They say that Rome is built on seven hills and I'd say that we traversed at least three of them on our walk. Add in small sidewalks, cars and scooters scattered about and cobblestones underfoot and, in retrospect, a taxi may have been a better idea.
Actually, it was more like a two-mile walk since the office was located in an underground garage and we overshot the entrance since we did not see the sign. Luckily a vendor at a local stand pointed us back in the correct direction. (I got the impression that she got asked the question quite often.)
After filling out the necessary paperwork, we took posession of our transportation for the next nine days, a Volvo V60 D3 Diesel Wagon. Very sexy, great power, but sadly, limited on cargo space. We managed to get three of the bags in the back and jammed the fourth in the back seat between Helen & Kevin. We hooked up the GPS (having ordered the Italian map module before we left) and were on our way.
Let me just say that driving in Rome IS EXACTLY AS CRAZY AS PEOPLE SAY. Driving up the ramp to exit the parking garage was analgous to a pinball being propelled into a pinball machine. Madness! Narrow sreets laid out like spaghetti that has been dropped on the floor. Roundabouts appearing now and then. Random cars coming from all directions. Swarming motorscooters, too. Practially non-existent signage.
Actually street signs do exist, if you know were to look for them. They are embedded in the sides of buildings located at intersections. While this isn't an actual street sign, it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about:
Now realize that they don't seem to be always located on the same orientation at each intersection. (For example, placing them always on the building on the NW corner. But being Rome, there may not be a NW corner!) Imagine being swept along in the traffic flow, trying to avoid being clipped by a Smart car or Vespa while frantically looking for a sign. And it goes without saying, that the signs are not lit up at night.
As I said, we did have the GPS. So we hung on the unit's every instruction. "In 30 kilometers, enter roundabout." All was fine until we missed our first turn about ten minutes into the trip. No problem! We just followed the recalculated route, which seemed to be taking us into some sort of residential area. "Turn left." We did and immediately found ourselves on some sort of jogging/bike paths, with startled pedestrians giving us the evil eye.
With apologetic grins, we backed out and followed a new recalculated route. Thankfully, we we soon on an arterial street, then an expressway and finally on the Autostrada on the way to Sienna.
By the way, here's a video that I found (I didn't make it) that gives you an idea of what driving in Rome is like. htttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAadQhHknNk. One clarification: the scantily dressed ladies that occasionally make an appearance are apparently independent contractors.
The Autostradas are wonderful. They are very similar to our tollways. Grab a ticket when you enter and pay when you exit. But without a GPS, they can be confusing as highway numbers are not posted and the signs list the next (major) town on the route. I will give them credit for painting the upcoming exit information on the lanes well in advance of the exit.
Another similiarity are the Autogrills. These are similar to the Oases that you see on the Ilinois Tollways, that is, gas stations with limited auto services and food stations. Snack bars are more like fast food places, while an Autogrill is a full-service restaurant. I had heard in a podcast that the food in the Autogrills was quite good as it was prepared by serious cooks using local ingredients. We put it to the test, by stopping at an Autogrill about an hour out of Rome.
We dined on fettucini with broccoli and tomatoes, gratin of spinach and prosciutto and Coca Cola Light (the Italian version of Diet Coke.) All for € 13,60. (Under $10!)
After a quick comfort stop, we hopped in the car and continued on to Sienna.
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