Where Is Joey Today?

A moderately amusing thing happened while taking this photo...I thought of my opener for the Rome blog.

I know you must get sick of hearing this, but I think I got a new favorite city. Rome, contrary to what everyone told me is amazing. It feels safe (ignorance is bliss?), relatively clean, and is without a doubt one of the world's most beautiful cities by night.




Anyway, so I departed from Florence with some misty damp weather (but I still wanted to check out the Ponte Vecchio (sic? ... at right, this is the bridge that people put locks on and throw away the key symbolizing a love locked in Florence), only to find a near perfect day for my arrival in Rome. The temperature was about 18 degrees (15 at night) and a really clear blue sky.

I have arrived in Rome. First I saw the colloseum. Okay that is a lie, as you can see from the above photo. The forum first, then the Colloso. From the distance is looks pretty small but up close it is pretty aweinspiring.

While sorting through my photos I met a guy from New York, Melvin, who is also traveling through Italy. He works for the airline so it is pretty easy for him to get away.

Rome is his first city in Europe and he saw it within minutes of arriving.

Zia Laura was right, the traffic was hell. Fortunately, during rush hour, the cars are stopped. People don't pay attention to traffic laws at all! Blowing through red lights, quick "lane" changing around parked cars, and other fun stuff.



Three coins (and 40-South-Asians-trying-to-sell-you-crap) in the fountain

I have not seen Trevi during the day like Dad did, but at night it is worth a dedicated trip. Really amazing (beyond amazing!). Italy has a great scam going. They charge you for the bathroom and yet the put fountains every where. Brother, you don't stand a chance. While hanging out enjoying the ambience, every one of these cats from Bangladesh was trying to sell me everything from tripods to squeezable novelties to led replicas of the tower of Pisa (try to figure that one out). Of course that is not legal so anytime a cop comes, they pretend to be just sitting on the Dhaka the bay wasting time.

Right...

Melvin and I tried to take the subway back but it closed (and this was like 10:15) so we jumped on the bus and headed back to termini (both our hostels are nearby). On that bus, ... now traveling is what... anyone... anyone... weird. I bump into this girl I met at the Florence hostel. It feels like this happens to me with startling frequency which leads me to believe everyone is following me. So then I head back to the hostel where they have a room for me but it being midnight or so, everyone is asleep. I am going to try to avoid that tonight. I will also attempt to get the Vatican photos up in the next few days.

Ciao!

--Joey