We made it! Amy and I, after a 24 hour travel experience, as well as some other shenanigans, finally made it to Italy! Our journey began in Portland, where we caught a short flight to San Francisco. After a lengthy layover in the international lounge (where the Sushi Bar was out of Sushi), we toasted the states goodbye with our last taste of Americana: A Dos Equis Lager; particularly apropos I think, for the most interesting people in the world.
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| Swiss efficiency meets San Franciscan Psycadellicism. Trippy. |
Next up, a 12 hour flight to Zurich, Switzerland. We boarded the plane at 7:00 Pacific Standard, so we were already getting a bit sleepy. We flew on Swiss, and were treated very well: We were given multiple snacks, complimentary wine, very tasty and satisfying meals, and even Swiss chocolate. The quarters were a bit cramped, but we were even able to sleep for 3 or 4 hours. When we awoke we were near Zurich, and were given a hot towel. In Zurich, our flight to Rome was delayed for nearly an hour due to lightning. We were not much inconvenienced, however, as we used the time to plan our first few days in Italy. Soon the storm cleared, and we were able to take off. The flight lasted just over an hour, and then we landed in the eternal city.
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| We would not see our bags for another 5 days. Consequently, you WILL see us in these clothes extensively. |
Sadly, this is where the story turns just the slightest bit sour. You see, we had packed our bags as carry ons. However, in Portland we were told that because the flight was so full, we would be required to check our bags. This was done at no cost or inconvenience to us, and so we did it gladly. However, upon arrival in Rome, we discovered that our bags had not made the trip. Where exactly they were was anybody's guess. The one thing that we did know, is that they were not with us. The customer service representative (who was very sympathetic and helpful) told us that it was unlikely that our bags would get to us by the next morning, and thus likely would have to catch up to us in Sarrento, our next destination. We tried to make light of the difficulty, posing for pictures near the empty baggage claim. I would share those pictures with you, but sadly our camera was stolen shortly thereafter. We believe the theft occurred in the airport shop while we were looking for a map.
We had reserved a hotel in Fiumincino, an outskirt of Rome that is fairly near the airport. After being fairly confused by the system for finding a taxi, we just ended up talking to a driver who approached us outside the airport, and charged 30 euro for the service. He then took us to his own "private taxi" which was in fact his personal car. After realizing that we might well be robbed or murdered in his back seat, we resigned ourselves to whatever fate might be in store, and hoped for the best. A short, but exhilerating ride ensued, and to his credit the driver was very skilled. He did not, despite his claims otherwise, have any idea where our hotel was. He found it eventually. The cab ride ended up costing more than expected, but we were so relieved to have arrived that we did not much care. We enjoyed a modest, but very nice hotel in Fiumincino. Because we arrived so late, nearly everything was closed. Thus we enjoyed our first night in Italy with a gourmet meal consisting of fruit snacks.
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| Our balcony at La Maison Jolie in Rome. Still in the same clothes. |
Up next, a train ride to Sorrento, a boat ride to Capri, Limoncello, 5 day old socks, and most importantly: Pictures!!
Arrivederci!
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