Momentary Lapse of Reason

There's nothing that dampens the enthusiasm like a plethora of airports and flights!

It took us 24 hours from the time we set off to the airport in Cape Town, to the point where we eventually landed in Rome. And other than the time spent sharing our excitement with the kids who came to see us off, those 24 hours were as to be expected. Miles of walking in unfriendly airports, waiting, compressed sleeping. (I did marvel at an obviously well-travelled couple on the flight who seemed to do synchronised sleeping. Spoonsit to the left, facing forward, spoonsit to the right ) I’m well aware of the fact that I become a complete monster the minute I set foot in an airport. I’m very pleased to report that I’m not the only one. It’s very sad, though, that one would be such a monster, when you work is actually at the airport! What is it with custom officials? Why do they always have to make you feel so guilty about coming to see their beautiful country?


I’ve made a huge mental note for myself. Perhaps I should associate it with some song, as I usually do, so I definitely don’t forget this one ever again. So take note – this may save years off your lives! Always plan your trips in such a way that your first entry point entails a friendly man with a clipboard with your name written in big bold letters,  waiting for you at the airport, and who then proceeds to set about delivering you and your carefully, economically planned, but annoyingly heavy and cumbersome luggage to your first hotel.

Nope – we didn’t do that. How difficult can it be? We most definitely won’t be the first pair of tourists to arrive in Rome and then need to find their way to a hotel. Yeah, right! It took us 4 hours! Now I have to just give you some background. Niel's internal compass is non-existent. If you ask him for directions, be sure to alter those by 180 degrees. That’s how bad his calibration is!

So off we went. Each with 1 biggish (not too big and heavy – I made sure of that!) and 1 small and light suitcase – with wheels. And the Laptop/Camera bag (how else did you think I was going to write this?). Rome’s airport is really not very nice. And finding the train station was the first challenge. Up and down elevators and stairs. But we found it, and because we’ve been watching the Travel Channel, we knew to validate the tickets, and so getting onto the train was fairly easy. And the ride took a simple 30 minutes. From here, Niel’s vote was for a bus to the nearest point of our hotel. I voted for the underground. It would be easier to drag the suitcases over “The Gap” on the underground, than up the awkward entrances of a bus. So off we go. In peak-hour pedestrian-traffic.

I would have to explain, that by this time, my usual I’m-the-one-with-direction-let-me-decide-where-to-go attitude had shut down completely. So Niel took charge entirely. And when we got to the point where we figured we now need tickets for the underground, he set off to find them, leaving me with the suitcases. Hmmm. I waited for what felt like hours. And it was most definitely longer than an even at that stage reasonable person would have tolerated. So now I’m standing with 4 suitcases and a laptop/camera, not sure whether he took his famous 180degree turn in the wrong direction, and whether he will EVER find me again. Good news – he eventually did return. Only to tell me that he did not manage to get tickets, but now knew that you get them at a tobacco shop. Well that makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?

I could go on telling you how we then continued up and down stairs (okay – there were some escalators, but definitely way too many stairs!), only to eventually emerge back above ground at the wrong place, with the only hope of correcting this to go back underground to find the other exit. Suffice to say, we eventually found the hotel, which is really well situated. And after a well-needed shower, I reluctantly allowed Niel to drag me back onto the streets again for a quick supper. It ended up being another long walk, but he knew how much I wanted to see the Trevi fountains, and he managed to walk us there with no incorrect turns. And I would have to say that my first true Italian meal was a really good pasta. :) And while I was way too tired to really comprehend what I was seeing, Rome at night is really beautiful. Streets are well lit, but never with majorly modern neon lighting. And everywhere you go, people are walking, strolling, chatting, laughing, eating. It’s just beautiful.

I’m so looking forward to what Rome by day will bring. :)