Made my train just fine, but it took off a good 20 minutes late. I like the idea of a night train, but unless there's some way to upgrade to a private--or at least less populated--"couchette," I don't think I'll use one again. They had six of us crammed into a room that was maybe 7'x7'... maybe a bit nicer than on a submarine, but if so, not by much. The bunks weren't overly comfortable either, and you only had enough room to sit up about half way before hitting your head on the next bunk/ceiling.
We pulled into Rome shortly after 09:00, which would have given me pretty much an extra full day had I been healthy & up to it. Took forever to find the bus I needed to get me to my hostel, and when I did I saw a sign saying that you much purchase tickets before boarding the bus (which turned out to be a terrible lie... when I finally got on, I saw several people using a ticket machine on the bus). So I spent the next 10 minutes or so hunting a ticket down, and finally found one at a tobacco shop of all places.
Rome is right up there with the UK when it comes to street signs so I made a few wrong turns on the way to my hostel (Hotel Lodi Roma), but once I got there things calmed down. Pablo [ed: Fabbro] (one of the managers) took my bags & started getting me checked in, then brought in a tray with tea, orange juice & croissants for me to relax with while they were getting the bed ready for me. It was only once I finally got settled into the room that they asked for payment: cash instead of card, unfortunately, but I came prepared. That accomplished he pulled out a map of Rome & started sketching out a plan to help me maximize my time here. Yesterday was the ancient section: The Colosseum (climb out of the Metro & think "Holy Shit, it's the Colosseum!"), the Palatine Hill (home to Romulus' hut, the old imperial palace, and Nero's rotating dining hall), the Forum, and the remains of the Circus Maximus.
Today was shorter, but no less tiring thanks to the heat. I did the central section of the city... quite a few impressive sights again, but my favorites by far were the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. I'm still amazed that people were actually able to build structures this complex (that are still standing!) so long ago. We could barely keep the Kingdome up for 30 years.
Tomorrow: Vatican City! And possible Castel Sant'Angelo... we'll see how energetic I'm feeling.
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