There were a lot of Cabineri around. Just like there were in Florence. In fact, when I went outside there were heaps of them around with riot gear and everything. Not too far away the sound of a guy on a microphone... Obviously the demonstration, apparently against Bush, was continuing. This didn't bother me, looked like some excitement was brewing. :-)
Ok, so I had the address and I'd pre-planned this time with my GPS so I'd know where to go. That plan didn't really work since, for some reason, I couldn't get a signal outside the station, even though it worked the last time I was in Rome. It really wasn't my day. So I decided I could use it like a map as soon as I could found out which end of the station I was on. That took longer than I thought but was finally on my way with my large bag in tow.
I finally locate the piazza half an hour later. It's a big square with a park in the middle... This is where I sat with those people & waited 'til it got cold three weeks ago. Now, my mistake was going right and not left so after circumnavigating the piazza I finally ask another lady in a takeaway shop where it is... Next door, she indicates. Now the number 55 next to the big doors should have given it away I guess... what I hadn't noticed was "Mai" written on one of the intercom buttons. It's so obvious now. My mistake was looking for some moderate signage. If you can't pick up on the sarcasm then I apologise for my lack of effort in conveying it in the written word. Here it was apparently "200 metres" from the station but it took me an hour to find.
The man though was nice as his voice blasted out the intercom to greet me & ask if it were Mr. Craig and then he became extremely quiet as soon as he was providing directions. Outside, just two big brown doors. The foyer of the building inside looks kinda like the building hasn't been finished. I went up 3 flights in the old lift instead of just one so walked down the other two to the sound of his French accent. My bag is heavy!
Once I was inside the B&B foyer, the place looked better. It was very nicely decorated with the feel of being finished. Phew! The outside had me worried!
I had a quick shower. The light turned off half way through and I was in the dark. I couldn't get it going again so I just left the door ajar & finished up. I wasn't about to let that phase me. It wasn't about to become the pattern of what to expect. Plus, the light started working again about five minutes after my shower. See, no issues at all. :-) Also, I worked out that if I place my phone on the window sill I still get reception in the room. How good is that!
I went looking for food. To be honest, I kinda wanted to go back to the train station to look at the bookstore and the clothing stores. Plus it looked like they had a restaurant upstairs as I passed it earlier so I decided to go back.
It doesn't take too long when you know where you're going & don't have to drag luggage around. I browsed the shops then got this gross coffee drink before I found the restaurant. It was quite reasonable... I had risotto & two types of pasta. It was nice. After that I browsed the bookstore... I must have been in there for at least 40 minutes... It was really big and they had cooking books and heaps of art books on different styles of art & art history books & comic design. It was pretty cool but I decided I better not buy any - in the interests of money, luggage weight and likely availability online.
When I decided to go, the Cabineri & Trenitalia staff were directing everyone through one exit. I think they must have been looking for someone. Outside it looked like the demonstration had run its course. Except for a number of Polizia & Cabineri still around you wouldn't have guessed anything had gone on.
Anyway, back to the hotel, ok, B&B...
On a side note, I still don't see the issue with the Terminal area... Yeah, there's weirdo's and the homeless but I still haven't had an issue. Silvia from the reception desk back in San Gimignano agreed with me... as she's stayed in this area too... if you're aware of yourself and your surroundings you shouldn't have an issue. Others will be easier targets for pick-pocketing and since they won't be aggressive then you can just ignore anyone else.
Once I got back, I thought... Hmmm. Technically the Colosseum isn't far... I mapped a route on my phone headed off again.
It didn't take too long, say 20 minutes. It looked very cool at night with the blue & orange internal lighting and white and orange external lighting. It looked fantastic and if I took photos with a longer exposure it looked even cooler in the photos... Like a burnt orange with flecks of blue. I took heaps of photos... Say two every couple metres as I went about 90% of the way around. Some of the Arch of Constantine too.
I didn't make it all the way round 'cos I wanted to go back to the entrance where a guy had set up his electric guitar and was playing rock. He had some recorded backing but I don't think he needed it. I just sat listening to him for half an hour till around 11:30 I think it was. He was pretty good and I liked it when he played some Queen songs too. There were quite a number listening to him. And it's funny but I hadn't thought about it till then that Rock was a good genre for the Colosseum considering its past. At the same time, you could get away with something more classical due to the beauty, serenity and age of the building too since it had been there, done that. Quite versatile. If Pisa was an old woman with a girdle and a bad side, I could imagine the Colosseum was an old man who had seen a lot of violence in his life but now likes to sit peacefully in his old age.
Ok. Well, I had an uneventful trip back to the B&B. I was stuffed by then so I slept soundly.
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