Our final long drive in Italy: Pitigliano to Rome. Two hours to the girls' Airbnb, another 30 minutes to ours. This was also the one and only drive with five people's stuff PLUS an extra bag crammed into the Megane. Tight to say the least.
A quick explanation of why we were dropping off the girls. Sofia and Anna both flew in and out of Fiumicino, which is Rome's bigger airport on the west side of Rome. We, because we took Ryanair to and from Dublin, flew into Ciampino, on the south side of Rome. Since they flew out the day before we did, and we had booked a place that only slept three, it made more sense for the two of them to get a place near their airport for the night before they flew home.
Knowing that so many places close after 3 pm, we looked for some food before 3 and settled on a little pizzeria. We bought pizza by the slice. Our last meal together as a party of five. The pizzeria had a coin-operated coffee machine which we toyed with the idea of trying but didn't.
We got to the girls' Airbnb and unloaded their stuff, met their host. We said goodbye and headed to Grottaferrata (and passed the Rome IKEA on the way, fairly close to our Airbnb). The directions took us to a large gate, and after Alessandro opened the gate for us, he ushered us along a very serpentine, winding driveway. We got settled and Cristina trued to buy ticket to the Vatican Museum. It looked like there were a few tickets available for the next day, but when she tried to purchase, she'd get an error. And then the tickets would be gone. She asked Alessandro for help and he tried to help her by doing it on his laptop. No dice. But when we thought it was hopeless, Cristina tried one more time around 2:30 and got tickets. They were guided tour tickets instead of self-guided, so a little more expensive, but at least we'd be able to see the Vatican.
We went to dinner at a place Alessandro recommended, though he told us to make a reservation. We didn't and took our chances.
It was an ordeal to get to a parking space for this place, which was in a part of town like a tiny-lane pedestrian type area, but hilly. I finally found a little parking lot and was about to put coinage in to pay for parking until Cristina said that she thought the sign said no enforcement after 8 pm. Since it was after 8 pm, we didn't pay.
There was no table for us at the restaurant, so we settled on a nearby tratteria called Ovosodo. Cristina and I split an Ovosodo antipasti, which included coldcuts, cheese, sliders, eggplant, bufala with tomato, and a plate of tripe in sauce (I am not a fan of tripe). For the mian course, Bella had ravioli, and Cristina and I split fettuccine with mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Our table had a beautiful view of Rome at sunset, which was infinite twinkling lights by the time we finished our meal.
On way back home, we saw a fluttering paper on the windshield. I pulled over and Cristina grabbed it. Parking ticket. €32.40.
Home and bed.
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