Monday 25 August 2008

Random Rome

Rome was sadly never empty in August, but slowly it is once more beginning to fill with Romans and tourists a like. It seems this past week has been 'tour bus' week as I have never seen more tour groups out and about all at the one time.

Whilst attempting to take a leisurely stroll by the Colosseum on my day off, I was accosted by two elderly gelato eating British women. With ice-cream dripping down their chins and their fleshy skin red and blistered they sort of waved me over with a screech of "Do you speak English?"

I was in a good mood, the road by the Colosseum was closed to traffic and there was a gentle breeze which must have made me forget myself as I told them "Yes! Indeed I do speak English."

"Do you know where we get the bus?"

"What bus?"


"Our tour bus."

"Ummm..what tour bus?"

"The blue something. They dropped of us by a garden and there was a bar on the corner."

I was determined not to lose my good mood, and although I wanted to tell these old women that they had ice cream on their clothes and that they were stupid and not to be let out on the streets of Rome if they could not remember where the bus left them...I decided to let Tour Guide Leanne come out for a moment, as she knew what they were talking about. No one else would have had a clue mind you. It is just that Tour Guide Leanne works with a tour agency and they too drop there customers off at this particular location...so these foolish, gelato eating, sun burnt tourists were in luck.

"You need to go up these stairs and then take the road and you will see all the buses." Tour Guide Leanne said with a wave of her arm as she sprinted off, lest they wanted to ask her something else!

Here are some Random Rome photos I took whilst out and about:









4 comments:

Tui Snider said...

Lol! You must have seemed like a human google to them.

No matter where I go, tourists ask me to take their photos. A friend said it was because I don't look like I'll steal their camera.

So Rome doesn't empty out in August? Naples sure does! The streets were eerily silent. I kept thinking someone should tell Merchant Ivory, because it's so empty in Naples that it would be the perfect month to film a period movie here.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. :)

~Tui

Leanne was in Italy now in Australia said...

Hi Tui,
How funny that people ask you to take their photos. No one asks me that so I must look like a tour guide thief!

Hi Romerican,
I am in San Giovanni now, not Garbatella and there was the odd place shut, but no peace and no quiet...which was all I wanted really. Oh well.

Kim B. said...

How lucky for these ladies that the random person they stopped and asked was YOU! That is pretty funny. It will just reinforce their not paying attention, though -- now they 'know' that they can stop and ask ANYone on the street where their tour bus is!

Good grief!

Leanne was in Italy now in Australia said...

Hi KimB,
You are right. I have now spoilt these ladies and they will think everywhere they go random people will know where select tour buses stop!