Rome - Day 1

We set off for Rome on the 27th July at 4.30 for our flight at 6.30 leaving from Southampton but found on our arrival that the flight was already delayed. The delay became longer and longer and once we took off for the flight to Paris where we would transfer to the flight to Rome, it was obvious that we were going to miss the connection.

Alison was a little concerned at first when I tried my O Level French out at the services desk despite the surprise and delight with which the guy helping us greeted my wonderful accent and eloquence. I'd only said 'Bonjour Monsieur'. Anyway, the next available flight with seats was another 5 hours later but that was amply compensated for by the free meal voucher which gave us all a free sandwich and drink! Wow! To make matters worse, the seats had armrests between each of them meaning you couldn't even lie across them and we had to sit it out for the duration. The boys were very bored although not as angry as one woman who tried to push in and stormed off repeating the words, 'I hate this country' over and over again when she was rebuffed. Guess who got to sit next to her on the flight to Rome. She'd calmed down by then though and went off to sleep for the two hour flight.

We got to Rome just before 5 their time and were kept waiting ages again as the baggage handlers clearly had something better to do than fetch our luggage. Then it was time to make a move and sample Italy for the first time.

Having read on the internet that we would be better off in an official taxi, we ran the line of pushy unofficial drivers pretty well and ended up in this lovely white taxi, the official colour. Within minutes we we lsitening to our first Italian conversation as the taxi driver phoned for instructions as to how to get to the hotel. It was either an out of the way hotel or this was an unofficial taxi. I spent the next 30 minutes watching the meter moving forward at pace although that was nothing compared to the driver's delight in showing us that the strereotype of Italian driving was alive and well in him. He was doing well over a hundred along the motorway, changing lanes all the time and cutting people up and using his horn as if it were on hire and he didn't want to let it go to waste before returning it.

At the hotel we had the chance to have a conversation in Italian based around the fact I wasn't going to pay the whole amount. 'Tropo caro' - 'too much' Joe told him. The man behind the desk came out and a new fee was agreed leaving us shaking hands and wondering if there would be a horse's head in the bed later that evening.

The assistance from the hotel was welcome and set the standard for their care of us for the whole week. It was a great place, the Trilussa Hotel in the Trastevere.

We got there for 6 and were shown to our rooms were lovely and cool. The air conditioning was fantastic and kept us going during the heat of the week were it was seldom below 30 degrees. We were changed and ready to go out soon after arriving and strolled along the main road into the Trastevere which was busy with crowds enjoying the sights and looking to eat out. We managed to find a lovely little place where we engaged in more conversation mainly centred around saying thank you. It was a great meal and just the thing to start the week off.

Then it was upstairs to the roof top of the hotel where there was a bar and seating. It was still hotter than I remember from home at midnight as we sat and enjoyed the view across the city.

The pictures are of Paris Charles De Gaulle airport where we waited for so long and then the hotel itself. The daylight one is the view from our balcony looking down to the main road where we would catch the tram into the centre of Rome each day, while the nightime photo is the view from the roof.