This just in…it’s okay to drink the tap water in Rome! No need to carry bottled water up the stairs to your 5th floor apartment. Rome gets its water from the nearby mountains, just like New York. The old Imperial aquaducts may have fallen down long ago, but the modern system is just fine.
this has got to be the worst day of our trip…if it gets any worse, we’ll be nel paese del diavalo.
My wallet was stolen; on the subway. Here’s a picture of a subway station in rome:
This wasn’t the worst place; first we had to take a train to the main train station (Termini), then transfer to another line; when we transfered, that’s when my wallet was stolen.
Reason for being on the Metro: impossible to take the bus, because of the demonstration on the streets; the bus stopped short of our desitinaion (piazza Navona) because of a demonstration in the streets; thousands demonstrating against govenmental austerity measures.
Here’s the demonstration on Via Cavour:
…and some of the police force along with it:
Anyway, this long snaking parade just about shut down the city of Rome, and our bus couldn’t get to where we wanted; it turned around, and we decided to get out, since we had no idea where it was going. Found ourselves at the Piazza Barberini, saw the metro station, and knew our stop (Cavour) was not too far, so we got on the Metro. (We had weekly tickets good for both subway and bus– 16 euros and a good deal, you can take anything anywhere anytime, just hop on).
Turns out we had to go three stops to Termini (the main train station), then change to a different Metro line for a one-stop hop to Cavour. Which doesn’t sound so bad, except the change of lines is FAR worse that the change from IRT to IND at 42nd St. in New York, a real hike up and down and back up and down stairs, and re-validating your ticket…gads, what a mess.
Then on the last hop, my wallet is stolen. I know, I was stupid to be carrying it in my back pocket, buttoned up though it was. Lost about 150 euros, plus my credit cards and driver’s license.
Credit cards we cancelled right away; but the driver’s license may be a problem when I have to pick up my rental car in Bologna. Have a copy of the license on paper, but still…
Fortunately, Avis has her own ATM and Amex cards, and also a valid driver’s license if it comes to that.