Home again
Trip Start
Jan 01, 2009
1
9
10
Trip End
Jan 13, 2009
Woodstock,
New York,
United States
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
We are at last home after the usually grueling trip. It sure started smoothly. Wakeup call at 5:30, breakfast brought to our room at 6, taxi arrived on time and a nice ride to Fiumicino, Terminal 1. I couldn't find the flight on the monitor which is very disconcerting to say the least !!!! I asked information and they said Continental doesn't fly out of Term 1 anymore; gee thanks so much for telling me guys ! A short shuttle bus trip to the new terminal, number 5 (?). Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and Terminal 5 - ah Italia ! Everything else was quite smooth but where they suddenly started getting 10 hrs from Rome to NYC is a mystery. It used to be 9 hrs, sometimes 8 1 /2. We drove home, did a little shopping, and had the expected lousy night's sleep. All things considered we are safely home.
It is good to be home and I have a million things to do today, bank, PO etc. We will try to rest up for the innauguration.
So it was quite a great trip, my 17th to Italy (total 19 to Europe) and Laura's 10th. The previous e mail stated all the good things about this trip, so I won't repeat them. The one item left out was the excellent dinner we had, not at Giglio, which was closed for vacation, but Antica Bohem (sp ?). Laura bought some pasta in a gourmet food store in the neighborhood and asked the cashier for a recommendation for dinner and he sent us there, and it was a wonderful meal for our last in Italy.
When I think back, thankfully I am only remembering the great things and surely after setting up the photos and videos, that will be reinforced. But creeping into my consciousness are all those winding, steep roads, the totally confusing trip through La Spezia to our hotel, street signs that make no sense, the ice and snow on the 60 degree inclined mountain road through the Garfagnana, the train travel mishaps at Orvieto Train Station, etc etc. Nonetheless we agreed that driving was slightly better than train travel, because for the most part, you have some flexibility and are not at the whim of the Italian Train Systen, Trenitalia. If planned correctly with good pickup and dropoff points factored in, I tend to agree with Laura and that driving is better than trains. The one thing about train travel is that once you do get aboard, the ride is very relaxing. Not sure what is next for us and Italy or when that will be, but we will keep you posted.
Thanks for reading these blogs, and for the kind words along the way. It has been my pleasure to update everyone.
Love
Laura and Alan
