The flight from Dulles, DC airport to Paris on Air France
was delightful, and thankfully without incident, we left on time and arrived on
time, and coffee on board was better than expected.
The same cannot be said for the Alitalia flight from Paris
to Rome, that one was on time for a brief period, by the time we made it to the
gate, the delays had started to appear. First it was 15 minutes, and that
continued for almost 2 hours. Not an airline I would fly again, unless there
were no other options.
It’s a good thing the driver I hired paid attention to the
arrivals, and was there when I cleared customs, which was a breeze.
And most importantly all the luggage made it to Rome.
By the time I checked in to the Sofitel, and went upstairs
to the lounge for a quick bite to eat, the weather had turned and we had a
glorious lightning show across the rooftops of Rome, along thunder and heavy
rain thrown in for good measure. The
evening ended without a walk, and by the time I showered it was already 10 pm,
and I was ready for bed.
Friday morning I opened the window, and discovered that it
was overcast and still raining heavily, but the thunder and lightning had
subsided. The breakfast at the hotel was delicious; it started with a
cappuccino, then a pot of French press coffee, croissants, baguettes that were
moist on the inside with a delicious crust, and the usual prosciutto, assorted
cheeses, eggs, sausages, fruit and pastries. The best part, the breakfast was
leisurely, and the cappuccinos unlimited. A terrific way to start the morning.
After the satisfying breakfast, I put on my rain coat and
headed out to play tourist, Rome is a walking city, and virtually every turn
has something to offer. The day improved, after about 20 minutes of walking in
the rain, it stopped, the sun came out, and the rest of the day was in the low
70’s and absolutely gorgeous.
The first stop was the Pantheon-it is a must see structure,
and not just once. The most preserved, it is truly grand, built in concrete in
120’s AD, and today is stands as originally built. The open 30ft oculus
provides light, and when it rains outside, it also rains inside.
Lunch was at a restaurant near the Pantheon, but far enough
away from the crowds, and high prices. The calamari was fresh and grilled to
perfection, and the gnocchi were homemade and served in a light cheese sauce,
and coffee was delicious.
After lunch, I visited a couple churches, some were
extravagant, others more humble, there seems to be a church on every corner,
then a walk to the Trevi Fountain, didn’t toss a coin, but hopefully I’ll be
back, since a long time ago, I did just that. The fountain has been
renovated-give more detail. There is something magical about Rome, the beauty
and vitality of the city is truly incomparable.
Gelato Valentino was the next stop near the Trevi fountain,
the gelato was delicious. Next was a visit to a church that is right across the
fountain. Rome was packed with tourists, the security was very apparent, along
with police, there were military man standing
alongside their vehicles with machine guns. It seems that at every high traffic
tourist spot, the scene was repeated.
I stopped at Piazza Novonna, a marvelous square-describe
square-a trio of street musicians were playing Hava Nagila, and Those Were the
Days, two of my favorite songs. I stopped and listened, then put a couple of
Euros in their viola case, and of course took a picture.
The Spanish Steps beckon every time I visit, they date back
to the 18th Century, and at the base as the stairs widen is the ‘boat’ fountain
designed by Bernini, and heralding the top of the stairs is-what else-a church,
Trinita dei Morti.
By the time I got back to the hotel it was dusk, and I was
exhausted, even though there were a couple espresso stops along the way. I
bought a pedometer before the trip, and this day, it was over 9 miles, I’m not
as young as I used to be, and now come with sound effects. Too tired to hunt for a restaurant, I headed
to the rooftop at the hotel-the view is magnificent, and the food good.
Sunday, after a leisurely breakfast, it was time to head to
Civitavecchia and board the ship. The driver was on time, traffic was slow due
to slight construction issues, which according to the driver should have been
done at night, and not during the day.
The boarding process went smoothly, the cabin was ready, and
after the mandatory muster drill, even the luggage was waiting for me. By the
time I unpacked, it was time for dinner. I must say the food on this ship is
amazingly good, well prepared, seasoned and fresh.
I kept up with the blogs while travelling, and have many
pictures. It took a while to get everything in order after being gone for two
months, and then of course the holidays, and road trips.
Happy travels, wherever they may take you.
Cheers,
Margot
Justes
Blood Art
A Fire Within
A Hotel in Paris
A Hotel in Bath
A Hotel in Venice
www.mjustes.com
