This morning we departed from Amalfi and drove back to Rome. It was another white-knuckle drive. Instead of going back the way we came along the scenic coast road, we went the "direct" way, which happened to be straight over the mountain. For the first 30 minutes, it didn't seem like we were making any progress toward Rome, as we were winding back and forth on the narrow cliff road . . . straight up! We got so high that Kim just closes her eyes. I told her not to worry... they don't call me "nerves of steel" for nothing.
Once we got to Rome, we inevitably got lost. All we had to do was fill up the rental car gas tank and return it. However, we were searching around for the Hertz place so long that the fuel light came on, so filling the tank up became an immediate concern. Finding a gas station should have been an easy task, but as it so happened, this was a holiday and most gas stations were closed. We eventually found a gas station in the middle of nowhere. The attendant couldn't just "fill 'er up". . . he needed me to pre-pay. And, oh by the way, he couldn't give me change if I overpaid (all I had were big bills). I had him put 20 Euros of gas in (only 1/3 tank) knowing we'd have to fill up again at a normal gas station closer to the Hertz. Well . . . once we found the Hertz in town, we couldn't find an open gas station anywhere, so we eventually drove all the way back to this one again! After filling up, the guy owed me 30 Euros in change for the gas I pre-paid, but said I would have to come back later to get it, which would have been a tough task being that we were about to return the rental car. Long story short, I didn't leave without my 30 Euros change!
Once there
Once we got settled in at our hotel, we headed out to see a few sights while it was still light out. Our first stop was the Spanish Steps, then the Trevi Fountain. We actually had a 20 min Rick Steve's podcast about the history of the Trevi Fountain loaded onto our iPod, so we sat there, listened to the podcast, and took in the awesome scenery.
For dinner, we headed to Piazza Navonna, briefly walking past other historic sites along the way, such as the Pantheon. Piazza Navonna is a huge open area of shops/restaurants, with a famous Bernini fountain as its centerpiece (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi).
At our outdoor table, we were serenaded by a number outdoor performers. We must had heard Sinatra's "My Way" played at least ten times on the accordion (not sure what is so Italian about that song, but I suppose they are just catering to the tourists).On our way home, we stopped by Campo de' Fiori (Rome's hip bar area), then we called it a night.
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