Ciao Roma!

Today was our last day in Rome, so Sean and I checked out early and left our bags at our hotel so we could do some last minute exploring of some of the sites we had missed. Our goal was to make it to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Piazza del Popolo, and the Borghese Gardens. The basilica was just up the street from our hotel, so we headed that way with the intent of catching a cab to the other two sites when we were finished. The basilica was beautiful and I'm so glad we didn't miss it. Every nook and cranny is filled with exquisite detail - stained glass, statues, detailed flooring - not an inch of space has been left untouched.


After about an hour of exploring and photo taking, Sean and I headed outside to find a cab. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side. As we strolled back towards the taxi center, we noticed all the streets surrounding our hotel were being blocked off to vehicle traffic. We popped into our hotel to inquire and were told that there was going to be a protest and that driving anywhere would be nearly impossible. Slightly disappointed to miss the piazza and gardens, but also a bit excited to get caught up in the cultural drama, Sean and I headed up the street to a small restaurant in order to have a beer and watch the protest unfold. While waiting, we witnessed one of the scams we had been warned about - a gypsy woman walking around with a baby, asking for change, hoping to pick naive pockets (the arm holding her baby was fake, leaving her real arm free to pick the pockets of those not in the know).


The streets quickly filled with thousands of protesters - a sea of flags, banners, and balloons. Some marched in a parade of sorts, while others gathered on the piazza area outside of the train station, chanting and listening to music. It was a very peaceful protest and seemed more like a big party to which everyone was invited (Sean and I were excited to be on the guest list!). After a few hours of people watching, Sean and I had to head back to the hotel to grab our bags. The streets were still a disaster, but we didn't know how long the event would last and as this was our first train ride in Europe, we wanted to make sure we could figure out the train system (turns out it is ridiculously easy).


When we exited the hotel (only 10 minutes later), no evidence remained of the protest. The crowds were gone, the streets were opened, and people were carrying on as if nothing had happened. It was hard not to think that we had simply imagined it all. Our walk to the train station was short and fortunately very quick (which bought us lots of extra time that we soon found we needed), because both Sean and I forgot that we were supposed to be at a different train station to catch our departure. Fortunately, a man standing next to us as we waited (for a train that would never come) saw our tickets and gave us instructions on how to reach the correct station. Thank goodness he caught our mistake or we would have been waiting for quite some time!

Sean and I departed Rome with a bit of regret for the sights we missed, exhaustion from the chaos that is Rome, and with the hope that we will return in the future. Though, that said, neither of us fell in love with Rome and though we would still like to visit again someday to explore the history that exists within the city, we aren't overly eager to make a long trip of it. Ciao Roma!