it's not all play on this adventure - there's a help desk lurking
client calls meant there was only one hours sleep in london
the day down under starting at pumpkin hour in the north
the first night in italy requiring similar mid-night awakenings
but there's a bit of technology required so we take a road to rome
a short drive down the hill to the nearest town of poggio mirteto
we're told trains depart every 15 minutes into the heart of rome
maybe at peak hour but in the heat of mid-day it's a 90 minute wait
most of that spent in a local cafe indulging in the best iced coffee ever
small, smooth, rich, creamy and well partnered with a sweet pastry
the train arrives, we board, we find a seat, we settle in, we - sleep
zombie mode is kind of order of the day as we switch to metro mode
emerge from the underground in the guts of rome and memories rush
not so much rome but that unique feeling of re-connecting with the past
still - a smile on the dial and a kind of aimless city-stumble then begins
we have a purpose but heat, tiredness and overwhelming presence combine
google maps in walking mode works against us so we resort to - gulp - asking
we get pointed in vague directions to vague destinations and go in circles
but it's ok - every corner on every street in this ancient city is revealing
thankfully one of us is more alert/insistent and our chosen store is found
but the bit we want - a wireless/ethenet converter - remains elusive
as does a helpful sales assistant - oh well - moving on - let's google it
and so begins a walk that reveals a side of rome away from the bustle
small, narrow, cobblestone streets hosting small, specific businesses
cafes, chocolatiers, hairdressers, tailors, boutiques, bars, homewares
and - an electrical store - oops - not the electronics store we wanted
right - let's give up on that and change to tourist mode - easy done
within 10 minutes we are standing at the iconic trevi fountain
alongside hundreds of other tourists but that's ok - gelato time
the grossly inflated price does not dissuade as we sit, lick, gawk
then we're off - the spanish steps are close-by and found quickly
renovation mode but still the crowds come as we decide to move out
it's now peak hour and the required metro journey is an experience
the system seems overloaded, run-down and bordering on scary
dudes with machine-guns a reminder of the times in which we live
i enjoy mixing it with the locals but in this case not like a sardine
dis-gorging at a suburban station and tiredness now kicking in
stumbling around local streets in search of food loses appeal
and a welcome relief to get on the train back into the country
an hour later we are back in the fiat, up the hill and arrive home
the fridge plundered for wine, olives, cheese and tomatoes - then - zzzz
