road to head back to the B & B. I crashed out around 11pm, even though i reached the B & B around 9pm. coz i did a little reading of the Vatican City.
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