Wren Inn Roam

17.12.10

Roma, Italy



Chianti Beauty



We have reached our final destination together on our journey across Europe: the ancient and eternal city of Roma. Though we have no more kilometers to pedal, our job is not yet complete. Indeed, the last three days have been some of the most frustrating and challenging of the entire trip.

As usual, the approach to Rome was nothing out of the ordinary. We knew that entering any city and even drawing near to the larger ones invites headaches from the tripled volume of traffic and dirtier roads. In this case, we were not prepared for this overload of trucks and cars that occurred 55 miles out. The worst part is that the traffic increased while the width of the road remained scarily narrow: a two lane road lacking a shoulder. Fortunately, we were able to camp in strands of woods that we found along the highway and braved the cold three nights in a row before our arrival. Riding into Rome proper was very instructive in the mismatch between ancient road sizes and their modern applications. The traffic was so bad riding in that we beat many of the cars to the city center. Again, having a single lane on a main thoroughfare is never a good idea for a busy city.

The second trial of our final destination together was the unfortunate situation of lodging. Instead of staying in a hostel or hotel for the duration of our stay, we attempted to cut down on cost by staying with one of three contacts that we had made throughout our travels or through our friends. A girl that we had met in Madrid had originally invited us to stay with her, which made us very happy as we entered the city. As soon as we got internet access - for the first time in three days, actually - we discovered that her mother had become ill, naturally destroying our hopes of staying with her. Fine, we had a few other options.

A dear friend of mine named BHill worked very hard to find a contact with whom we could stay for a few days here in the city and got us in touch with a family that is extremely nice and wonderful. Tom, Brian's friend, even grew up in Chicago, which is a double plus. But their apartment is not suited for lengthy stays and so we contented ourselves with plans for dinner. That first night, after discovering that we were without a place to stay, we sought residence in a hostel, which allowed us to see the Vatican. St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Cathedral, the Sistine Chapel... I do have to interrupt this story for a bit of good news, which is that true beauty exists at this oh holiest of places. It goes without saying that the Church was one of the most powerful institutions on the planet at one time, and while many poor decisions were made regarding the use of that money, the construction of these beautiful structures is an appropriate and commendable use of these funds. Of course, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick: These are all fine and well, too, but creating works of art and raw beauty are worth something special.

Through the website that we are a part of, we were able to leave the hostel and stay with a friendly guy who was eager to teach us about his Buddhist beliefs, his former 1-kg-of-pasta-a-day-for-breakfast eating habits (though he reiterated how variety is the spice of life), and the joys of cycling in the thick of the craziest of European traffic - found here in Rome. Before we met him, we were approached on the street by a very nice woman who saw us with our bikes and was curious as to what we were doing. After we told her our story and our predicament, she offered us a place to stay. Taking an immediate liking to her enthusiasm and bubbling energy, we decided to take her up on the offer and stay with her the following night, after we had given the internet friend a shot.

Though it was difficult moving all our things again, we figured that this woman was kind enough to open up to us knowing our story, so it must be a positive encounter. We left the first house and, following a wonderfully simple lunch of her vegetarian and organic lifestyle, Giuliana took us on a biking tour of Rome. 2 hours on a bike was not only enough to see the many historical sites of the city but also sufficient to fear for our lives a number of times as she wove in and out of traffic, acting without fear and as though she owned the cobblestoned roads. I should say that, as a phenomenal coincidence, our internet friend, Sem, and the woman with whom we had a chance encounter, Giuliana, were both members of the group Critical Mass, which seeks to garner awareness to the reality and efficacy of cycling in cities by gathering in large herds once a month and taking over the city roads completely, forcing cars to notice and obey, as it were.

Sean and I met up again with Giuliana after having a magnificent time with Tom and Dana Whalen at their 6th story condo in the heart of Rome. The building in which they live is a converted 12th century tower that still forms the core of the structure, with the rooms built around it. Not only did this place have a brilliant and breathtaking view (or maybe it was just the subzero temperatures that stole the air from my lungs?), but it commanded a style that is rare for many places in America. But the true pleasure of the night was visiting with two of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever met.

Finishing up the pathetic story of our lodging woes, we returned to Giuliana's place following a torturous series of frigid night walks, lonely bus rides, and seemingly aimless wandering as we searched for the correct street in unfamiliar territory. Indeed, when we arrived, happy to be back in a relatively warm home with a friendly face to welcome us, we discovered, quite bluntly and plainly and you-should-have-known/don't-you-understand?, that we were to leave the following morning at 09:30. Take into consideration that our dinner with Tom and Dana had lasted until 23:00, meaning we reunited with Giuliana at 00:25 or so. That first day, she invited us to stay with her and knew that we were leaving the 19th, but she all of a sudden said she had a "change of plans" and would be leaving the following day out of town for the weekend. Sean and I had no power in this situation: Arguing our case would never change her mind, forcing her to stay, but would certainly instead bring about an unpleasant exchange that might end in us leaving even sooner. I never felt this terrible for having trusted someone so completely, nearly seeing Giuliana as our savior for Rome, and then being thrown out in the freezing, sunless cold because she had changed her mind and wanted to leave town. Perhaps she just doesn't realize what it is like to be without a home, or perhaps she thought we had other friends here (she was under the impression that we could return to the house we were at the previous night). In any case, the rug was yanked out from under our weary feet, and the worst part is that all the while we were struggling to stay smiling.

But Rome really hasn't been bad. The first three days had been absolutely gorgeous weather. Today is another story: Snow in the morning followed by drizzling, steady rain, and then a massive downpour complete with lightning and roaring thunder. I can only hope the clouds lift for our final day of sightseeing and errand-running tomorrow.

These are the final two days I have with Sean, first in Rome and then en route to Dublin, where I will rest these bones while Sean heads home. I am only beginning to realize the enormity of that fact: the simple, crushing reality. Let us enjoy the little time that remains, even in spite of this dripping, freezing, terrible weather.