BENVENUTI A ROMA!

Rome, for the 23rd time... we have visited the "Eternal City" even more often than NYC. But... this time it took us "almost" as long to get to Rome as to get to NYC, from door to door 8 hours!

We started early this morning (8:30 am) because of warnings of trafic jams on the autobahn. It was not really bad, it took us about 80 min. to get to MUC (instead of usually 50-60 min). But then... endless lines at check-in of Alitalia (the company which went bancrupt and whose future is completely in the stars), chaotic: computer problems, problems with other's peoples' visa, just two counters occupied. Haven't had this for a long time. No wonder they went bancrupt!

That was the reason we started with about an hour delay, at almost 1 pm, but the flight took only 1:05 hours (pic shows Venetia from above) and sitting in the last row, we didn't even get a drink. Service stopped three rows in front of us because of the fast landing. Luggage was delivered fast, too, but then we waited for the bus to Stazione Termine (downtown Rome), and it took quite a bit of time. Finally, we checked into our hotel - The Beehive, in an old palazzo - at 4:30pm. Have been in this hotel before and love their tasteful though simple rooms:

Explored the city afterwards and, as a rule, walked to the Trevi Fountain to watch people. It was packed with tourists, Americans, Asians, from all over the world. Just Italians seemed to be missing. On the way back we bought provisions for supper on our hotel balcony: salame di finocchio and scamorza affumicata on fresh rosette and pizza bianca to go with some local white wine... What else could you wish at the end of a long day?


Museo Nazionale Romano - courtyard

Sant' Andrea al Quirinale, famous church designed by Bernini

Palazzo Quirinale, seat of Italy's president Sergio Matarella

Fontana di Trevi, newly renovated

And, see pic, there is enough water in Rome, despite of different news coverage. Plus, we have a pleasant 29 deg. Celsius (85 F) and blue skies.