DAY 17 –SPANISH STAIRS & TREVI FOUNTAIN

Well, I checked out of my very charming hotel in Rome – Hotel Canada (ironic, huh?) It was a very old hotel, and screemed 1930s – but was clean and refreshed. It had a very old elevator – the type where you have to manually open and close interior and exterior gates, and an old fashioned Bell Hop that took you to your room (and showed you how to work the elevator). And despite the elevator, there were still stairs required to get around. Stairs from the street to the front door, and more stairs from the front door to the check-in desk – and even 3 more stairs to get to the elevator. And all of Rome is like this – I doubt anyone in Rome has ever purchased a StairMaster.

            I left my luggage at the hotel and hopped the Tourbus to go to the Spanish Stairs – holy cow! Now THAT’S a lot of stairs! It’s 135 steps – but seems a lot longer – and it was built in 1725. It’s beautiful – and specifically built to connect the plaza below to the church at the top. It’s a steep slope, and a beautiful view of the church looking up at it from below. Then I walked over to the famous Trevi Fountain – but didn’t get to hop in it (like you see done so often in the movies).

            And another lovely train ride from Rome to Florence. I upgraded to Area Silenzio – which is a car with 14 seats, but there were only 3 passengers. They serve a cute little snack box on these trains, which really helps the time to pass. Airlines in America used to do that, but most barely do cookies and a drink anymore. Too bad, it just makes traveling feel a bit more classy.

            When I got to Florence, I walked to my hotel. It was a busy Saturday night, and the streets were filled with people. The path to the hotel was filled with cute shops, and very narrow sidewalks – barely wide enough for 2 people to pass, let alone with one dragging a suitcase. But walking in the cobblestone streets is not only dangerous, but makes the suitcase twice as difficult. And along the route, the Duomo – a magnificent church, and the dome you can see from everywhere in the city. And just as I got to my hotel, the 7pm bells began to ring.

            Well, hello to you too, Florence!