Italy/Greece 2023 – Day 13: Rome (September 14, 2023)

Trip: Rome and Cruise through Italy and Greece (Norwegian Breakaway)
Dates: September 1 – 15, 2023
Who: Me (Jess), Emily (one of my best friends), Beverly (my mom), Jeff (my stepdad), Jen (my aunt), and Megan (my sister).

So remember on our first night in Rome when I woke up thinking a random man was in our AirBnb? Turns out that we found out exactly what would happen if a random man came into our AirBnb…..

It was our final full day in Rome. I woke up around 9:45, feeling gloriously lazy… until the door opened by itself. Plot twist: it wasn’t a ghost, just the plumber casually strolling in to fix the sink. We were in pajamas. Hilarity ensued.

The evening before, Emily and I filmed a video of one of the bathroom sinks leaking and I sent it to the AirBnb host. When I first woke up, I had a message thanking me for letting them know and that they would have a plumber fix it. They never mentioned when, lol.

The door opened and I hear Megan go, ”Um, hello?” She was in the living room. I heard an Italian man speaking and jumped up…. “It’s the plumber!! He’s here to fix the sink!”

Megan was FROZEN on the couch, wide-eyed. I wish I had a picture. The man was still talking in Italian, trying to explain why he was there. We motioned for him to continue and he went to the hallway to get his tools. I went back to my room to put on a bra.

Then, I hear Jen go, “Hello?……. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?!”

I ran back out and Jen was holding a Stanley high over her head, ready to defend all of our honor. The poor Italian man was cowering with both hands raised in surrender, speaking as quickly as possible to explain – if only we could understand what he was saying.

I ran back out, “It’s the plumber, it’s the plumber!!!!!! He’s fixing the sink!”

Jen goes, “Oh, bagno. Bagno.”, flips the light on in the bathroom and points to the sink before going back to her room. The poor man took a moment to let his heart stop racing.

After everything settled, the whole scene played back in my head and I LOST it. I was laughing hysterically, which then caused Emily to start laughing hysterical, and Megan to come in to see what was so funny. It was honestly the funniest thing. A hilarious full-circle moment.

After that… slow mode engaged. We all half-got dressed and left to grab food at the corner. We witnessed a minor Jeff detonation (family travel bingo: complete) as he went to go find food. The rest of us embraced full-on potato mode at the Airbnb: naps, books, and air conditioning.

Around 5:30, Jen and I ventured out for a snack. I indulged in a heavenly Nutella crepe at a lovely corner cafe called Elisa, while Jen grabbed a slush and some cookies for later. We also grabbed water at the corner store because hydration is the hill I’m willing to die on.

Back at home base, Megan and Em returned and treated us to a high-energy fashion show of their shopping victories. Then we entered the chaotic final phase: Operation Repack the Suitcases. Megan had found these magical duffel bags that made it all possible. Real MVP.

While Megan, Emily, and Jeff headed out for a proper Final Roman dinner, I stayed back for a shower and some cozy pajama time. Jeff brought back Cacio e Pepe for me (bless him), and we all reconnected for a bit before drifting into a fun moment: we started talking to a guy at the restaurant downstairs through our window. Not creepy, I swear—just peak vacation vibes. He worked at the restaurant below and it ended up being a fun Italian moment!

The night wrapped up sweetly with a call from Megan’s kids, some final giggles, and one last group “we’re-going-home” sigh. We may not have done the rest of the Rome exploration we originally intended, but we felt like we’d lived a day as a local who had a busy couple of weeks might.

Italy/Greece 2023 Trip Report (September 1 – 15, 2023)
– The Beginning (Vivi Alla Giornata!)
– The Planning Process (Rome)
– The Planning Process (Greece Ports)
– The Planning Process (Italy Ports)
– Flight Confusion
– Day 0: Leave for Rome (September 1, 2023)
– Day 1: Rome Arrival and City Tour (September 2, 2023)
– Day 2: Board the Breakaway (September 3, 2023)
– Day 3: Sea Day (September 4, 2023)
– Day 4: Santorini, Greece (September 5, 2023)
– Day 5: Athens (Piraeus), Greece (September 6, 2023)
– Day 6: Mykonos, Greece (September 7, 2023)
– Day 7: Olympia (Katakolon), Greece (September 8, 2023)
– Day 8: Valletta, Malta (September 9, 2023)
– Day 9: Messina (Sicily), Italy (September 10, 2023)
– Day 10: Naples, Italy (September 11, 2023)
– Day 11: Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy (September 12, 2023)
– Day 12: Disembark and Vatican City (September 13, 2023)
– Day 13: Rome (September 14, 2023)
– Day 14: Leaving Rome (September 15, 2023) and Some Final Thoughts

Italy/Greece 2023 – Day 13: Rome (September 14, 2023)

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