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Lines at Vatican -- Self Inflating Chair?

When we were in line for Christmas Eve Midnight Mass, a couple in front of us had brought along self-inflating chairs to sit in while waiting. (You must arrive in line several hours before the service to get a good seat.) The woman had trouble, though, inflating her chair. There didn't seem to be enough wind to inflate it, properly, I guess. I had blow-up cushions that worked fine. They are small, though. Since my elderly sister is going with me to Easter Mass, Maundy Thursday, and Papal Audience, all of which require long waits in line, I thought it would be great to get her a self inflating bubble chair she could actually rest on in line while waiting. But it needs to fold up tiny and be very lightweight for toting around in my backpack. I'm thinking it would also make a great back-up bed, should we encounter bed bugs in any of the hostels where we'll be staying (perish the thought!). Can anyone recommend a self inflating chair meeting these requirements, that is easy to inflate? Thanks for your help. I found these, but I don't know whether they are good quality, durable, lightweight, and easy to fold up? https://wholesaler.alibaba.com/product-detail/BEIDOU5-China-Factory-Direct-Fast-Filling_60642360203.html?spm=a2700.7724857.main07.7.3d696f6dJ987Au Or do thse types of things only work at the beach, where there is a lot of wind for inflating them?

Posted by
15677 posts

I'm thinking it would also make a great back-up bed, should we
encounter bed bugs in any of the hostels where we'll be staying
(perish the thought!).

The chair is not going to help you there. Bedbugs get into more than beds, and if you are in a room with them you want to get OUT. Period. You don't not want them to invade your luggage as that is how you drag them home. By the time you discover them it can be too late so you want to vacate the room immediately.

I'd recommend a cane with a stool attached if she needs to sit down. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Walking-Chair-Stadium-Company/dp/B0026RSREQ

Posted by
365 posts

Good idea, Kathy! I like the cane/chair. I have read that if you put your luggage in the bathtub, bedbugs can't crawl into it, so I would think they wouldn't do well on the slippery surface of an inflatable chair, either? Unlike mattresses and upholstery, where they can breed by the millions. I was just thinking if we got bitten in the middle of the night, and it was too late to find lodging elsewhere that evening.

Gunderson, I like your idea. Yes, that would be a great way to inflate my chair. And I know exactly which forum members' posts I would use to do so. (I keep a list.) LOL.

Posted by
13800 posts

I just got back from a Road Scholar birding trip and one of the tour members had something similar to Kathy's suggestion. She used it for a cane and for a seat and it seemed to work well for her. In observing her it does seem like there is a learning curve so Sis will need to practice with it. Years ago on another trip a member had one that she sat on more backwards than the one shown and every time she tried to sit on it we all thought she was going to go over. I didn't pick it up but if it's heavy it may be more of a nuisance because someone is going to need to wrangle it thru Rome.

Posted by
8293 posts

The cane/chair thing is not very stable (a) and (b) the user has to be fairly athletic to get on and off without falling on her nose.

Edit: ......... without falling on her nose or another part of the anatomy.

Posted by
15677 posts

Yes, I would imagine there's a learning curve but there's no way I'd want to mess with hauling around a large inflatable and having to deflate and repack the thing in a hurry. Getting air OUT of inflatables can take longer than getting it IN.

Also, the queue for mass may not be the only place she may need to sit down for awhile.

Bedbugs: if your room has them, they usually leave evidence so the time to look for them is right away upon accessing a room. Posh hotels are not immune, bathrooms are not immune, and you or your luggage can pick them up just by being in proximity to a bag or seat which has them on a train or plane. People have picked them up - in the U.S. - in movie theaters, retail stores, etc. No matter: there hasn't been a topic post about bedbugs in Italian accommodations in YEARS, nor any reports of anyone actually bitten by them in Italy. I was bitten to death in a hotel room in Florence but those were mosquitoes, not bedbugs (severe reactions to foreign mosquitoes is not uncommon) and mozzies are unlikely in Rome in the early spring. They didn't bother me there in either late spring or fall.

Posted by
365 posts

That's a good point, Kathy. I think bedbugs often go dormant with cold weather and re-emerge when it heats up again. Late March/Early April should still be fairly cool in Europe. However, I have read many reviews of accommodations in Rome recently, which mention bedbugs. One never knows whether the poster has a bone to pick with the hotel and makes it up, whether they got them somewhere else and they were in their suitcase, or whether the complaint is legit. I would think if legit, the hotel would immediately call in exterminators and try to remove them, but I don't know how effective that is.

I think my small inflatable cushions will probably be okay for sitting on while we wait in line. I sat on mine after my friend tried to inflate her self-inflating chair and couldn't get it to fill with air. She looked impressed and asked where I had bought them (Amazon.com). Her cute hubby remarked to my hubby, pointing at his wife and me, "These two are just alike..." We had planned our vacations similarly. And it wasn't hard to deflate, as it is small and folds up into nothing, easy to carry. I bought several, in case they were cheaply made and developed holes. So if I can find them, we can stack them atop each other for greater height and padding. Sis and I have no hips at all-- we inherited our mama's build, so extra padding on that cement will be welcome.

Sis's hubby, as it turns out, has one of those cane chairs. He thinks it is quite comfy. His has a solid, flat plastic seat. He has no trouble sitting on it (he has spinal stenosis), but it is far too big to carry around. He says they do make collapsible ones, but we haven't found a collapsible one yet. Thanks for the great tips, everyone.

I do think an inflatable would be fun for the breezy beach next summer, where there would be plenty of air. But it might blow away out into the ocean unless I sit on it constantly. I found an orange one at WM last night, but 4 of us tried to inflate it in the store, and no one had success. Add that to my friend Desiree's attempt to inflate her purple one at the Vatican, and I think our odds are not good of succeeding with such.

Posted by
15677 posts

I think bedbugs often go dormant with cold weather and re-emerge when
it heats up again.

Not so. Activity may decrease somewhat but because temps indoors - where they're found - are still warm in winter and they still have a food source (people), they're still active. But it's neither here nor there regarding your portable seating decision.

Posted by
365 posts

Interesting article on bedbugs, Kathy. Their egg production is thwarted at just 55 degrees F. 80 hours of temps below freezing can kill them. So turning off the heat in the infested locale could help eliminate them, in the winter months (except in Rome and warmer climates). But if we pick them up anywhere in Europe, it will be warmer than that when we return to the U.S. I sure hope we don't have to deal with this problem. I've heard most major airports are infested with them. Was watching the movie TERMINAL last night and thinking about that. I wonder whether they are on the Flixbus? I'm not going to worry about it. https://www.hunker.com/12173858/how-to-kill-bed-bugs-with-cold-temperatures.

Posted by
54 posts

If you want to pursue that type of inflatable chair, maybe look at the brands Wirecutter reviewed last year: here

They looked at inflatable lounges, but some of these companies probably make smaller chairs too. There is a video linked in the comments of the article that shows how to inflate them without wind. Also, they deflate pretty much instantly, but it does take time to roll them up and repack them in their sack.

Posted by
2047 posts

We travel with REIโ€™s small, foldable tripod stools so we can sit down while waiting in lines. They are very lightweight and have a shoulder strap for easy carry. We strap them onto our luggage while traveling. No exactly what youโ€™re asking about, but someone else might like.

Posted by
2047 posts

Kathy, Yes, that is our stool. Weโ€™ve traveled with it for years. I still have to learn how to add a link to a post. Thanks.

Posted by
365 posts

Thanks, Becky and Kathy. I have one of those in the garden, but it doesn't have a strap like the REI one. Not sure it is as lightweight, either.

Posted by
1542 posts

Hey, is David Copperfield now one of the moderators? My posts keep disappearing and I am working towards my wooden star.

Posted by
365 posts

Thanks, mm14 and Sandra, for the great info! I appreciate your help and insights very much. I'm not worried about bed bugs at all. Hubby and I stayed near the Termini at Christmas and had no problem at that hostel there. I wonder why it closed after we got home, though? Maybe they couldn't afford to keep it open, for some reason. Hostel International. I was worried my sister would pass out if we encounter bed bugs on this trip, as she is older and far more squeamish than me, the baby of the family. But, no, she seems to have a sensible outlook, noting that you can get them even in fancy, expensive motels, anywhere, and adding that she thinks we'll be fine.

Gunderson, I noticed your posts had disappeared. I LOVED your funny one about all the hot air in the forum being helpful in inflating a chair. I giggled and giggled. But as soon as I started to reply to it, soon after you posted it, I noticed it was gone. But I replied to it, anyway. Thanks for the fun post.

Posted by
1542 posts

Gracialynne, unfortunately not everyone shares your enthusiasm for my poor attempt at humour, or is it my wonderful attempt at poor humour? If one cannot laugh at oneself, there should be an edict issued to ban laughing at others. My good friend Richard Burton could do it: "Actors are poor, abject, disagreeable, perverse, ill-minded, slightly malicious creatures. And of that august company of idiots, I'm afraid I'm a member."
Oh, and if you have trouble inflating that chair of yours, maybe you can rent this gladiator chap to carry you on his shoulders. His helmet does look uncomfortable, mind:

https://t3.ftcdn.net/jpg/01/26/89/64/240_F_126896407_V4EugEtSF3QhDrWMeqvdh7Rac1lP4hSQ.jpg

Rome is fantastic. Have you taken the Scavi tour?

Posted by
365 posts

LOL, Gunderson. I want that Gladiator for my Valentine. How did you know I'm watching the movie GLADIATOR right now?

I hadn't heard of the Scavi Tour, but when we toured St. Peter's Basilica at Christmas, they let us go underneath the Basilica for free and see the tombs of the many Popes who are buried there. Is that the same thing, or is the Scavi Tour different? I would love to go on any underground tours. We did tour the Catacombs of St. Callistus on the Appian Way, which was super interesting. I wish we'd gone on the tour of the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, a rich woman of Rome. I'm going to take my sister there in March, I think. Have you been on it? I love Rome! I'm a TRUE ROME-Antic. In fact, my maiden name means: "One who made a pilgrimage to Rome, in expiation of attempted murder." (I wonder where that comes from???)

Posted by
15677 posts

I hadn't heard of the Scavi Tour, but when we toured St. Peter's
Basilica at Christmas, they let us go underneath the Basilica for free
and see the tombs of the many Popes who are buried there. Is that the
same thing, or is the Scavi Tour different?

You saw the Vatican Grottos and not the Scavi (Necropolis). The Grottos are free. The Scavi is a deeper level and requires a tour booked well in advance.

http://www.scavi.va/content/scavi/en/ufficio-scavi.html

Posted by
365 posts

I see, Kathy. Thanks for the great info. I'll tell hubby. He will be excited. He thought we'd already seen it, but will love learning that we didn't, and he'll enjoy this Necropolis! Something new and fun to explore for our 2d trip! We also still need to see "Moses" at St. Peter in Chains, Santa Pudenziana, San Stefano, etc. I hope the Scala Santa is open again by next January when we are there. They said they'd be closed for a year. I wonder whether they might open just a bit earlier than the date they closed. Guess we won't know until the time gets closer. Do you think Villa Borghese is worth a visit? Hubby loved the "Rape of Prosperpine" sculpture post card I sent him for Valentine's Day. The woman standing in line in front of us when we were waiting to get into Christmas Eve Midnight Mass bought it as a Christmas gift for me, while we were shopping in a store near the waiting line, and told me to send it to him for Valentine's Day. She was sending her hubby one, too, to thank him for making our Rome Christmas so Special. That sculpture is in Villa Borghese. I kind of think we should plan to visit it and see it in person?

Posted by
15677 posts

Do you think Villa Borghese is worth a visit?

Yes indeed. We enjoyed it FAR more than the mob at the Vatican Museums due to their strict crowd control, and the structure is almost as interesting as the collection. Reservations are mandatory and you must choose a specific day & time slot. You will have 2 hours for your visit and then they clear the galleries for the next group. You can make reservations/book tickets here:

http://www.tosc.it/tickets.htm?affiliate=T2C&sort_by=event_datum&sort_direction=asc&fun=erdetail&doc=erdetaila&erid=912678&language=en

It's helpful to read the fine points about visiting the museum in advance:

http://www.ticketone.it/obj/media/IT-eventim/pdf/en/galleria-borghese-5-en.pdf

Posted by
365 posts

Good to know, Kathy. What were your favorite things you saw at Villa Borghese, in the way of art? Top 5?

Posted by
15677 posts

Gian Bernini's sculptures; "Rape of Propserina" is one of them. "David", in particular, trumps Michelangelo's, Donatello's and Verrocchio's versions, IMHO.

Pietro Bernini's "Curtius Leaping into the Chasm" ( Roman relic of a horse with Papa Bernini's 17th--century restoration and addition of rider).

Lotto's "Madonna with Child between Saints Ignatius and Onuphrius". I love this one because of the squirming, grasping infant and Mary's weary expression. You can almost hear her thinking, "Oy, could I use a nap." Young mothers with busy babies can relate!

A couple of the Caravaggio's.

Posted by
365 posts

Thanks for the great tips, Kathy! Back to the Vatican, did you ever visit Santo Spiritu? A nice man at St. Peter's Square was telling me it is quite an interesting church, behind the Vatican. He had mentioned that we needn't have bought tickets to the Papal Audience. I remember asking my guide to the Papal Audience whether she thought Santo Spiritu was worth a visit, and she said no, it wasn't much to see. But I have read about it lately in some of my books, and so I'm wondering whether you've been to it and if so, what you thought of it?

Posted by
4138 posts

About the Borghese, don't miss the Roman mosaic tiles on the floor in the entrance. Most people don't even notice them with so much visual input in that room. I'm a non-apologetic mosaic nut. Gory, but you gotta love the bare bums of those Roman soldiers.

Posted by
365 posts

Hot Cross Buns! Thanks for the great tip, Lo. I love mosaics and can't wait to see them. Appreciate the heads up!