Some Welcome to Rome

If Rome is the Eternal City, I think I could have gone an eternity without coming and missed nothing. You are supposed to toss a coin into Trevi Fountain to ensure you return one day to Rome. Kaitlyn tossed in a coin. I nearly jumped in to get it back.

            Everyone warned us about Rome and it’s notorious pickpockets. We were told about being ripped off at every turn – every vendor and restaurant is allegedly out to cheat you. No one told us about the constant harassment you face walking down the street… and that those harassers target children. Pick on me. Don’t pick on my daughter.

            Our hotel is in a great location. It’s next door to the Pantheon and has a pedestrian square (piazza) in front of it. The piazza is filled with men selling everything from counterfeit handbags to sunglasses to bubbles. At night, the routine changes. No need for bubbles in the dark. They have light up disks they shoot into the air and little marbles they toss up to make chirp like annoying little bugs. And every one of them thinks that Kaitlyn needs whatever they’re peddling.

            At Trevi Fountain, they abandon toys and use roses. As we walked up, some dude pushed roses into my hand ,told me they were a gift. Then he turned to Bill and told him he wanted money for them. When Bill refused, the guy ripped the flowers out of my hands. Another guy tried. I said no. He handed the flowers to Kaitlyn. Then when Bill wouldn’t pay, we had to wrestle the flowers from her and shoved them back at the guy. As he walked away leaving Kaitlyn crying Bill shouted “I hope you’re happy now!” A third guy (or maybe it was the same guy all three times, I was trying to avoid looking at them to avoid being bothered) tried to shove some flowers at me and Bill shoved him away, yelling at him to leave his wife and daughter alone. By the time we were done being harassed, we were done with Rome. We’d already pushed our way through the crowds through the shopping district to the Spanish Steps then over paid for a horse drawn carriage ride to Trevi (for Kaitlyn). The carriage guy first told us he wanted 150 Euros for a ride. That was three times what we paid the private car to take us from the airport to our hotel. We finally reluctantly agreed to 80 Euros and when we did expected the ride to last more than 5 minutes. What a complete rip off.

            Hopefully Kaitlyn will sleep in her bed at the hotel. I found a place with a triple room… I hope that doesn’t turn out to be a big waste.

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