Roma

Cast of Characters

Campo dé Fiori

Caffè San Pietro

Colosseo

Foro Romano

Chiesa del Gesu

Pantheon

P. Navona

S. Pietro

Il Papa

S. Eustachio

S. Maria Trastevere

Trastevere

Bocca Verità

Fontana di Trevi

Museo Vaticani

Villa Borghese

Vittorie

Mangia!

Loose Ends

Desktops

It was late autumn, the year and the millennium were coming to a close, and our long-planned trip to Jerusalem had to be planned because of instability in the Middle East. (I'd been in Israel during wartime, but neither Rose nor I were willing to take Isaac with us during such unpredictable wierdness.) We had the time planned for travel, and I was unwilling to let it pass, so I spent some time on the Internet and discovered incredibly cheap tickets to Rome, Italy. I called Devin McKinney, a co-worker of mine at GO, who had decided three months ago to relocate to Rome. Even though it was the middle of the night when I called him, Devin was gracious, and said he'd do some checking around for us.

Date: Wed, 8 Nov 2000 17:52:18 +0100
To: Michael 'Mickey' Sattler
From: Devin McKinney
Subject: Hotel in Rome

The hotel I like in Rome has a room for the period you wanted, from the day of the 12th to the day of the 22d.

They have tentatively reserved it for you in your name, and I told them you or I would get back to them within a day. I'm assuming that your decision and plane ticket have a similar time frame. The hotel information is:

Hotel Campo De' Fiori
Via del Biscione, 6
00186 Roma

Phone: 06688.74.886
Fax: 0668.76.003

I advise that if you want it, email me or call me with that information. I will confirm with them tomorrow afternoon, and then you can fax whatever info they need. That way the hotel is certain, and there is no chance of telephone snafus betwixt you and them. They are located next to my Italian school, and I have to go tomorrow at 2 to school so I can confirm either before or after at 3:30.

Otherwise, it just turned very wet here but it should blow over by Sunday.

Chow
Devin

We purchased e-tickets on the 'net for travel the very next day. Because the airlines don't have the programming know-how to expire infant tickets (since they don't have a seat assignment on the ticket) I was forced to run downtown to pick up a paper ticket for him. As though I didn't have enough to do the day of travel. (Because I was juggling so many reservation possibilities I mixed up the day of travel. I woke up, looked at the calendar, and said "Rose, I think we have to be at the airport in ten hours. Argh!)

We jumped on the plane without a confirmed room, without a plan on getting from Fiumicino to Rome, and with several legs and stopovers ahead of us. (I always plan a big buffer time between legs because I've learned that the airlines can't get departure and arrival times down, even when they fudge flight lengths in an attempt to better their on-time statistics.) At one or another airport we happened to see an Internet kiosk, where I pulled up this email:

Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 21:05:36 +0100
To: Michael 'Mickey' Sattler
From: Devin McKinney
Subject: Re: We're coming! Reserve that hotel!

The room may not be available at 9:20 am, but if not they have a place to store luggage. You are getting a quiet room, with bath down the hall.

Here's my proposal - grab a cab at the airport, and head for the hotel. It's about a 20 minute cab ride. They're near the departure area, and there are signs that say Taxi. Avoid anyone offering you a taxi away from an official Taxi sign, there are lots of shysters in the world and, though they would get you to town, probably would cost an additional 30%. Trust the officials that often stand around, they usually speak English and have a clue. A legitimate cab should be around L. 65,000 (US$32). Most cab drivers speak a little english, but if you stumble out with "Andiamo a Campo de Fiore in Roma...siamo Americani sensa un'indizio, conosce l'albergo Campo de Fiore?" (OK so I just told you to tell them you were clueless Americans, just say the first part and ask for the hotel by name) they will be able to deal. I'll either follow up this email with instructions to get to my place or drop off a map and instructions tomorrow for you to get Sunday morning.

I live across the river about a 20 minute gorgeous walk away in Piazza dei Mercanti. There is a buzzer on the door, and my name. Even if the map thing doesn't work out, just ask how to get to the restaurant Da Meo Pattaca, located in picturesque Piazza dei Mercanti in Trastavere, my apartment is the green door just to the left of the restaurant.

Devin

P.S. I have my ADSL line in ... finally, the Internet with only minor pain! Bring your web cam stuff, Michael, I have a camera and I'd like to try to test a connection here if possible.

Well, we made each of our legs, enjoyed each of the flights and stopovers (including some fun runaround time for Isaac), and took a cab from Fiumicino to our hotel (although I switched addresses and had our cabbie bring us to the Piazza dei Mercanti first, then across the river to the Campo dé Fiori. He got a good tip.

We found the hotel to be very pleasant, the room was very baby-safe (especially after I put the mattresses on the floor), and waiting for us was a hand-written map drawn in fountain pen. We followed it, met with Devin, and the rest of the trip is history. And on these web pages...