Planes, Trains, and the Roma Termini

May 5, 2010

Euro Trip

Day 1

Goodbye USA!

It is 12:30am local time, but to me it feels like 4:30pm yesterday. Jet lag sucks. We are on an overnight train to Paris right now and probably have 9-10 hours left before we get there. I turned on the GPS to see where we are and it looks like we are near Milan. From what I can tell it looks pretty rainy outside--which the reason we are going to Paris right now. Originally, our plan was to fly into Rome, spend a few days there, then go see a few more other cities in Italy, and finish up in Paris. Our very last night we had planned taking an overnight train to get back into Rome, but we checked the weather before we came a

nd rain was forecast all week in Italy--in every city--but not in Paris. So we decided to do our trip in reverse. We bought train passes for use in Italy and France and so we went to the ticket office to find out what it would take to get us on an overnight train. Unfortunately, it cost way more than I thought it would--€150. The little budget we came up with allows for €60 per night on hotels, soooo this was a bit more, but we didn't really have a choice. For one, we aren't prepared with rain gear, and we don't want to see Italy in the rain. So yes, it was pricey but also worth it. The reason it cost so much is because all the cheap seats had been purchased already, so we had to pay for a sleep cabin. I can't say that I mind, it's just the two of us in here. The place can seat up to 6 and there are two beds that are near the ceiling hanging above the seats. Wendi is asleep right now, or so she seems. She is a terrible travel sleeper. She will lay there for hours wide awake and not say anything just because s

he was trying to fall asleep. I don't know how many times on road trips when I've been falling asleep at the wheel and she's just sitting over there pretending to be asleep. She makes me smile. She forgot our sleeping pills an a few other meds we were going to bring with us. They are probably sitting on the desk in the room at Karen's house. Oh well, jet lag only lasts so long.

Rome was interesting today. It's not like we got out and saw the city. Other than our bus ride from the airport, we just hung around the Termini (train station). We were so tired. We got maybe 4 hours of sleep on the plane, probably less. We were so flustered trying to figure out what to do with our bags, how to get on the internet to get in touch with this guy who's apartment we're going to rent for our stay in Paris, and deciding if we were actually going to Paris first or not. Add all those things to our jet lag, and all the emotions that come along with that--homesickness, slight despair, stomach ache, etc.--

and we really had to keep our minds elsewhere just to focus on what needed to be done. Wendi and I both decided that we're glad Paris is first, we we

re just too tired to take on Rome today.

Here we are waiting in the termini, too tired to do anything else.

Our "photographer" was a girl who only spoke french and italiano,

so Wendi did her best to communicate with her. Guess she isn't familiar

with camera's at all. This is the best pic she took, and it's definitely not the greatest.

Oh well. More pics tomorrow.

Until then...

Cameron