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I’m just on the way to the Stadio Olimpic to try and get this ticket, it doesn’t sound overly promising though from what people have been saying. Also, as I don’t have a passport even if they are selling them to foreigners they might not let me get one without it, hopefully my driving license will be enough if it does come to that.

The stop where we needed to get off the metro and grab a bus is right near the Vatican and as it was 11:45 on a Sunday, The Big P was in the middle of his stuff. So we went and had a butchers at that.

On the way down there was a nun with a massive arse in front of us and as I pointed this out to my Australian pal, I tripped over and nearly went flying. Divine intervention? Who knows but I wasn’t risking any further wrath in case a vilolent thunderbolt with my name on it was next up.

I’m not religous (agnostic as it happens) but it was pretty special to see The Pope in a place as powerful as that. I’ll go back to Vatican City on Tuesday and see the Cathedral, museum etc. then.

Well that was a complete waste of time, half the day pretty much gone and I won’t be seeing Roma vs Livorno. After loads of messing about walking around the ground and surrounding areas and getting conflicting views from various people (official and otherwise) about where and if you can get tickets, it finally seems that for security reasons tickets are only in sale to Rome residents. Boo. I hope Livorno leather you Roma (which as it transpired is what happened, well Livorno won 1-0 anyway).

I can’t say I’m enjoying my Rome experience overly so far, I’m not having much luck. Though there’s that much to see I’m sure I’ll have enjoyed it a lot more by the time I leave.

Now I’m going to take a few sights in on my way to a bar that is supposed to be showing the City vs Fulham game.

Castel Sant Angelo, Piazza del Popolo, the Spanish steps (not very impressive) and the Fontana di Trevi (very impressive) were all gazed upon. The bigger stuff like the Pantheon (this trip has been enlightening as I used to think that and the Parthenon were one in the same which always had me confused) and the Colosseum will all be done properly on Tuesday, hopefully with transit between them being via a hired PX125.

I found the pub, an Irish one (of course) named Scholars Lounge and it was absolutely heaving because of the Liverpool vs Rags game. 85% of them were Scousers (well, it sounded like 0.3% of them were actual Scousers, but they were supporting Liverpool anyway). The bar staff ensured me that the City match would be on the other big screen and indeed it was, I however was the only person in a completely full pub glancing that way.

At 5 and a half € a pint I felt it wise to do my best student impression and nursed one for the whole game.

It was annoying to only come away with 1 point when we were cruising easily to 3, it was a very sloppy way to surrender the 2 extra points. But other results weren’t too bad so it’s still very tight at the top.

Today while mooching around Rome I’ve been listening to ‘How it Ends’, which is an earlier album by DeVotchKa than the one I mentioned yesterday. It’s very much with the same dark film score vibe, haunting and rewarding. I’m going to have to try and get hold of the rest or their stuff because it seems right up my cul-de-sac.

I’ve just purchased my train tickets for tomorrow, the return train is just over an hour after I get to Napoli but that should be more than long enough to pick-up my documents and get back to the station. What a ball ache though.

Now I’ve just ordered gnocchi alla Bolognese from a cafe near the hostel, €7. I won’t mind so much if it’s nice and a decent portion. It’s a shame the hostel doesn’t have a kitchen or I’d save a decent wedge. The days of a drink with my tea are long gone, Western Europe is a different beast.

It was pretty nice but I’m still starving, it felt like a starter.

Rome certainly is a place full of historical wonders and amazing architecture, but it is a bit too touristy for my liking, in terms of the tourists themselves and the ecosystem set up around them. I think I would hate it in the peak season. I much prefer the naturalness of Naples.