We slept in a bit today and then managed to get the rental turned in without having to do a round trip to the airport. My fender scrape only cost $150, so not bad.
We headed for a brunch down the street and got the full tourist treatment. (It’s better to head off the path to get food and to find honest businesses.) lol. We ordered an omelette and a croissant, two spritz and a still and fizzy water (at 4€ each). It is funny because the restaurants make a big show of opening the water bottle for you at the table and pouring a bit into your glass, and some say “I’ll open and pour for you”. And we sat there and watched the waitress refill the bottles from a fountain and replace the caps from a stash on the shelf. It was filtered water but at least be honest about it. I left them a 1 star review on Google.
We decided to do some window shopping as the day heated up, before heading to the room to cool down and wait out the midday sun.
Later, we decided to get some food and then catch a tour bus to do a couple of laps around the city. On the way we hiked up the Spanish steps and stopped for a water and spritz. We met this great couple from Florida that had been touring similarly to us. They were wearing those bracelets that we were given to us by the sheister the first night in Rome that tried to steal money from me. We inquired about them and they said they had gotten them in Venice from an African peddler who showed them his kid who was having a birthday. lol. Same story. We recounted our story and we all got a good laugh.
Note: watch out for the African street peddlers walking around, striking up a conversation, showing you their kid, and telling you a relatable story, before offering free wrist bands and beads. They are looking to steal from you.
We had another spritz and met another tourist from DC who was here for a month to take a guilding class. It was time to catch the bus so we headed up and around the corner and climbed aboard.
We snapped pictures from the top floor seating and talked with a couple of gents from Texas who were touring the opposite direction as us on their vacation. They gave us a few sites to see in Paris that impressed them. There are a lot of Americans here.
The bus tour was nice and hot but we got some good pictures. We got off at the last stop, had a beer, some calamari, and a spritz and then made a short walk from a castle and the Vatican. Beautiful area. We did not go inside St. Peter’s because by then it closed, and you have to reserve tours days in advance. It was a beautiful site nonetheless.
And on a side note, after 14 years, we found a donor stand, so I enjoyed this regional delicacy. The donor is not Greek, it’s Turkish, made with chicken, and mixed with salad, yogurt sauce, and placed in a bread (like a taco). Delicious.
