Chocolate, ZooMarine and Movies, oh my

As I sit here and type this entry, I still cannot believe the events that have transpired in the past few days. Let me see if I can do them justice.

Saturday- I woke up early. Way too early for what I wanted it to be, but there was running to be done before the day started. Had I known what was going to happen in an hour, I wouldn't have gone running. So, I get back, shower, grab an apple, and head out on my way to Termini to meet up with the others for the train ride to Perugia and the Chocolate Festival. Note: Italian commuter train tickets do not mean you are guaranteed a seat. So, following the lead of others we arrive at the platform ten minutes before the train is scheduled to leave...and it is packed. Eventually five of us set up camp in between two cars where we were able to secure a fold down seat that we could rotate through. Thus began a two and a half hour train ride where I stood the whole time. After passing the time with movie trivia and the question game, we arrived in Perugia. When we left Rome it was cool and sunny, when we stepped off the train in Perugia it was cloudy and cold. Cold was 41 degrees with five minutes of rain that was forecasted to turn to snow. Thankfully it didn't. We pretty much followed the crowds and got ourselvs bus tickets to the top of the town where the festival was held, and when a bus arrived we crammed on it tighter than sardines in a can. After reaching the top and locating a bathroom we jumped into the festival. Soon after, Whitney and I got seperated from the group as the others were scanning for a place to eat and she and I were just checking out the tents in the area. Four hours late we had: seen every tent there was, took pictures with a chocolate bar the size of an average living room wall, had a chocolate covered apple, had a chocolate bar, had a churro, sampled chocolate liquors, took our picture with Remi from Ratatouille, got balloon hats to complete the 12 year old mode we were in, took my picture with a chocolate kiss, took my picture with the Nesquick bunny, had a few pieces of grilled corn, and got a few pieces of chocolate for the road. By the time we were done, the chocolate festival had nothing left to offer us. So we all loaded back up on the train to Rome and slept all the way back.

Sunday- For the third time, Whitney and I sought to find out way to ZooMarine which is the Italian equivalent to Sea World. The forecast was low 50s and rainy so we were the only ones willing to venture out. Seeing as how this was the last free weekend while the park was open, it was now or never. After checking the website we found there was a free shuttle leaving Termini at 9. We got over there at 8:45, and waited until 9:25. No bus. We went in to the train station to see about tickets to Torvaianica where the ZooMarine was. No tickets. We were told to ask the tourist information about it. We went there and were told that a shuttle was going to be at the Eur Fermi metro stop. The next to last stop on the B line. So we ran over to the metro and rode the 20 minutes out to the stop in hopes of making the 10:30 bus. We waited until 11:10 with no bus. Dejected we rode the metro back to Termini and decided to stop in to a different tourist place to ask about movies in english that we could see. Having our picture taken the day before with Remi from Ratatouille had us thinking that was a good choice for a film since it just opened here. We also asked for good sushi restaraunts to eat at thinking if we weren't going to make it to ZooMarine then we sure as heck were going to eat some seafood. Out of curiosity I asked how I would get to ZooMarine if I wanted to go. The lady informed us of the shuttle service. We told her were tried that, twice, and they never came. She then said if we wanted to go on our own we go take the metro to Largentina (the stop after the one we had gone to earlier), get on a Cotrail bus, and walk from the Torvainica station to ZooMarine. Not being one to be beaten by a park for aquatic animals and always up for an adventure, we turned back around and went to the metro. Again rode the 2o minute ride to the last stop, found the bus station, got our ticket, got some coffee to wake us up since at this point we were dragging, and then loaded the bus at 1. Note: the last time we were on one of these buses (going to Tivoli) we overshot the stop by a lot, thus making us apprehensive to do the same thing again. There was a guy sitting across from us who spoke somewhat englsh so I asked what stop ZooMarine was. He said Torvainica. We rode on. Eventually the bus stopped, he got up, pointed down and said, "Torvainica", and got off the bus. So, we followed. Bad move on our part. Apparently this was the first stop in Torvainica with two more to follow. We should have waiting one more stop. We undershot. So, walking down the main road with not a clue where to go we spot a polizia officer who seemed to almost be settling a domestic dispute. I asked where ZooMarine was and he gave directions saying straight, take a right, and go until the sign. He then said tre kilometri. Roughly 3km worth of walking and almost half an hour later...we arrived. And we were two out of mayb 60 in the whole park. While the rain stayed away the temperature plumetted and we were now in the 40s. So, dressed in five layers of clothes, scarfs, and beanies...what did we do? Yep, we headed to the log ride. Rode that twice. Then as if that wasn't cold enough, we jumped on a water slide where took a raft down the slope that sprayed us with frigid water. And again, did that twice. If I don't catch a cold in the next day or two from that I'll be flat out amazed. We saw every show there which included tropical birds (parrots, tucans, etc), birds of prey (owls, falcons, hawks), sea lions, dolphins, and a diving show were I felt frozen myself just watching the poor group of divers plummeting close to 100 feet into icy water with only a wetsuit to warm themselves. But, again, we saw everything ZooMarine had to offer. Bundled up we left the park and walking along the coast back towards town and took some pictures as the sun was setting over Spain. There was a good looking seafood restaurant so we sat outside and waited for it to open. After a good meal we headed out the main road towards the Cotrail bus stop. Or so we thought it was the bus stop. We watched as the bus we wanted to be on stopped at the bus stop before ours and then sped past us as we tried in vain to wave it down. We moved to the actual bus stop and an hour later were on a bus back to Rome. All in all a very good day.

Monday- Nobody cares about class and running so I'll skip this day and move to the good stuff.

Tuesday- Went through classes like normal. After my last class I met up with Whitney and we headed back towards the Film Festival. In an earlier post I wrote how she and I got tickets to see Lions for Lambs while it was at the festival. We walked from the school to Piazza del Popolo (which is all the way across town and a good 45 minute hike) and took the shuttle out to the main festival area. We arrived and I grabbed a booklet with the times of all the movies hoping to see if anything else worked out for me to go see. Walking down towards the theater we saw a line of people around the barriers and a group of about 30 cameras steadily going off. We walked over to investigate and I peered through the crowds and caught a glimpse of something I couldn't quite believe I was seeing. So, I turned to Whitney and asked, "Is that Tom Cruise?" She looked through and he turned to pose for a picture with a fan and we both stare at each other and say no way. I grabbed my camera which I thankfully thought to bring along, just in case, and began taking pictures. We moved to the side closer to him hoping to get a closer angle which we did. Unfortunately he was moving away from us so everyone was migrating with him. This left us at the front of the barriers just watching the scene. Then I noticed a woman from his entarouge carrying back a few pieces of papers to fans. I quickly yelled out, "signora, signora" and handed her my packet with movie info times....which she brought back to me a minute later signed by Tom Cruise on the page with the movie information for that showing. Apparently this was the world premiere of the movie. I ran back to the info booth and asked who else was in town for this. They showed me a list and sadly it was Tom Cruise, Michael Pena, and a few others. Sadly, no Robert Redford or Meryl Streep on the list. After realizing we got as close as we could to the action we showed our tickets and moved down towards the concert hall where the premiere was going to be. We walked over the entrance and stood behind a barricade. After ten minutes of not moving I asked Whitney if she knew what was going on. A woman nearby that spoke english said if you had a ticket you could go through. That was us! So we moved past that rope and on to the other side near the concert hall entrance. Noticing more ropes we realized that it was roped off for the red carpet people to come through and go into a waiting area prior to the movie. So we camped out thinking we could get a picture with Tom Cruise instead of just one of him. After a half hour or so there was a comotion coming into the foyer and a guy I didn't regonize was being photographed as he walked by. He bid the crowd a greeting and kept walking. I figured he must have been a producer to the movie. Another ten minutes later I see the same photographer that had taken this guy's picture coming back and turning around to set up for a picture. I get my camera ready and figure I'll get one too of this guy I don't know. As I look into the screen of my camera I stop in awe not of the producer, but of the guy walking next to him. There, no more than six feet away, was Robert Redford. Snapping back to reality I took the picture was he was passing. Whitney was still in awe and I was amazed that nobody as the info booth seemed to know what they were talking about. Another ten minutes and he, the producer, and Tom Cruise were making their way from outside into the concert hall. That was when I had my short lived conversation with both of them. They go as follows:

Me: "Robert, Robert, can I get an autograph?!"
Robert Redford: "I'm sorry, I'm not able to."
Me: "Oh, that's ok. Robert, you're work is amazing! You rock"
Robert Redford (with direct eye contact): "Thank you, I appreciate that."

Whitney is still dumbfounded. Tom comes through.

Me: 'Tom, you mind if we get a picture with you?"
Tom Cruise: "I wish I could but I'm being pushed into the theater"
Tom Cruise's body guards (as they physically push him down the walkway): "Sorry folks were on a tight schedule."

As you can easily tell, Robert and I are much closer than Tom and I.

We made our way into the theater and were up in the middle deck overlooking the floor. As the lights were coming down a spotlight shown and in walked all the actors (minus Meryl Streep) followed by Tom Cruise and Robert Redford. We were able to grab seats instead of standing the whole time and watched Lions for Lambs at the same time, in the same theater, and for the first time ever in public, with Michael Pena, Tom Cruise, and Robert Redford.

End note: The movie was incredible and as soon as it opens in the US I highly recommend checking it out. And when you do, know that I took pictures of, and talked to the top actors in the movie.

Rome, you just gotta love it over here.