Chao from Roma!
If you read my previous post, you're probably wondering why I am back in Rome already. Well hang on to your seatbelts, kids, because you're in for a ride.
So...
We manage to get to Florence on Thursday, September 6th, at about 6 pm. I rode the train with 5 of the 8 people that were going to be coming (the rest were coming the next morning). We found our airbnb, showered, and went to eat at this really great pizzeria called "Mammas".
Anyway, we ate, wondered around Florence for awhile, and then went to this Gelato place that the owner of the airbnb recommended. She said it was the most authentic in the city, and it really was. I got chocolate hazelnut, and hazelnut together and it was the best thing I have ever tasted. Then, we found a karaoke bar. Literally not one of us had a drink, so we people watched, and then graced the crowd with our beautiful voices singing "Don't stop believing" ( I have videos if ya'll would like to see).
We then ventured back to the airbnb and most of us fell asleep. "Most of us" meaning I got a full 40 minutes that night! Love the combination of new environments and insomnia. Surprisingly, I wasn't terribly miserable for our Friday adventures, and managed to be awake and ready to go by 9:30 am. We checked out of our airbnb because we needed a bigger one for Friday night since 3 more people were coming.
My roommate, Abbey, came in the morning. We split off to go shop while the boys went to see the statue of David (I'll be seeing it with my parents when they come). I got a leather mini backpack thanks to a little convincing that I "needed" it (thanks Miles and Ben!)
Hold onto your seatbelts, because it's about to get #wild.
So we were supposed to check in to our airbnb at 1pm, and we all carried our massive backpacks around until then. We got to the airbnb to a man dressed in all black sitting on a motor cycle with a cigarette in his mouth. He told us he needed a picture of all of our passports, and was going to do so with his personal cell phone. He then gave us the keys and pointed us in the direction of the apartment. We got upstairs and there were random suitcases sitting in the entrance, like 8 of them. We all claimed our rooms, and I went to plug in my phone and the WHOLE outlet box came out of the wall, the wires disconnected and 3 sparks flew in the air, and 1 on my foot. Then, I sat down on my bed and the quilt was wet... There was also no wifi, which was guaranteed when we booked it. It looked NOTHING like the website described, so we all decided to leave and get a different airbnb, since none of us felt safe. After arguing with the dude for an hour and a half, he finally said he would give us our money back AS LONG as we didn't leave a poor review...
Airbnb said in order to cancel the night, we would have to cancel our night in Cinque Terre as well (who knows why), but we proceeded.
So then we spent 2 hours trying to find another airbnb last minute with little to no cell service, and all of our phones dying. We were supposed to leave for Cinque Terre in the morning, so we had to find an airbnb there as well. With no luck, I decided it would be best for me to just cancel my train tickets, and book one back to Rome that night (Friday).
I rode back with my friend, Neil, and we were 2 hours early. Looking at the "arrival/departure" boards, it looked as though every train was delayed, except ours! Finally something was going right.
PLOT TWIST:
We got on the train at 19:00, and the train froze at around 20:20. The conductor made so many announcements, but good thing neither of us knew any Italian whatsoever. At once, almost everyone on the train got up and ran, like full on sprinted, off of the train, which was super super confusing. We later found out that everyone who wasn't going to Rome was supposed to get off, and switch trains.
I began talking to a girl who was alone, and asked if she spoke english. Thank God, she did. We began talking just about how confused we both were, and then started talking about where we are from and where we were going. Her name is Birte, and she is from northern Germany. She has been traveling for awhile now, and has a few more weeks to do so. We talked about where we want to go, and her experiences traveling alone. All she had with her was a huge blanket, "A pair of long trousers and short trousers, and 2 t-shirts". She also had a power bank so I could charge my phone! (not all heroes where capes). Her simplicity, and love for exploration really amazed me. Again, how simple life can be, and how enjoyable simplicity can be, as well. The delays didn't phase her, and just added to her adventure, which also gave me peace that in the scheme of things, being stuck on a train for 7 hours wasn't that big of a deal.
Then came Sally, the tour guide from North Carolina, who studied at John Cabot 8 years ago, fell in love with Italy, and moved to Florence to do archaeology, where she met her fiancee and "the rest was history". She was on her way to Orvieto, and had to give a tour in the morning at 5 am. She was also a blessing. She spoke Italian and english, and was able to translate the announcements for us. She talked about her favorite places in Italy, where to go, where not to go, and gave us so much advice on how to really make the most of our time in Italy. She, too, was not phased by the delay. "Embrace the Chaos", she said.
After a long day, weekend if that, I felt comforted knowing that everything happened for a reason (cheesy, I know, but so true).
This experience was exactly what I wished for before I came to Italy. I wanted to meet people who don't know me at all, and to learn about where they are from, their experiences, and where they wish to go.
So thanks, Sally and Birte, (and Neil), for making a terribly long train ride so worth it. You guys are a blessing, and I appreciated your company and conversation more than words!
We ended up getting into Roma Termini at around 2:45 am. I took a taxi back to my apartment, and finally got to bed around 3:15 am. What a day.
That is all!
Love,
Marisa
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