A walk on the wild & thorny side😡😬

After a bit of a rocky night due to swells in the marina, we set off for Fiumicino(Rome). We motorsailed downwind and it was lovely as the weather improved, the wind was about 10 knots and we were moving with the swells. We could see planes coming and going from Rome's Airport as we neared the entrance to the Tiber River. With swells behind us, we surfed into the entrance reminiscent of Cap Breton but less wild as the entrance is wider and the wind and swells not as strong. Up the river there are boatyards all along and boats rafted 4 deep. We rafted up at a funky little marina with goats on the island across and numerous cats at the marina. A small problem tying up after catching our bumper on someone's bow anchor but a number of people leapt across boats to help. After our late lunch, we set off walking to town following Google maps for the best route. A 3.4 km walk we thought, except there are no sidewalks and no shoulders and the roadside bushes were full of thorns! The traffic was busy and when cars were coming too close to the edge, we'd leap into the bushes! We made it after an hour and said we'd bus back. Well, after a long and tedious Sim card installation requiring a passport (didn't have it but found a picture on the phone) and the repetition of a sentence in Italian (!) acknowledging who Bob was (dialect coaching required), we wandered around trying to find the right bus. It's now coming on 6 p.m. after a full day; the bus wasn't coming and there were no taxis available. So we set off walking a different route and ended up walking through a field of tall weeds and grass. When we finally got back to the boat at 7:30, I was covered in burrs, scratches and had thorns in my underwear! 🤯😖
We were happy to eat, drink 🍺 shower🚿 and fall into bed. I don't think we'll forget that walk anytime soon!Read more