ROME with a little break in Madrid

This travel has a peculiar history. Everything started in 2007 when I went to a S. Miguel – Azores (Portuguese Island – It deserves to be visited, trust me!). I went there to visit my dear friend Sílvia and I met Silvia’s sister, Claudia. Claudia was collecting money in a jam pot and that money was destined to realize a dream… Visit Rome…

One year later, I went again to S. Miguel and I noticed that the jam pot disappeared when I asked: Where is your money pot? And she answered me with a mix of shyness and angriness: I spent everything? When I noticed I was spending my last note! … I laugh a lot…

A few months later, we were seeing European map when we decided to collect money at the same time encouraging each other for save money and visit together Rome. And in August 2009, here we are ready to departing!

So let’s depart…

For me doesn´t matter how many hours I have to travel and how many stops I have to do if I have to spend a night on the airport floor. If I can save some money… perfect!

So... at that time… the best connection flight I found to go to Rome stopped one day in Madrid, it means one day walking around Madrid and one night in airport. Walking around Madrid was so relaxing. We had a sunny day and it was so great seeing the monuments, resting lay down on Orient Garden, listening the sweet sound coming from the saxophone of a street musician with the warm colors of the sunset as background.

It was a good beginning…

But…

Rome came… and the things started to complicate… First we had difficult for find our hostel… we had to search in the middle of something which remind me one China town. I love Chinese people but I have to confess that seeing streets that we don’t know full of similar Chinese stores is a bit scary! But Ok… after we found the hostel… and that was the shock… freestyle hostel! It was not the worst hostel I ever tried (I let this place for my hostel in Riga) but was the second worst! Not really clean, not really secure, not really spacious and no internet, no computer, no cooker, nothing… but at least we had a bed to sleep, a dirty one…

I spent three days in Rome and that was sufficient to see almost everything I wanted without running… actually… I think Rome is a city that should be visited stopping frequently taking a coffee here, a juice there (but be careful because is an expensive city), rest a bit lay down on some sunny square etc…

If you are crazy for pasta… and you want to try the magnificent Italian past, you can find good a cheap places… don’t go to touristic restaurants (unless if you want to spent a lot). For example there is a place on first floor of Termini Station where you can eat well for very few! I became a bit addicted I must confess!