Arrivederci, Roma!

It's Wednesday, May 18th, our last morning in Rome. I'll take this opportunity to tell you a bit more about the apartment we rented.

We became enamored with the idea of apartment rentals during a trip to Puerto Rico a few years ago. We found this apartment in Rome though VRBO, and it seemed to be a perfect location.

We're not big on dining out, and we're somewhat budget conscious, so the idea of having a kitchen to prepare some of our meals and a refrigerator to stash our stuff is always a big plus.

We also feel like apartments give you a more intimate connection with the neighborhood. Although we enjoyed this apartment immensely, it was not without problems.

As I mentioned earlier, the rental agent was late arriving, and actually spoke no English at all. She brought an iPad with her, and we communicated via a combination of Google Translate and my limited and rusty Italian. Some things got lost in the translation, specifically that the water heater and air conditioner were both controlled by a hidden set of switches behind a curtain. We spent a good portion of our first day in Rome trying to contact the owner to find out how to get both appliances to work. Once we got that sorted out, we were very pleased.

The apartment had a shared entryway with an adjoining apartment, with a very secure front door, as well as an indoor security gate for the apartment itself. A small foyer contained a laundry room with a tiny washing machine that had the most complex operating instructions I've ever seen. From there, a short flight of steps led up to the the compact kitchen.

The kitchen was tight, with very little counter space, but it worked. Although it lacked a toaster, it did have a Gaggia espresso machine that was a real powerhouse. From there, a somewhat longer set of steps led up to the living/dining areas.

The bedroom was equipped with a large closet and a queen size bed. The single bathroom was ensuite, and equipped with a shower and a bidet.

The living area overlooked Via Giulia, facing the Tiber River.

We finish our packing and take a last stroll around the neighborhood, stopping at Forno Roscioli for some pastries for breakfast. We're expecting RomeCabs to pick us up at the apartment at 11am.

As we wander back to the apartment at around 10:45, we find Maurizio, our RomeCabs driver, is already waiting for us. He helps us muscle our luggage into the van, and bid sweet Roma arriverderci.

Maurizio's English is far better than my Italian, but we practice back and forth as we drive out to Civitavecchia. Our route, trying to avoid traffic, loops us back around the Vatican, and then out into the countryside. Maurizio points out interesting sights along the way, and we chat about life in Italy, and in the States. It takes us just a bit over an hour to arrive at the port.