Thursday 21st July

Thursday 21^st July – Rome and the ferry to Barcelona

We were up at 6am and got a taxi (the buses didn’t start running until 8am) to the train station.  The taxi arrived with Euros 20 already on the clock so we had a 5 minute conversation about how I didn’t appreciate being ripped off by some greasy wop with a fat stomach and bad breathe!!! Unfortunately time was not on our side and so I had to settle on 10 but I was tempted to send him packing.  He claimed to have started the meter running once he received the call ‘in Rome’!!!

a model of the Vatican

Anyway today was our tour of the Vatican and we were due to start at 08:15 to avoid the crowds; hence the early start.  We used the same tour guide as yesterday and they were very good.  Alas they were also very expensive but with only two days to see Rome and having not queued for a single spectacle I figured it was worth it.  The Vatican, St Peter’s Basilica, and St Peter’s square were all phenomenal.  Even the boys (less Jonty, who was a little young but did jolly well) were awe struck by the whole thing.  It took three hours and was actually nearer four by the time we left St Peter’s Square.  All I can say is that it lived up to expectations and more.  I could have spent two days going through everything but the boys would have objected!

Following on from the Vatican we had a cursory glance at the Castel St Angelo and then stopped for a Pizza.  By the end of which the boys were refreshed so we wandered back to the train station via some shops and were back at the campsite by 4pm.  We were packed up, managed a ‘drop’ (emptying the sewage and waste water tanks) and on the road by 5pm. 

St Peter’s Square

We arrived at Civitaveccia by 6:30pm which is a vast ferry terminal with container and passenger ferries coming in and out the whole time.  It was a real spectacle and the boys got very excited.  We were an hour late boarding and the children and Claire had to go on separately.  I brought the ‘beast’ onto the ferry solo and managed the first ramp ok before being asked to go up to the next level.  I took one look at the ramp and said to the loadmaster and said ‘no chance’ – the back end would ground.  ‘No no no you must go up!’ – ‘ you will be fine’ was the response; well you can guess what happened.  After the back end grounded (not badly) I reversed up and parked with the lorries.  All very stressful and I am slightly concerned about coming off – oh well a problem for tomorrow.

We have a cosy cabin which we all slept in.  The boys can’t contain their excitement and have spent most of the evening running around the ship.  It has a lot of facilities (swimming pool, gym, shops etc).  We left at midnight which was about an hour and three quarters later than scheduled and after watching us head off into the Mediterranean went off to bed and crashed!

our ferry

our cabin!