Throwback Thursday: When in Rome…

tanjabrittonwriter 52 Comments

I will occasionally re-publish an older post under the heading Throwback Thursday. This one first appeared here on June 24, 2016, when my blog was but a few months young and was noticed by only a handful of fellow bloggers. I have made only a few slight changes to the original. Thank you for traveling back in time with me (I visited Rome in June 2015).

🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹 🇮🇹

The well-known Latin proverb, Omnes viae Romam ducunt (all roads lead to Rome) does not guarantee straightforward paths, and my own was anything but. Despite spending the first two decades of my life in Germany, I never managed to set foot in the Italian capital. Another quarter century had passed in my new home in America when I visited Germany in the summer 2015, and I was determined to remedy this gap in my life experience.

With the transatlantic journey behind me, the relatively minor distance between Frankfurt and Rome remained the only obstacle. I opted for an early morning flight, to fully use the few days at my disposal for the exploration of this fabled city. Frankfurt’s airport is easily accessible on Germany’s efficient (when not on strike) public transportation system, and I arrived plenty early on the chosen day. The false alarm at the security check which resulted in an unpleasant pat-down rang in the first in a series of mishaps. In order to save time with luggage, I was traveling only with a carry-on, and foolishly had forgotten to check the list of forbidden items. Having to relinquish a bottle of sunscreen which exceeded the weight limit by one ounce, and which I didn’t replace at one of Rome’s ubiquitous pharmacies until after I had assumed the color of lobster, added new meaning to the old adage “an ounce of prevention”.

Once I reached my assigned gate, an overhead announcement directed us Rome-bound vacationers to another, since our plane was delayed, and we departed Frankfurt one hour late. Clement weather enabled the pilot to partially compensate, and the view of the Mediterranean after ninety minutes noticeably raised everyone’s spirits. The approach to Fiumicino, one of Rome’s two airports, was smooth, as was our landing, at least at first. The wheels had hardly hit the tarmac when the engines howled and, in an instance, we were airborne again. Mine was not the only face with a big question mark and a worried expression. Immediately, the flight attendant’s seemingly calm voice tried to reassure us, followed by the captain’s. When he explained that he had thought it advisable to avoid the unforeseen airplane at the end of the runway, he did not encounter any objections from his passengers. Circling, we enjoyed the bird’s eye view of the airfield once again. Traffic control (where were they a while back?) eventually cleared us to land. Since nobody had informed the ground crew of our arrival, we idled thirty more minutes, and by now everybody was standing in the aisle, luggage slung across shoulders, ready to escape.

My feet finally touched Italian soil. Only two more stages separated me from my highly-anticipated sightseeing—I had to reach downtown Rome, and check into my lodgings. Having originated from a European port within the Schengen Area, there was no passport control, and I was free to follow the signs to the Leonardo Express which departs every thirty minutes and takes about as long to reach Roma Termini, the city’s main train station.

Roma Termini

Roma Termini

This leg of my trip worked as planned. The terminal was teeming with travelers looking for a ride by train, bus, taxi or private vehicle. Roadmap in hand, I was able to reach the nearby hostel on foot. In spite of having talked to the manager personally a few days prior, and of having been assured that they could accommodate me for the three nights I intended to stay, there was a glitch. No bed was available. Would I mind going to their sister hostel, located in the opposite direction from the railroad terminal? I reached the second hostel drenched in sweat on this hot June day, wet hair clinging to my neck, my patience nearing its limits. Would it be possible to stay here for three nights, I asked timidly, yet hopefully, holding up my receipt from the first hostel. Well,…yes, but…

I wondered what else might go wrong. I was told that I could share a women-only four-bed room during the first night, but would have to move into a mixed twelve-bed room during the two subsequent nights. The prospect of a guaranteed roof over my head sounded great, and I felt relieved, even thankful. After all, who wants to hang on to her grievances, petty or otherwise, when the Roman Forum and Colosseum are within reach?

Colosseum

Colosseum

I shed my baggage, and my Northern European attitude, then set out to immerse myself in the Eternal City, half a day later than originally planned. Rome might be eternal, but my time was limited, and I planned to make the most of it.

🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹  🇮🇹 🇮🇹

There will be three more posts about my Rome trip on future Thursdays.

Click here for the German version/klicken Sie bitte hier für die deutsche Version:

https://tanjaschimmel.wordpress.com/2016/08/03/andere-lander-andere-sitten/

52 thoughts on “Throwback Thursday: When in Rome…”

  1. What a nightmare, you must have been exhausted and thoroughly miserable – as well as lobster-hued! – by the time you settled into your hostel. But, as the saying goes, “things can only get better”, so I look forward eagerly to the next instalment 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I didn’t really “settle” into the hostel. Dropped off my bag and headed out again to explore. I spent very little time at the hostel, mainly to shower, sleep (poorly), have an early breakfast, and leave again. But that was ok. I wanted to see Rome and was not looking for luxury accommodations.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Hi Gavin,

      My apologies for the late response. Your comment ended up in the spam folder which is something that happens occasionally on WordPress, not sure why. I need to check the spam folder more often!

      You are absolutely right about my travel day. It was hectic, but once I was in Rome and able to explore, the stress and inconvenience were forgotten quickly.

      Thank you for your comment.

      Tanja

      Like

      Reply

  6. Before I was twenty I had travelled mostly hitchhiking to France, Spain, Austria, northern Italy and former Yugoslavia. But I have to confess, I have never been to Rome. So I enjoyed you post and look forward to the next episode, Tanja.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Das mit den wenigen Klicks und Followern, das ging mir am Beginn meines Blogs 2011 auch genauso 😉 Rom – da waren wir früher immer im Dezember, Sightseeling und besseres Wetter als in Norddeutschland. Damals kam man noch einfach so in den Petersdom, es gab keine langen Warteschlangen vor den Vatikanischen Museen – es war wundervoll.
    Danke für Deinen Artikel. 2016 hab ich Dich noch nicht entdeckt gehabt (oder Du mich, ich weiss es nicht mehr).
    LG
    MAren

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Danke, liebe Maren. Ich weiß auch nicht mehr, wie wir zueinander gefunden haben, aber Hauptsache daß!

      Wie schön, daß Du schon mehrmals in Rom warst. Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, daß es dort im Dezember angenehmer als in Norddeutschland ist. Und daß Du dort warst, bevor die Riesenmenschenmassen es überflutet haben.

      Ich hoffe sehr, irgendwann mal wieder etwas Zeit dort zu verbringen.

      Dir ein gutes Wochenende,

      Tanja

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • That’s a great question, Maria, and not straightforward to answer.

      Doubtlessly, there are differences between people who live in different geographic locations and cultures that shape how we live. For example, Northern Europeans have the reputation of being more reserved and less outgoing than Southern Europeans. Southern Europeans also seem to be more relaxed and possibly less concerned about things like punctuality. There are exceptions, of course, and I’m also not saying one approach to life is better than the other.

      When we explore different destinations, we carry our preconceived notions with us, which might prevent us from getting to know a new country and culture. So the point I was trying to make is that it’s better to try to leave some of those notions behind for a more genuine experience.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • I totally agree. According to an article by ScienceDirect, “Universal culture refers to a set of values and ethical principles that are shared by all humans across different cultures and time periods, such as love, truthfulness, fairness, freedom, unity, tolerance, responsibility, and respect for life. These values are considered fundamental and applicable to all societies, emphasizing the importance of caring, compassion, honesty, and accountability.” I prefer to think that there is such a thing as ‘universal culture’, rather than ‘cultural idiosyncrasies’ in general.

        Liked by 1 person

      • That sounds like an interesting article, Maria. And while I love the idea that all humans share some of these wonderful values, the reality looks very different. I don’t know why humankind as a whole seems incapable of translating some of these positive principles into reality.

        Liked by 1 person

      • I don’t know either, except that only humankind likes to take revenge. However, being open and tolerant of cultural differences can help increase the understanding between nations and prevent conflict. Traveling helps too!

        Liked by 1 person

  14. Wir reisten damals per Bahn von Baden AG via Zürich nach Rom, hatten also kein Landeproblem. Wir übernachteten in Rom bei einem Freund meines Reisekumpanen, der auch unser Reiseführer war. Ich hätte allerdings auch keine Probleme gehabt, in einer Jugendherberge zu nächtigen. Ich freue mich auf die Fortsetzung. Dir ein lieber Gruss.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Lieber Ernst,

      mit dem Zug wäre ich auch lieber angereist, aber ich hatte damals zu wenig Zeit.

      In der Zwischenzeit ist das Bahnfahren so unzuverlässig geworden, zumindest in Deutschland, daß frau es sich mehrmals überlegt, längere Strecken mit dem Zug zurückzulegen. Ich finde das sehr enttäuschend, weil das doch die ökologischste Art des Reisens it.

      Jemanden in Rom zu kennen, bei dem man übernachten und von dem man sich führen lassen kann, ist natürlich super. Ich hoffe, Ihr hattet einen guten Rombesuch.

      Liebe Grüße,

      Tanja

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • Ich verfolge ja sehr oft, was in Deutschland alles los ist oder passiert. Dass das Schienennetz und die Strassenbrücken alle saniert werden müssen ist unglaublich. Offenbar wurde viele Jahre gar kein Geld in die laufende Erneuerung investiert. In der Schweiz würdest du Zug fahren, denn das Netz, die Züge und der Fahrplan sind auf sehr hohem Niveau.

        Liked by 1 person

  15. One of my most memorable travel experiences was sleeping on a bench in the Frankfurt airport when the planes were grounded because of weather. It was a very long time ago, and I was young enough that I thought it a bit of an adventure. It’s also of note that I felt perfectly safe; that might (or might not) have changed a bit, but there’s no question that traveling now is less free-wheeling. I’m looking forward to your next posts.

    Like

    Reply

    • We have also had to spend a number of nights in airports for various reasons.

      One always hopes for things to go smoothly during travel, but it’s advisable to pack a generous portion of equanimity into our suitcases or carry-on. 😊

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Nice pun, Brian, thank you.

      I didn’t really have a choice but to go with the flow, did I? At least once I was on that plane. But all is well that ends well, and I’m glad to have finally made it to Rome!

      Like

      Reply

  17. Liebe Tanja, vielen Dank für deinen schönen Artikel! Es ist immer spannend, von den Reisen anderer zu hören, und deine Erlebnisse in Rom klingen wirklich faszinierend. Das Sprichwort „Omnes viae Romam ducunt“ trifft es genau – manchmal sind die Wege im Leben alles andere als geradlinig!

    Ich selbst war noch nie in Rom, aber die historischen Bauwerke, wie das beeindruckende Colosseum, ziehen mich magisch an. Die Vorstellung, durch die Straßen zu schlendern, in denen Geschichte lebendig wird, ist immer wieder beeindruckend. Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, wie es ist, vor solch monumentalen Zeugnissen der Vergangenheit zu stehen und sich in die Geschichten hineinzuversetzen.

    Es ist schön zu hören, dass du dir diesen Traum erfüllt hast! Vielleicht wird auch für mich eines Tages der Weg nach Rom führen. Bis dahin freue ich mich darauf, mehr über deine Erlebnisse dort zu erfahren!

    Herzliche Grüße aus dem Herbstnebel…..von Rosie

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Herzlichen Dank für den netten Kommentar, liebe Rosie.
      Rom mit Künstleraugen (so wie mit Deinen) zu sehen, ist sicherlich noch tiefgehender. Oft wünsche ich mir, ich könnte gewisse Szenen skizzieren, um das Wesentliche festzuhalten. Photos helfen, unterscheiden sich aber.
      Wenn Du irgendwann mal nach Rom gelangst, wirst Du es sicherlich nicht bereuen.
      Liebe Grüße aus dem verschneiten Colorado Springs.
      Tanja

      Like

      Reply

      • Definitely will NOT be able to see “everything”. We have a future trip planned also, with a few highlights from our Must Do list. Good incentive for return trips.

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.