09.14.06
Stories from Rome, Part 3
Even though you have to watch out, the Metro in Rome is by far the easiest way to get to the big tourist places in Rome. But after 9 PM, the red line is closed, and you’re on your own to find a bus or whatever.
One night, we were hurrying to catch a subway. We thought we were going to make it, and were relieved to see the gates hadn’t been closed yet. We headed down the long tunnel to the escalator that went down to the subway … only to find out that those gates were closed. The subway was closed, and we were stuck and couldn’t go back the way we came. To our left was an escalator going up. And it went up. Three escalators and two people movers later, we were dumped out onto a subway entrance I hadn’t ever seen. It was night, we were in the middle of a highway. And there were no bus stops to be found - we didn’t even see any busses going by.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have zero sense of direction. But something told me to go left. So we did. We walked and walked along this highway. No sidewalk part of the way, either. With three kids. I was pleased to see some other people who also got trapped inside the subway and were dumped out at the same place we were - and not just foreigners - Italians, too!
Finally, we go around a curve and see a whole bunch of bus signs. We headed over and, with a little help with some Italians who pointed us in the right direction, got on a bus that headed to where we needed to go.
We we got there, Chloe looked up at me and said, “We’re at the train station? You figured out how to get us home? You’re the best daddy in the whole world!”
Which was the best thing I had heard all day!
And then she said, “You’re even better than Jason!”
Was I not better before this little incident?! 