When In Rome...

So let's see, where do I begin? The beginning seems like a logical place, but the beginning actually sucked. Definitely NOT how I wanted to start my trip, but hindsight its kind of funny. Definitely the Burns family luck at play...

Imagine, if you will, me. I'm by myself, travelling to meet my friend in Rome. We have a meeting place and sort of meeting time (although at the time of departure it was not yet set in stone). I have no way of contacting my friend, aside from the internet, once I depart my house here in Alicante. This departure takes place around 8:40 PM on Monday night, with my flight to Madrid leaving around 10:30. Everything goes smoothly, there is no stress involved. I arrive in Madrid around 12 midnight. Did you know that everything in airports (at least in Europe) closes around 10 PM? This was not a fact I was previously aware of, so my desire for some entertainment to keep me occupied during my 6 hour lay over in Madrid was not able to be satisfied. Also, I needed to get my passport checked and my ticket verified by the airline (an annoying habit of RyanAir which I am told is the only company that insists on doing this). I couldn't even get this simple process taken care of until 4 in the morning, and I couldn't get anything to read until 5 o'clock when the stores opened again. I couldn't even use a bathroom or take a light siesta because they were cleaning. Every time I laid down and tried to go to sleep the lady on the floor buffing machine drove by my head. Really annoying, I assure you. Finally, I am able to take care of both my desire for a Redbull, and my need for a Cosmo. It's the UK edition, but it works. So I get to Rome around 9:50 AM on Tuesday morning. By this time, I am running on about an hours worth of sleep for a 24 hour time period, during which I traveled for about 18 hours. The lady at the airport in Rome tells me that it will cost about 45-50 euros to get to the place where my friend and I are meeting, about halfway between the train station and the airport. It costs about 3,65 euros for a non stop bus to the train station where my friend is arriving at 3. I decide this would be the best option. This all sounds great, right? Just keep in mind, however, that my friend doesn't know (and I have no way of telling him) that I will be meeting him at the train statiion. The last communication we had - which was on Monday morning - was that we would meet at the catacomb we had decided on. So this is a complete surprise for him for me to be there. I wait for the approximate 5 or 6 hour time period until his train is supposed to arrive. I'm in the right spot, have the right time of arrival, and I'm waiting. The printed schedule on the wall gives the time of 3:13, but when the electronic updating schedule hanging from the ceiling updates for the 3 o'clock hour, it skips the Venice San Lucia train, putting the last one in at 2:45. I panic. My instincts tell me to stay and wait for the supposed time that he's getting in, but I know that we had already planned on this meeting place and his last words were, "Look for me at the catacomb. I'll be there." So I go to the catacomb. 50 euros and a 20 minute awkward Italian cab ride later, I get to the Catacomb di San Sebastiano. He is not there. I sit and wait for about an hour and a half, during which time taxis come and go, tour buses pack up and leave, and I am left sitting alone in the rain with my stuff. I was so alone and desperate and tired; I had no more money, no way of contacting anyone, I don't speak Italian. I started to cry. Now I feel like a baby but I was freaking out. I said so many prayers to San Sebastian he probably got annoyed with me. I finally broke down and went inside to ask the monks where I could find internet. Of course they don't understand me, but they understand my tears. They let me back into their office and let me use their computer while offering me chocolate and water. I messaged Tyler, thanked them profusely (although I don't think they understood me), and then walked outside to see my friend sitting in the courtyard in the rain. I was ecstatic. I think I looked like Forrest Gump running across the courtyard to meet him with all my stuff, but I didn't care. I wasn't alone anymore. I think I owe San Sebastian my first born or something like that...

The rest of Roma was fantastic. No drama, good food, beautiful views. We stayed with Tyler's friend in this cool apartment which was in a great location. I couldn't have been more happy :) I got to see the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain, along with eating best carbonara of my life! Definitely needed more than 3 days (although we really only got 1 to sightsee, as it was monsooning all day Wednesday), but it was a wonderful trip. I for sure would want to go again! The trip home was much less stressful, although Tyler's reservation didn't go through and he had to buy a second ticket at like double the price. That was upsetting but we ended up buying most of the airport snack bar, along with a bottle of rum. That certainly lifted our spirits. In the end, I decided that when in Rome, do as the Romans do: drink wine and eat pasta.