Roman Adventure

Okay, so last night after the Vatican we decided to take a cab to the H&M in Rome. All we had was a street name from the website but we were determined. The hotel called us a cab around 7:00 and we headed out. About ten minutes into the journey we could tell the cabbie was confused. Unfortunately he did not speak English and we were not exactly fluent in Italian. We called the H&M and spoke to a guy in English, then handed the phone to the cab driver. After that, we drove another half hour...including two stops to chat with fellow cabbies about directions and then one point where he stopped the car and got out. We were in the middle of a street so it was a little worrisome. After a little pacing he got back in. So about 8:00 we make it to some random brand new mall in the countryside. When the cab dropped us off, we're pretty sure he said that we were outside of the cab zone and we'd never get anyone to pick us up...but it was in Italian so we weren't sure

While checking out at H&M the cashier asked if we were the ones that called. That was pretty much a given since we were probably the only non-Italians in the whole mall. We said yes and told him about our crazy cab experience. He offered to call some car services that they use and we were very thankful. Marcello then came back and said his drivers were in Pisa and Florence so could not help us out. He mentioned a train station about 20 min away by foot. We thanked him and left to try to get a cab.

After numerous calls to the taxi company, things weren't looking good so I headed back to H&M right before the mall closed at 10pm and flagged down Marcello. He gave me walking directions to the station. As I share them with the other 2 girls, we seem to remember the street towards the station being a two lane curving, hillside, shoulderless, dark road. Not good.

We finally get what we think are 2 different cabs on their way to fetch us. And we wait. And wait. Now we're also on the phone with the hotel, telling them we are stuck and THEY are calling the cab company. Camielo at the front desk is trying his best but not making much headway either. After an hour and a half of waiting for a cab, we are sitting on a concrete barrier on the top level of a desserted mall parking garage. A car drives by and says, "Are you guys still here?"

It's Marcello!!! He and his girlfriend offer us a ride to the train station and since it's now 11:30pm we jump in. He seemed like a nice guy, he spoke really good British English so at least he could help translate for us. Camielo calls and is now worried that we are in the car of a random H&M manager, he says he will call back in 5 minutes to check on us. We drove for a while to the most run down station I have ever seen...it is closed. We pull around to the bus stop and it is closed for the night as well. Now three American girls are in the back seat with a random Italian couple and they are figuring out how to get rid of us without having to drive us back to Rome.

Marcello says, "We will drive you to a hotel. They will get you a taxi." We have no choice but to trust our new friend. Camielo calls, and we tell him the new game plan. Again, he will call back in 5 minutes. 15 minutes later we arrive at the Novotel Rome la Rustica. Yay! A chain! They can help us out. Marcello gets out and goes in to the lobby. We all get out of the car and he returns to tell us that Luca (and his cab) will be at the hotel in 5 minutes (about 20 mins Italian time). We are so thankful to Marcello and his girlfriend. We tell them to come to Dallas and we will drive them all around! Camielo is glad we have a ride but is staying at work over his shift to make sure we arrive safely.

So Luca comes and picks up up and we finally get to the hotel a little after midnight. We enter the lobby to a very excited Camielo who welcomes us home and apologizes profusely for the taxi service. After many laughs, we decided it was all worth it for the great bargains we picked up at H&M. And we will definitely be sending Marcello a thank you gift.

The End.

Camielo, glad to have his Americans back safe and sound.