Warning:long blog below, read with caution!

I thought I would follow up Katie's short and sweet blog with my usual narrative entries. After another long day in Rome, I think the phrase we could best use to sum up our experiences here would be "so close, yet so far."

Today started off wonderfully. We recharged our batteries and got some much needed sleep. One of our dorm room buddies -this cool girl from Australia-tagged along with us to Vatican City. We saw all the sights and had a great lunch buffet at a place recommended in my Rick Steves guide book.

First of all, let me just say that the Vatican City is a very interesting place. It is, in itself, its own tiny country with separate military, postal service, etc. To summarize it eloquently, it is very Catholic (obviously), very old, and full of dead popes. It amazes me to think that some people actually make the trek to pray in front of some tombs. I have nothing against that - just think it's interesting. I will admit, though, that St. Peter's tomb was pretty pretty pretty cool (in Larry David voice for anyone who appreciates Curb Your Enthusiasm). The Sistine Chapel was also pretty amazing, albeit extremely crowded.

This is the part in our day when things started to go downhill. We had a good lunch and then headed to the main train station to buy a Roma pass - this pass you can get to save you money on transportation and sights. Kind of like a combo deal. So we get there and find a place that sells them but decide we want to go to a place we remember where we can use our credit cards. Why? Because we like to make things difficult. So we troop across the street and can't remember where the tour desk is located. So as we are looking for it, I, of course, find a children's clothing store and commence to go inside and buy a baby dress. Why? Because that's what I do. Katie knows this and says nothing because that is what she does.

After my little distraction, we realize that our tour guide book says that the tour desk is by track #24. We find it, buy our Roma pass (with cash), and then decide we need to find an internet cafe pronto to figure out our bus schedule information for our next departure on Friday. We get the address from Rick Steves, our bff, and find it very easily via the metro. p.s. we have got the metro and bus system down now, alelia (aka:hallelujah). Like I said, we find it, but it, being the biggest internet cafe in Rome with 250 computers and snack bar, is closed. No longer exists. So great. We go to plan b and track down the second and only other internet cafe good ole Stevie recommends. Again -no existe. But we are told of another one and spend the next 20 minutes walking in circles looking for it.

By this point, Katie can tell I am frustrated, so we decide to turn around and go back to our hostel. I use my brain though, luckily, and suggest walking back on the opposite side of the street in case we overlooked it. So of course we stumble upon it, and are then rescued by mozilla firefox and friends.

We then decide to grab some dinner. I had already suggested a place in the guide book that came highly recommended from our bff, AND the coolest part is that they have people with disabilities working alongside people from the community as the waitstaff. The place is called "Inn with Friends," and Stevie said it is popular with the locals. So I'm thinking ... hey, I like to eat and I like people with disabilities. Let's eat there. Katie is all for it so off we go. Stevie puts some pretty crappy directions with this one though and just says two blocks from this particular piazza. So we are walking. And walking. And walking. Seriously. No "Inn with Friends." We take turns asking people for help with directions, and everyone keeps pointing us around the same bend. We are walking in circles. But there was no room at the inn, I suppose, because it could not be found. Katie's comment to this adventure was, "I've been lost my whole life." Finally a helpful police officer tells us, "There it is." And it turns out to be a closed up building. Sweet.

And now the most important question of the day is: where do the people with disabilities now work?

It just makes you wonder.

Oh! But I am forgetting one of the most entertaining stories of the day. My book. This book has traveled with me through 3 airports and 3 countries. I bought it in Austin the day before we left with the intentions of mailing it out to someone early Monday morning. That didn't happen and there wasn't a post office at the Houston airport, so it's been accompanying me ever since. It has been the thorn in my side ever since but I FINALLY shipped it off on its merry way today. This is after going to 3 post offices and finding out that you have to purchase an envelope to put the book in from a Tabbachia (little tobacco store). Then you take it to the post office. Once this was figured out and we successfully bought the envelope, we waited at the post office in a ridiculous line for one hour. One hour of my life that I will never get back. I kid, I kid, but seriously, this was anarchy at its finest. The line was so long and I thought people were going to stage a coup by the time I checked out of there. Impatient Italians = no bueno. I am just so glad to have that book gone, and I feel ridiculous for toting it with me all the way to Europe.

I can only imagine the adventures we have in store for us tomorrow at the Colosseum.

As far as Rick Steves goes, I now refer to him as Big Fat Liar (BFL) and intend to send him an e-mail to ammend his guide book. He is long overdue for some positive points, so we will just see what kind of help he can provide us with tomorrow.

At the end of today I just wanted someone to strap one of those kid leashes to my arm and drag me to the location I was seeking. Another lesson I have learned: Italians give very vague directions. "So close, yet so far."

ciao,
tracy