Rome to the High Seas!!

Rainy morning -- but beautifully comfortable other than that. Breakfast was chocolate croissant, coffee, fruit and for me two boiled eggs. Once again the appointments at table were lovely -- the ever-present creamy yellow linens, fine china and flowers! The rooms were quite comfortable --- standard European bathrooms with slippery marble floors, very high step up for the tub. The hand towels are linen -- not terry --- I did not remember this from our previous trip! I guess my face is like fine china and needs linen towels to wash and dry it!!!! The Lights and electricity in the room were initiated by inserting the card attached to the key into a slot next to the door.
Unlocking the door was a challenge --- we actually had to have the desk person come and help us. The door knobs do not turn at all, and the doors are metal. There is a second click in the lock that is the point at which one can enter. The windows opened onto a courtyard where we could see many apartment homes --- there were lemon, and other citrus trees on balconies and many flowers. The scent of star jasmine is almost overpowering. When we arrived we found that the hotel would open the entrance for deliveries so that Kathy didn't have to climb the stairs....Huge wrought-iron gates swung open and we entered a long narrow drive to the back of the hotel.
After a good night's sleep we headed out to the Vatican. The rain was drenching ---the crowd was cued up to enter and at 9:00 a.m. they opened the doors. The guards were very good about helping us get through all the barriers. As we head down the ramp to the crypt where the popes are buried --- it was truly treacherous. My sandals did not provide good traction and I found myself slipping along trying not to fall as Matt pushed Kathy in the chair. There were no rugs to help -- and no signs warning people either. The rounded cobblestones were also not only uneven -- but slick as well!
The crowds must be mostly Catholic since they were reverently quiet. An ancient nun was giving instructions on how to show respect as we entered. No one was permitted to take photos in the crypt. We made our way to the Basilica to the Pi eta and around the entire church! It is so overwhelmingly large and the marble and statuary command our attention. Unfortunately we were under time constraints and rushed through. Still, this time I tried to photograph different parts of the church than when I was here before... There were a number of side chapels with mass being said....but this may relate to a holiday which was being celebrated on June 1st. HOWEVER we could not find what holiday it was. Once we exited the Vatican it was pouring rain --- we walked along the cobblestone which was slick with water again.....until we found a taxi to take us back to Hotel delle Vittorie Piazza Mazzini.
( -- to pick up our luggage and head for the train station.)
Once at the Train Station the challenge was to find track 28 ...1-23 were marked everywhere --- we had to locate a lift (acensore) and then locate the signs for the track we needed. Apparently these tracks are for local destinations and therefore not as well marked as the first 23 tracks --- since local people generally know where they are going! Matt was especially good help in locating the sign and then booking it to the location. He is a delightful young man with a bright mind and a rye sense of humor!
Once we found out where to go it was a long walk and we missed the 11:40 train by 1 minute. Then we sat for a long time on the train waiting to leave. Italian trains are filthy --- they smell of feces and urine and look as though no one cleans them much. Kind of like a dirty greyhound bus.
We waited until the time passed for the train to leave. We figured when it didn't leave that perhaps there were not enough people on the train ---- Then the next time for leaving arrived and it seemed that the train was having difficulty. Finally the train started -- but at one point we stopped and suddenly everyone started to complain and get off the train...We surmised that the train had broken down --- and followed people to the train on the next platform...but had to run along car after car --- because that train already had many people on the train. We finally got on and found seats --- Ultimately we arrived at the port only to learn that there was no lift for Kathy-- She had to climb down about 25 stairs and then climb up another 25 to get to the street where a taxi awaited. Unfortunately --- The irony is that Italians dress beautifully and it pained me to see them put those fine clothes in contact with such dirt!! The trains have a design element that is perhaps "post-modern" -- but all that is ruined by the dirt and stench!
The train seemed to have trouble getting going --- so we were relieved when it finally left the station about 15 minutes later than the second train time that we waited through. It would give us time to get to the port --- but suddenly at one of the stops the train failed all together. People began to leave muttering --- of course in languages we did not understand! I wondered if this is what it felt like on Pentecost! After all Sunday was Pentecost!!! Luckily there was a young woman who spoke a little English who told us to transfer our bags to a train directly across the platform (that was a real blessing---since if it had been on another platform we would have had the additional difficulty of either finding a lift or in helping Kathy try to get down and up the stairs before the train left!!! The conductor indicated to Kathy (we thought) that the train across the platform was the one as well --- and it it said Pisa was it's destination --- and Kathy had a map which indicated that it would pass through the port of Civitiavechia on the way --- so we were somewhat confident that we were on the right train --- but then one can never be sure in these circumstances and so --- we were worried. Ironically no one came through to check our tickets whom we could then have asked if we were on the right train!
When we arrived at the port -- we discovered that there was no lift and not path across the tracks --- Kathy had to walk down 25 stairs and up another 25 to get to the station. Fortunately there were some Americans on the train who were headed for the same cruise and helped Matt get the bags down and up the stairs. He is going to be in great shape when he gets home. There was a bus to the ship --- which probably would have been easier for her to board --- but it was a 4 block walk to get there and she was worried that we might miss it --- so we took a taxi.
The taxi didn't have a stool and it was too high for Kathy to climb up into --- so Matt had to push as Kathy pulled and finally got up.....and in short order we were at the check in point --- They put us through the same kind of routine you go through when you board a plane -- they took our passports and got us on board. Kathy and I are in cabin 3581 --- Matt is in 6617 --- There was confusion about this -- because I am actually in Matt's room --- seems that Until you are 24 you have to have an adult in the cabin ---- Ultimately we got set up --- and went to dinner --- which was excellent.
After dinner we stopped at the desk to pick up our tickets for the tours in the morning, but they did not have any for us and thus began a traumatic evening of contingency planning which might have included leaving the ship and planning our own tours.....Kathy was really frustrated and tired after a day of unexpected problems so this wasn't a good thing to happen at the end of what was otherwise ULTIMATELY a very tiring but successful day.