Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and the Indian Embassy
06.14.2010
Today was my last day in Rome for a while. I am heading out to Castel di Sangro tomorrow for a few days. The main goal for today was to pick up my Passport and Travel Visa from the Indian Embassy. I didn’t want to do anything too time-consuming, so I kept it simple. There really wasn’t anything I really had to see, so I went to the Spanish Steps in the late morning and people-watched for a good hour or so. I also got caught up on some journaling and did some reading too.
I spent some time wandering around the area that has all the fancy shops. Gucci, Fendi, Hermes, Prada, you name it, if it’s a fancy brand name, they have a shop over by the Spanish Steps.
I went over to Trevi Fountain, which is just a short walk from the Spanish Steps. I had my mid-morning gelato break and did more people-watching. It’s kind of hard not to watch people since there are SO many of them!
Somehow, I always end up taking the long way to the street the Indian Embassy is on. I did this the last time I walked from the embassy to Trevi Fountain. For some reason, I take all the major streets instead of the side streets and it always takes me longer. I wasn’t really in a big hurry because I still had a two hours to kill. I found a small park a few blocks away and chilled out for a bit. I tried to nap, but I was paranoid about someone stealing all my stuff, so I just rested my eyes and enjoyed the sun. About an hour later, I found a place near the embassy that had a Rick Steve’s seal of approval, so I stopped in and grabbed a bite. I have been craving fruits and vegetables, so I ordered a fruit salad and a caprese salad. They were both very delicious and filling, too.
I walked back to the embassy and the line had grown. It was supposed to open at 4:30p, but it didn’t open until almost 5p. People were getting restless and then they finally opened the gates and it was a free for all as far as the line was concerned. I am kind of getting tired of this whole charade of a line that seems to be the norm in Italy. I don’t even know why I bother. All of us that were there for Visas were given priority over everyone else. It took about five minutes to get my Visa and I was out the door. I did notice they gave me a two month Visa instead of what I thought was supposed to be a six month Visa. Oh well. It covers when I am supposed to be in India, so it’s all good with me.
It had been a long day, so I headed back to the hostel to hang out, and continue with planning for the remainder of my trip.
Today was my last day in Rome for a while. I am heading out to Castel di Sangro tomorrow for a few days. The main goal for today was to pick up my Passport and Travel Visa from the Indian Embassy. I didn’t want to do anything too time-consuming, so I kept it simple. There really wasn’t anything I really had to see, so I went to the Spanish Steps in the late morning and people-watched for a good hour or so. I also got caught up on some journaling and did some reading too.
I spent some time wandering around the area that has all the fancy shops. Gucci, Fendi, Hermes, Prada, you name it, if it’s a fancy brand name, they have a shop over by the Spanish Steps.
I went over to Trevi Fountain, which is just a short walk from the Spanish Steps. I had my mid-morning gelato break and did more people-watching. It’s kind of hard not to watch people since there are SO many of them!
Somehow, I always end up taking the long way to the street the Indian Embassy is on. I did this the last time I walked from the embassy to Trevi Fountain. For some reason, I take all the major streets instead of the side streets and it always takes me longer. I wasn’t really in a big hurry because I still had a two hours to kill. I found a small park a few blocks away and chilled out for a bit. I tried to nap, but I was paranoid about someone stealing all my stuff, so I just rested my eyes and enjoyed the sun. About an hour later, I found a place near the embassy that had a Rick Steve’s seal of approval, so I stopped in and grabbed a bite. I have been craving fruits and vegetables, so I ordered a fruit salad and a caprese salad. They were both very delicious and filling, too.
I walked back to the embassy and the line had grown. It was supposed to open at 4:30p, but it didn’t open until almost 5p. People were getting restless and then they finally opened the gates and it was a free for all as far as the line was concerned. I am kind of getting tired of this whole charade of a line that seems to be the norm in Italy. I don’t even know why I bother. All of us that were there for Visas were given priority over everyone else. It took about five minutes to get my Visa and I was out the door. I did notice they gave me a two month Visa instead of what I thought was supposed to be a six month Visa. Oh well. It covers when I am supposed to be in India, so it’s all good with me.
It had been a long day, so I headed back to the hostel to hang out, and continue with planning for the remainder of my trip.