We arrived to Rome as scheduled and of course as expected, we got lost getting into our foyer. We got lost entering Genoa, and leaving Pisa to San Minato. It is as if you are destined to get lost in Italy's cities, specially for us Americans. No matter what directions you have, or what maps you are looking at, every street and corner is deceiving.
I have seen people getting lost even while using their GPS. One of the main reasons for this disorientation, is that the name of the street is engraved up high on the first and sometimes the second building of the street. The only way to read that name is to enter the street, and if it is not what you are looking for, you end up in another area.
Another reason is that the streets go in different directions randomly, some are oblique to the others, some are perpendicular and others are curving, some are even detached at one point and continuing a km away down the other street.
The amazing thing is that we always found our way at the end. The secret is to ask. Once you ask the magic words : do you speak English ? then everyone in hearing distance jumps to help you. In three instances we were asked to follow to our destination, one of them was a police on his bike. One drove out of his way to lead us to the highway, only because he could not explain in English. How can you not love Italians.
The first day after we settled, we went hunting for the hotel where we stayed the first time and the restaurant we used to have a meal at every day. We found them both. Unfortunately the restaurant was closed for their siesta. We walked for three hours that afternoon.
The second day we spent it at the Vatican City where we were lucky to be asked to join an English speaking guide who was very informative. Then we climbed the Dome, 420 steps, with a lovely young couple from Denver. The scene of Rome from up there was romanesque.
The 3rd day, we did not go out . We decided that we have seen enough ruins and cities, even we dropped the plan of visiting the center of Milano on our next step, and stick to country site where we were heading, at Collegio Celana, about 40 kms of Milano. Our decision was rewarding.
