La Dolce Vita con Scooters

I spent way too much time while we were in Rome wondering what it would feel like to get run over by a scooter.  They were everywhere – buzzing down alleyways, zipping between cars, zooming down main thoroughfares.  I’m not talking about motorcycles and I did not see big Harleys.  These were small to mid-sized Hondas and Vespas.  And those Italians who don’t ride, drive teeny little cars that have no rear end or trunk space and barely hold two people.  Understandable, since gas is almost $10.00 per gallon.

 

Most streets are more like alleyways.  Alleys are different here than in the United States.  They are beautiful cobblestone streets with trattorias and coffee and wine bars.  Most of them have huge baskets of bougainvillea or impatiens. And oh so narrow.  Those who do not drive the tiny cars drive big ones that squeeze between the people and the parked cars.  Even on the main roads, while there must be some sort of law or order, it’s not in evidence.  Lanes are more “suggestions” and a single lane will usually fit two small cars and a scooter weaving between them.  I believe even the “do not hit pedestrians” is more of a suggestion.  I got a bump on the rear end by a big Mercedes that was “suggesting” that he was bigger and perhaps I should move over.  I moved as far as I could and he still hit me in the side with his rear-view mirror.  I felt a little more Italian when it was over.

 

And parking?  It’s hilarious.  There are big areas reserved for scooters and there will be forty or fifty of them near a restaurant or attraction.  Then the tiny cars parallel park (no big ones, I’m pretty sure those just ferry people between the airport and monuments).  They park as close bumper to bumper as they can.  But in the rare case that they leave five or so feet open, someone will pull in nose first and park perpendicular.

 

Our hotel, the Hotel de Petris was located in the center of Rome in easy walking distance of many of the sights.  Pretty much any hotel there could be called quaint or charming.  Many of them are B&Bs and, if they have an elevator at all, it will hold only one person at a time.  Since Steve and I are not fond of the idea of hauling luggage up three or four flights of stairs, I booked carefully.  In the final screen of one reservation, I noticed that we would not have a private bathroom.  Thank goodness for the “previous screen” button.

 

The Hotel de Petris has a beautiful little courtyard out front with many potted plants and trees on either side, including lime and orange trees bearing fruit.  The staff is mostly young and so very sweet.  It is very much a family atmosphere, though I did not get the sense that it is a family-run hotel.  There is an older gentlemen who speaks very good English and who seems to “ride herd” over the operation.  He owns a twelve-month old puppy that they take turns walking and bringing back to him.  I felt quite at home!

 

The gardens and interior areas are ancient.  There is an old, round marble staircase that runs up through the center of the building, circling the glass elevator.  It is a marvelous mixture of antiquity and modern convenience.  The stairway is accented with tall arched windows looking out onto the gardens.  

 

Our room was simple, classic and very modern.  (We were very relieved.)  The bathroom was huge and, again, more modern and updated than we would have dreamed.  Lots of glass, a flat-screened TV (situated so that when you looked into the mirror, you would see it reflected over your head).  The shower had really cool tile that was about six inches long and ¼ inch wide.

 

Our first intent was to walk to the Trevi fountain.  (While there were crowds of tourists and locals, we are in the off-season and were able to see the sights with no problem at all.  I cannot imagine how crowded the tiny streets must be in the summer!)  We are the wrong-way Horns after all, so the first sight we actually saw was the Palazzo Barberini.  Let me just put the phrase “it took my breath away” out there and get it over with.  Because that’s pretty much the impact of the entire city.  It’s just old! – in a dear and beautiful way.  And almost any sight will include a fountain of amazing size and some sculpture and marble.  And even that description is so inadequate.

 

We were aware of time and of our tired condition, knowing that we were running low on energy.  So we didn’t stay (and we didn’t have our camera because it was locked up in the hotel with our luggage).  We reluctantly left the Palazzo and started down the hill in the direction of Fontana de Trevi.