My holiday in Rome was ruined when my
son left his bag containing his passport and valuables in a bag on the bus. I
had budgeted for my holiday and instantly could see I would have to spend
longer there than was planned.
My daughter suffers from ME, which is a
condition where she was unable to withstand the usual pressures of life. My son
has asthma. This is what I did to ensure my children returned home safe and
well.
Firstly, I took emergency measures
regarding the passport situation. Read about this in two separate articles.
Getting an emergency passport abroad.
A Checklist after you have lost your passport.
Getting an emergency passport abroad.
A Checklist after you have lost your passport.
I had to think about the welfare of my
children. We were in a strange country and contrary to belief, Rome is not as
developed as one might think. Dig beneath the glossy images and you will find badly-run
public services where help is not always forthcoming. Rome has a grubby
underbelly with graffiti and rubbish on the streets. There are dark alleyways
and grotty districts just outside the center of Rome where you don’t want to
find yourself in after dark.
English is not spoken well by many
officials. The language barrier proved to be a real problem.
Another problem is the inefficiency of
the public services due to poor funding. Empty and graffitied kiosks litter
Rome. The British Embassy in Rome is open just a few hours a day. The lost
property office is located outside of Rome and closes at 1pm most days.
Because of these challenges, I had to
keep myself and children fit and well. This is what I did.
1
Have a good breakfast at your hotel. Racing around Rome expends lots of energy.
I packed a few extras in a doggie-bag for when we were caught out.
2
Contrary to belief, the trattorias and oseterias are not cheap places to eat. They
charge extortionate prices for drinks and slam on hidden service charges. Instead,
we had picnics every day in the park. There are some decent supermarkets in
Rome, including the Coop, the Pam Local and CarrFour. We purchased healthy
sandwiches, yoghurt drinks, fresh fruit and cookies every day. We ate well at
the fraction of the price.
3
I had packed only enough clothes to last a week and the weather was boiling. To
keep clean, I washed my clothes in the shower basin at the end of the day. I
then pegged them out onto the balcony using socks. By morning, my clothes were clean
and dry.
4
Drink plenty of water when in Rome. We went in mid-August when daytime
temperatures soared into the mid-nineties. There are plenty of water fountains
and the water is safe to drink. I refilled my water bottle whenever I could and
kept sipping all day. I then applied lipstick to guard against chapped lips. A
sun hat, cream and sunglasses are a given.
5
As both my children had health conditions, I ensured my travel insurance
covered them. I also had an EHIC card (European Health Card) which is free.
Just go on the Gov site to get one. But when caught out in Rome, you can’t
always get hold of a doctor. I kept this option as a last resort.
6
My daughter suffered acute tiredness in the latter part of the holiday. My son’s
asthma was aggravated by Rome’s pollution. We rested in a quiet, cool church. They
are open to the public most days and they are not too crowded. They are also
beautiful interiors where you can get lost in.
Read about Rome’s churches here.
7
I made sure I had plenty of cash that I kept it in a hidden pouch on a bum bag.
I split this money between the three of us in case it got lost. Drawing money
from an ATM had proved costly and I was stung. Read about the hidden cost of using VISA kiosks here.
Read
all my articles on Rome on my Rome
a Survival Kit
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| The CarreFour Supermarket Rome |
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| A nice picnic in Rome is cheaper than any trattoria |
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| Receipts from Pam Local |
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| Altar of the Gesu Church |
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| Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome |
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| A water fountain in Orange Tree Gardens, Rome |
