To Rome and back again…..

On Saturday we began our journey to spend a month in Europe with Michael working (teaching short courses) and me enjoying some sightseeing. I definitely have the better side of this deal!!

The flight from Atlanta to Rome was super easy and we both managed to sleep for a good portion of the trip. Our flight crew was magnificent….they were funny and sweet and very helpful. That always makes a trip easier.

Because Michael’s travel is being paid by the university in Naples, we had to book tickets to Naples, even though it was not our first stop of the trip. Our plan had been to fly to Naples and then take a train back to Rome.

While we were on the plane to Rome, we started wondering whether or not we could get our bags in Rome and not have to fly the second leg of the trip. The attendants worked hard to make it happen but unfortunately it would have meant that the return portion of our trip would have been cancelled as well and we couldn’t let that happen.

So, while we were standing in the Rome airport, waiting to board our flight to Naples, we started thinking thru the complications that could arise as we found a bus or taxi to take us from the Napoli airport to the Napoli Train Termini, book a train trip to Rome and then made that trip. (I think that we are a bit shy about train trips since our fiasco in China last year).

Suddenly, Michael looked at me and said “why don’t we just book another plane flight back to Rome”!! DUH….. That way we don’t have to leave the airport!! So, as we stood waiting to board the flight from Rome to Naples, he booked a flight from Naples to Rome…leaving 5 hours after we arrived.

We slept for all of the 45 minutes flight and both agreed that the first thing that we needed was food and drink and, when in Naples, you eat pizza……

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The pizza was not the greatest, but the worst pizza in Naples is better than the best anywhere else!!!

The return flight to Rome was accomplished with both of us sleeping for an additional 45 minutes. We caught the “Leonardo Express” train from the airport to Romi Termini and then followed google maps to the hotel.

For dinner, we took the advice of our hotel and ate at a rooftop restaurant just down the street. The food was wonderful!!! We started with a House Red and bread…..

….were given an “on the house” appetizer of Cuttlefish in pesto sauce…..

….continued with Mozzarella Buffala and Sun dried tomatoes.

Main course for me was Cacio e pepe (pasta with cream sauce flavored with black pepper) while Michael enjoyed a Tagliatelle with Pecorino cheese sauce. To finish off the evening, we enjoyed a light and creamy Panna Cotta……

At this point, it had been about 36 hours since we had risen from our bed in Georgia, so it was time for sleep. In our sleep deprived stupor we had managed to turn our Air conditioner off so couldn’t figure out why the room wasn’t cooling. We took the easy route and simply opened the window.

We had been asleep for about an hour when I was woken by music…..accordion music to be exact……and singing!!! Apparently the Trattoria across the street has a wandering musician!!

It was a fun ending to a very long day!!!

Tomorrow……ROMA!!!!!!