So I'm finally getting around to posting about Italy. I have to get a little detailed about the start of the trip because it's too funny not to share. There aren't any pictures, so you'll just have to envision.
So Matt and I head off to Italy on a Wednesday evening, after work. We arrive at the airport, board the plan and are on our way. Now, if you know us, you know that I pretty much plan the vacations. Matt just packs a bag and shows up. So on the flight he asks me how I plan to get from the airport to the hotel. Something that I had only briefly even thought about, definitely did not have a "plan." I tell him that I don't really have a plan. Also, because my beloved husband doesn't do any of the planning, this also allows him to be very judgey about all the plans I make ;) So, long story longer, "we" decide that I am completely in charge of finding our way to the hotel. Matt agrees to say nothing in the process. I figure, we are spending a lot of money on this trip, why not save a couple bucks and take public transportation to the hotel. There are A LOT of moving factors, obviously, with this path and I NEED to nail it or else I'm going to here about it FOREVER!
I suddenly feel like I'm on the "Amazing Race." The plane touches down and all but pushing the Bulgarians out of my way to get to passport control and baggage claim. Once we pick up our luggage (for visualization purposes you should know that we have one medium size suitcase, I have a purse, and Matt has a carry on bag) I start speed walking, following the little pictures of trains...which is not all that intuitive, I'll have you know. Apparently I also feel like I"m being "timed" on this race too. We get to the train station and I quickly look around, find the automatic kiosk station and it will not take my credit card because my card does not have the Euro pin #. I try to use cash. No go. Time is of the essence people! So, we have to go stand in a longish line to buy tickets. Then, the trains have no destination. I'm not sure what to do, get on it and wind up in some far away land? Ask someone? Meanwhile, Matt is definitely judging my decisions! We get on the train, determine that it's heading for the center of Rome and we are on our way. The only 2 seats together were the stupid ones by the door.
After about 30-45 minutes we arrive at the central train station in Rome. I've already determined what metro line we need to be on and everything. I've got this. I start running through the train station to the metro, purchase metro fares, and then we begin winding, and winding, and winding, and snaking our way through this crazy underground tunnel system to avoid construction deep down in the depths of the metro. We've now learned that we are aiming to catch the very last train of the night due to the construction. We keep winding, and winding and winding. We're running because we can't miss the train our else we'll never find our way OUT of the metro. We FINALLY make it to where we are supposed to be, wait five minutes and hop on another train. We ride for TWO measly stops and get off on our stop.
I am now in charge of the map reading as well. I'm a terrible map reader, that is definitely Matt's job. But, I've planned our our route and i think it should be fairly easy. We exit the metro station only to learn it is RAINING! I'm looking for this tiny alley way to cut through which should make our walk from the metro no more than 4 or 5 blocks. When we finally find said cut through, it's a HUGE staircase. Keep in mind it's raining and Matt's got the suitcase. He carries it up the big 'ol staircase. We finally find our hotel and we fall through the front doors, tired, wet and happy to be done with the "Amazing Race." We approach the front desk, so happy to be there and in the background we hear are wedding song. I NEVER hear our wedding song, let alone in Rome. We danced our first dance at our wedding to James Morrison's "You Make it Real. (I wanted to embed the video in this post but can't figure out how to get that fancy on the blog!!)
I look at Matt and say "Is this for real??" He looks at me exhausted and sopping wet and nods his head. I ask "I'm I making it real for you right now??" haha. Hilarious to me and such a fitting way to start off our vacation/anniversary trip!!
P.S. In the end Matt commended me on my route/plan from the airport to the hotel and said there were just some other factors that worked against us to make it harder than it should have been. He also said we'd be taking a taxi back to the airport :)
That is wild!!
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