Last Day in Rome (this week...)
Ciao Roma. I will be back in one week, but for now, I am on the way out.
I was not sure how to spend the day. I am really exhausted, and walking around town in a skirt always results in bugbites or chafed legs, however today I needed a break from the pants.
I spent part of the day at the Vatican, watching people come and go and stand in line. That turned into a purse-buying expedition for a friend of my mum. I love shopping for purses, it is just as fun when it is for someone else! Then I went to the train station, to change some of my US currency into Euros. In the station, for 40$ US I would receive €22. What?! There is no WAY the rate was that bad! I growled something angry and stomped outside to the ratty area where I had been living. Changing the money there got me €32. Better. Just out of curiosity (and because it was hot outside and the station is air-conditioned) I stood for awhile and read the departures bulletin. Hm.. no train to Munich at all... but.. but...
So off the information bureau, which involved taking a number and waiting for ages in nice clean chairs. Hmm, this I could get used to. I could stay here all day taking numbers and asking questions....Finally my number (74) was called. I was informed in Italian that yes, there was a train tomorrow. Why was it not on the board? It just was not. Okay.
While waiting to pose my pressing query, I met a girl from California who had travelled to Rome for business, and who had actually ducked into the information room for somewhere to sit. My idea!! She had not seen any of Rome, because the subway scared her (there is no metro in California I guess) and she did not talk any Italian. She was Buddhist, but she still wanted to see the vatican (and to get a purse like I had just bought) so we headed there. We found the purse, and she was thrilled. However, then the seller licked the leather to prove that it was real. No more purse for her! I gave her lessons in how to tell a real from a fake (I am sooo cultured!) but we did not and up finding any other acceptable purses. In the Vatican, we went to see Pope JPII's grave, and she wanted to go into the cathedral. I was wearing a tank top and I warned her that I would not be allowed in. However, we decided to try, and I was waved through the modesty check. We spent about 10 minutes in the church, when I was approached by the MODESTY POLICE. I was asked to leave St. Paul's Cathedral! Yikes!! I said I would leave, and that I understood (in Italian), and he started marching towards the door and telling me to hurry hurry. I told him that I would go but I was not going to run through the crowds. I had been let in after all! I covered my shoulders with hair and a designed bag, but still he hurried us. Then we walked by his superior, and that man started yelling at him and he started yelling at us, and finally I said (loudly! In Italian!!) that I understood and I did not mind leaving. And I was leaving, so don't get angry. Our first escort apologized to us and said that he just did not want to get into trouble. Everyone seemed to expect that we were going to make a huge fuss. Wai was just confused about why I was immodist (the tank top covers a LOT), and I was trying not to laugh. I did not mind leaving -respect for other religions and all that. HOWEVER, if they have a pre-modesty check and if I PASS that I should not be embarrassed in the church. And HONESTLY, are bare shoulders worse than some of the other things there...? One man was wearing speedo-tight bike shorts. You could see everything. AT least in Jerusalem they will give tourists something to wrap around themselves when modesty is required.
Ahh, thrown out of the church...
After that Wai found some presents for her kids at home, and I walked her to ther hotel shuttle bus. She was still nervous. She could not believe she had taken the subway. She thought I was amazingly adept at the tourist thing. Yes, I AM remarkable. Everyone should realize it!
I made my exhausted way to my new hostel. However, I had been moved to another hostel with the same company. Not the quiet hostel that I had booked, but the PARTY HOSTEL. There will be stories tomorrow. And that is all!
I was not sure how to spend the day. I am really exhausted, and walking around town in a skirt always results in bugbites or chafed legs, however today I needed a break from the pants.
I spent part of the day at the Vatican, watching people come and go and stand in line. That turned into a purse-buying expedition for a friend of my mum. I love shopping for purses, it is just as fun when it is for someone else! Then I went to the train station, to change some of my US currency into Euros. In the station, for 40$ US I would receive €22. What?! There is no WAY the rate was that bad! I growled something angry and stomped outside to the ratty area where I had been living. Changing the money there got me €32. Better. Just out of curiosity (and because it was hot outside and the station is air-conditioned) I stood for awhile and read the departures bulletin. Hm.. no train to Munich at all... but.. but...
So off the information bureau, which involved taking a number and waiting for ages in nice clean chairs. Hmm, this I could get used to. I could stay here all day taking numbers and asking questions....Finally my number (74) was called. I was informed in Italian that yes, there was a train tomorrow. Why was it not on the board? It just was not. Okay.
While waiting to pose my pressing query, I met a girl from California who had travelled to Rome for business, and who had actually ducked into the information room for somewhere to sit. My idea!! She had not seen any of Rome, because the subway scared her (there is no metro in California I guess) and she did not talk any Italian. She was Buddhist, but she still wanted to see the vatican (and to get a purse like I had just bought) so we headed there. We found the purse, and she was thrilled. However, then the seller licked the leather to prove that it was real. No more purse for her! I gave her lessons in how to tell a real from a fake (I am sooo cultured!) but we did not and up finding any other acceptable purses. In the Vatican, we went to see Pope JPII's grave, and she wanted to go into the cathedral. I was wearing a tank top and I warned her that I would not be allowed in. However, we decided to try, and I was waved through the modesty check. We spent about 10 minutes in the church, when I was approached by the MODESTY POLICE. I was asked to leave St. Paul's Cathedral! Yikes!! I said I would leave, and that I understood (in Italian), and he started marching towards the door and telling me to hurry hurry. I told him that I would go but I was not going to run through the crowds. I had been let in after all! I covered my shoulders with hair and a designed bag, but still he hurried us. Then we walked by his superior, and that man started yelling at him and he started yelling at us, and finally I said (loudly! In Italian!!) that I understood and I did not mind leaving. And I was leaving, so don't get angry. Our first escort apologized to us and said that he just did not want to get into trouble. Everyone seemed to expect that we were going to make a huge fuss. Wai was just confused about why I was immodist (the tank top covers a LOT), and I was trying not to laugh. I did not mind leaving -respect for other religions and all that. HOWEVER, if they have a pre-modesty check and if I PASS that I should not be embarrassed in the church. And HONESTLY, are bare shoulders worse than some of the other things there...? One man was wearing speedo-tight bike shorts. You could see everything. AT least in Jerusalem they will give tourists something to wrap around themselves when modesty is required.
Ahh, thrown out of the church...
After that Wai found some presents for her kids at home, and I walked her to ther hotel shuttle bus. She was still nervous. She could not believe she had taken the subway. She thought I was amazingly adept at the tourist thing. Yes, I AM remarkable. Everyone should realize it!
I made my exhausted way to my new hostel. However, I had been moved to another hostel with the same company. Not the quiet hostel that I had booked, but the PARTY HOSTEL. There will be stories tomorrow. And that is all!
posted by Melamondiale @ 11:21 AM
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