Our Hotel and First Night: Italy Part 2
By European standards, our triple room was huge. We had a king and a single bed, casement windows that opened onto the picturesque Via Dell'Orso, a minibar, kettle and nespresso maker, and a wardrobe that unfortunately didn't provide passage to either Narnia or the Elysian Fields. We were pleased that almost all of the outlets had USB ports for charging. The bathroom was also surprisingly large and had two pedestal sinks, toilet and bidet, towel warmer, and a shower that was generously sized. I had foolishly followed Rick Steve's advice to use the hotel hair dryer , and I didn't bring one. The one provided was one of those cheapies that attaches to the wall, has little power, and you have to hold the button down with your finger while you dry. I managed with it, but would have liked something better. Next trip, I'll get a dual voltage model. As it turned out, it was so hot that I put my hair up almost every day, so it didn't matter much. I'd also intended to use the hotel's hair products. The shampoo was thin and watery, and there was no conditioner, so MB and I stopped into a little store and got some Pantene. No biggie. Things to know about European travel: they usually don't provide conditioner or a wash cloth. I know now to take my own. It isn't that Europeans don't use washcloths; it's that they consider it a very personal item.
If you want to plug something in with an actual plug, you'll need an adapter and maybe a converter. (Using electricity in Italy.) We had 2 single adapters as well as this nice travel power strip with several USB ports. As it turned out, we didn't need it in Rome, but were happy to have it in Venice where we didn't have USB ports on the wall.
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| Via Dell Orso |
One of the challenges of finding a room in Rome is that the American chain hotels and the more luxurious ones are out near the train station or on the outskirts of the historic area, too far for easy walking to the sights. The metro only runs from the train station to the Colosseum and Vatican, but we didn't want to stay near the train station. We don't regret choosing a hotel right in old Rome. I thought the location was perfect, and the few cons of the hotel were outweighed by the pros in my opinion.
Another challenge is finding a room for your family. A double room does not have 2 double beds. In fact, that would be a very rare find in Italy. We searched for a triple room, and that meant a bed for 2 plus a twin. There are many fewer rooms like this than standard double rooms, another reason to do your planning well in advance.
By the time we reached our room, it was almost 9 pm, and we were hungry. There were 3 charming sidewalk cafes right outside the hotel door, and we chose the tiny but appealing Papa's Cafe and settled in with a large bottle of mineral water, wine for Kevin and me, and some pasta. I had the basil pesto pasta and MB had the carbonara. I don't remember what Kevin had, but mine and MB's pasta were the best of the trip. We discovered that it was a good idea to keep your toes under the table! When the rare car comes down the alley, it's so close you can touch it!
Full, happy, and very tired, we went to bed thankful that we didn't have an early morning tour.
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Part 3
We soon met up with our tour guide from The Roman or japanese restaurant near me, Jeanette. She was delightfully funny, and from Kissimmee
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