Loose Logic

Fourteen hours after takeoff and we landed in Rome. I was in a non-reading mood, only getting through about 50 pages, so I spent my time mindlessly watching terrible, terrible movies. Specifically He’s Just Not That Into You, Mall Cop, Inkheart, and Marley & Me. Really could have gone with never seeing any of those, but it still beats the flight I watched a full-length Backstreet Boys documentary…twice.

I don’t know why, but there’s something about airline food that I find incredibly enticing. I know it’s horrible, and as a borderline foodie I’m deeply ashamed of myself, but I savour those dishes like a death-row inmate does his final meal. I think it’s the sport of it. Waiting in anticipation while they slowly come down the isle, pulling back the foil on the entrée in wonderment to see what horror lies beneath, picking at the assorted crackers and cheese and deserts.

Once landed, I took the train into town and set off to find my hotel. I got turned around and lost for a bit, but once I finally found the hotel I grabbed a quick shower and set off for the Colosseum.

It was neat seeing the Colosseum after hearing about it for so long. I took a guided tour, which was a good time and quite interesting. The tour guide was a little corny, in that way a lot of Italian guys are corny, but he painted an interesting picture of ancient Rome. I have to say, though, it’s quite a bit smaller than they make it out to be in the movies.

I ended up just wandering around in a zombiefied, exhausted state before catching the metro home and crashing, thirty-something hours after setting off from Canada.

The next couple of days I spent being a super tourist – visiting Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the National Museum, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Spanish steps, and other such sites. When I have some time, possible not until I’m back home, I’ll post some photos.

I spent today in Vatican City, which is a terrific way to spend a day. The museum was fantastic. It seemed like a lot of people were rushing through to see the Sistine Chapel though, which is a shame. Most people didn’t even notice the Dali’s before you went in. After the museum I popped into St. Peter’s Basilica – outrageous. It’s stunning, but it’s also a little sickening when you think of how much wealth they’ve accumulated there that could have gone towards, essentially, feeding everyone in the world.

I climbed the dome and got some great shots of the city. It’s quite expensive, 7€ to go up, but at least it’s for a good cau….well, it’s pretty up there.

I spent the rest of my time stuffing my face, walking about the city, and dodging scooters. Rome’s been a blast, but I’m off to Florence tomorrow.

The vacation has begun, and a day early at that! A coworker thoughtfully pointed out to me that my schedule for tomorrow had the potential to come crumbling down around me, so I decided it best that I set out today instead of tomorrow morning as planned.

My flight for Rome leaves at 11:30am tomorrow from Vancouver airport, and in order to get there on time I would have had to catch the first ferry off the island. Miss that, and I’d likely be spending my vacation in Kamloops. The ferry service from the island isn’t terrible, but I’ve seen sailings get delayed and cancelled more than a few times, so I decided I probably shouldn’t take the chance.

Cue mad panic!

I had planned to do a lot today – tie everything off at work, buy a few remaining items, clean my apartment, clear my bathroom for some painters that are coming in while I’m gone, and pack. I feel like I managed to make good time, but I’m sure I probably forgot to pack something vital in my rush. I’ve already noticed that I forgot my cellphone charger and my travel alarm. Forgetting the charger at home is annoying but not surprising. I’ve sprinkled the countryside with my forgotten cellphone chargers over the last few years.

The flights to the mainland were ridiculously expensive, so I got stuck taking an incredibly choppy 9:00pm ferry over. I’m crashing at my friend Chris’ house tonight, abandoning my car there, and catching a taxi to the airport in the morning. It’s too bad I hadn’t planned this better, as it would’ve been nice to have arrived early enough in Vancouver to grab a bite to eat with my friends, but at least I’ve finally set off. I’ll grab a drink with them on my way back.