We arrive in Rome

Trip Start May 14, 2008
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Trip End May 30, 2008


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Where I stayed
(Rome hotels)

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Thursday, May 15, 2008

We arrive at the Rome airport right on time, 8:35 a.m. My initial impression is that it is very clean and Italian marble covers everything, even the restroom floors and stall walls. My cousin Gary and his wife Bonnie, who were coming from San Francisco, were supposed to have arrived an hour before us and we would find them sipping espresso in a little airport coffee shop next to customs. Their plane was late though so we went for coffee and waited for about an hour and half for them instead. The place was busy with a steady stream of airport employees and arriving passengers. We got situated at a table with all of our luggage and watched people ordering for a while to figure it out. A group of 5 or 6 Germans arrived and drank beers and chatted loudly. I listened to the first part of "One Day Italian" again on the I-Pod until I thought I had it together enough to go up and order, but when I did, the girl at the counter spoke English to me. I was glad that we had exchanged a few dollars for Euros in the Atlanta airport so that we had plenty for coffee and bottles of water.
After Gary and Bonnie arrived we bought 4 "Roma Passes" for 20 Euros each before we left the airport. The Roma Pass gets you unlimited use of public transport - busses and the metro (subway)-for three days plus entry into many sites of interest and museums - the first two free and then reduced admission for three days. The Roma Pass packet also includes a good map of Rome and a visitor guide. It seems like a good deal since even places like The Forum charge admission now (new in March 08). With luggage, however, we decided to take a taxi to our hotel, instead of struggling with the public transportation.
Taxi charges are controlled in Rome but from the airport it cost 70 Euro to get to The Aberdeen Hotel, which is in the northeast part of the city.
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