Rome

Jul 31st - Aug 4th 2009

Friday 31st July 2009

Home to Rome

Up around 06.15 even though we didn't need to leave until 08.40. Watched some TV and had a leisurely breakfast before doing some final packing and heading off to Heathrow. Nice quiet drive down and yet again found ourselves at the junction with the M25 about 50 minutes before we needed to be. Rang Purple Parking and they said they'd try and get someone to us early.

Got to Terminal 2 and were pretty much immediately spotted by the Purple Parking woman - she said she was glad we were early because it meant she got an extra car in and that they were paid by the vehicle - glad to help.

Found the Alitalia desk and had a call from Stuart who claimed he was at Gatwick - which I believed for just a few seconds. Luckily he was behind us in the correct terminal. Check in was pretty painless until we asked for a wheelchair. Had pre-booked this with Alitalia but they said there was nothing on the booking. This despite me having an apology letter from the Head of Customer Relations apologising for the rubbish wheelchair booking system!

Got it sorted though and then sailed through security and off for breakfast number 2! Very nice toast for me and a fully cooked jobby for Nikki and Stuart.

Time for a quick 'shop' for essentials - then it was time to get to the gate. Had a little wait for boarding, but then we were asked to board first, so pretty straightforward and stress free. We finally took off approx 1 hour after we should have done, but were told it was only a 2 hour flight, so that made up for it. Problem free flight, drinkies and little snacks were issued and consumed. Guessing that most airlines now don't provide any complimentary meals.

Excellent service once we arrived in Leonardo da Vinci airport - cabin crew asked us to wait, then we were assisted down the steps, and straight onto a minibus - Stuart had meanwhile boarded a VERY crowded bus to the terminal and baggage reclaim. We just sailed through - nice!!! Had a bit of a wait for luggage, so Huw decided to go to the Avis lot and pick up the car. Stuart, myself and wheelchair pushing lady collected the cases and waited outside the terminal for Mr Huw. VERY hot and humid, but we didn't care 'cos we're on holiday!!! Drove straight off to the hotel, and checked in with no problems at all. We both have a room on the 4th floor overlooking the pool. After a quick change, we hit the pool and had the first swim of the holiday!

Time for tea so after a break we jumped back in the hire car and headed for downtown Rome. We were aiming for Piazza Navona and got there with minimal loss of life. Found a cool place to park just around the corner and walked into the square. First place we tried said they didn't have very nice fresh pasta but that the place next door did! Go figure! So we went there and the advice was correct. Gorgeous food. I had a Bruschetta and a mushroom risotto, Nikki had melon followed by Melanzana and Stuart had Bruschetta and Spaghetti Bolognese. Sat watching the world go by and then headed for an ice-cream. Sat outside the shop in what turned out to be a totally unconnected restaurant - waitress got a bit sniffy but a few hard stares later and she went away and left us in peace.

Drove back to the hotel for a coffee in the bar and so to bed. Knackered!

Saturday 1st August 2009

Rome

After a great nights sleep we met up in the lobby for breakfast. One of the best hotel breakfasts. Loads of choice. Fruit, cake, cereal, cooked breakfast and an omelette station where the chef cooks it for you. Our hotel rate included breakfast so much was taken!

The pool officially opens at 10.00 each day so by 09.50 we were hanging around, loitering on the sunbeds we fancied. As soon as the towel man arrived we grabbed one each and booked our beds for the day. Good idea as it started to get quite busy after that.

Not really sure how to sum up the rest of the day. We basically sat on our beds, read, listened to iPods, drank coffee and went into the pool about once every hour until 16.30. We did nip off to the hotel restaurant for lunch and had a pretty good salad and loads of bread. They didn't even seem to mind that I had no shoes on. Our waiter does look like Lisa's music teacher from The Simpsons and I think he had a general problem with us but it wasn't like we cared or anything!

Took an hour off back in the room and watched some of the swimming from the World Championships which was taking place in Rome and then met up for the evening at around 19.30

First stop was a supermarket for some nibbles as the shop in the hotel is charging gold-plated prices. €2.40 for a Mars bar is a bit much. Found a Lidl and went in with a degree of trepidation - and rightly so. Very common - and yes I am a snob. After buying a few things we went to a "proper" supermarket across the road. As we were coming out we saw 2 elderly nuns buying 3 flagons of wine and 3 packets of incontinence pads - now that's what I call a Saturday night!

Drove into central Rome and got stopped by the police as we were about to turn up Via Cavour. It's now a taxi only road. Figured that if we went left and then right we'd come out at the top and then could head to the Trevi Fountain. This was indeed the case - apart from one slight error. That error meant we were left driving around northern Rome with not a damn clue where we were. We crossed the river a few times and asked a policeman once - but to no avail. Eventually found where we were supposed to be after about an hour! Rubbish navigating by Nikki & Stuart basically.

Illegally parked near the Trevi Fountain and wandered around to find somewhere for dinner. Came across a little place just up from the fountain. Didn't have great hopes but in fact the meal was excellent. After dinner we got some ice-cream and sat in the shop eating it and watching everyone else gawping at the choice on display. Gorgeous ice-cream. Don't know why it tastes so different in Rome but there's no doubt it does. Just beautiful.

Drove back to the hotel for a late coffee in the bar before bed. Fun day.

Sunday 2nd August 2009

Rome

Woke around 08.20 - quite surprised that it was so late really. Great night's sleep then! Beautiful blue skies again, and even warmer than yesterday, with not a cloud in the sky. Huw went downstairs with a book and spare T-shirt to 'bag' 3 sunbeds before the rush started. Had another lovely breakfast - waiter doesn't like us any more today than yesterday.  After showering and dressing into bathers, we hit the sunbeds! Spent another leisurely morning, reading, listening to iPods and swimming. 

Decided to grab some lunch in the hotel restaurant again (salads for the boys and pumpkin soup for me), then more of the same in the afternoon. Perfectly lush! Stuart and Huw also discussed their new website idea for a hotel room information site.  Decided that the name for this would be room wizard - unfortunately www.roomwizard.com would have cost a lot - so went for www.roomwizzard.com with a double z. Quick e-mail to Danny and he had set up the hosting - simple as that - then followed much discussion on the design of the website and how the site would work. Another dip in the pool was also had - we are sooooo busy!

We also planned the evening's activities - back to the rooms for a shower and freshen up, then a drive to the beach at Ostia for some tea and maybe a paddle in the sea. Stuart had also fancied a steak for his tea, and we all fancied eating at a restaurant looking out over the sea.

Bit longer a drive than we had planned, looking at Google maps, but we got there. Much bigger and busier than we had all thought - some of it a bit run down as with a lot of places in these current hard times! Found a lovely restaurant - it was mostly a fish restaurant, but they did steak and a couple of veggie things and we could sit on a balcony overlooking the sea. Perfect! Had a lovely evening looking out to sea and, well, talking some more!

Then the discussion turned to desert so the decision was made to drive back into Rome for ice-cream. Much better navigation this time and found the same parking space near the Trevi Fountain. Walked around to the ice-cream place and pigged out. Lovely!

Back in the hotel by 23.00 and tried ringing Mum and Dad a few times - they had checked into the Marriott in Vancouver. No luck - they were obviously out and about - so off to bed.

Monday 3rd August 2009

Rome

 

Quiet and slow start to the morning - met up for breakfast around 09.15 and lingered over a cup of coffee.

First thing it had been very cloudy with some nasty looking clouds. The BBC weather forecast was giving heavy rain for Rome. Before breakfast I'd gone down for a look and had written off the day. Ten minutes later when I got back to the room, the clouds had started to clear and the sun was out. So I dashed down and booked our sunbeds!

After breakfast we sat on the beds and watched the clouds clearing and voted it was another swimming pool day.

On Sunday we'd paid €45 for lunch so decided it was time to steal our lunch from the breakfast buffet. With some underhand use of a handbag and some napkins, we escaped with two cheese rolls, two normal rolls, some jam and some cakes - result!

Spent the morning relaxing on the sun beds and going into the pool - quite windy at times but generally a nice, bonus day. We'd planned for a rainy day so to be able to sit out was a result.

Had lunch on the sun beds - tasted even better as it was free! Then me and Stuart tried to buy tickets to a concert at Madison Square Garden with no luck so instead designed a logo for our latest business!

Back to the rooms by 16.30 and spoke to Mum & Dad in Canada for about half an hour on Skype - cost us 25p.

Met up at 19.30 and headed into Rome. Dinner at the same place in Piazza Navona. Lots of Bruschetta, spaghetti, Melanzana and ravioli in a gorgeous setting. Then off for our traditional ice-cream near the Trevi Fountain. Chatted with the man who runs it. He was telling us that he invents the flavours and his son makes the ice-cream. Really interesting chap. I went for Biscotti and Nutella, Nikki had Cherry & Passion Fruit and Stuart had Mint.

Walked down to the Trevi Fountain where there was an opera concert going on. Stood and watched for a bit - it just kind of fitted in with the setting of the fountain behind and the taste of ice-cream still in our mouths!

And so back to the hotel for coffee and bed.

Tuesday 4th August 2009

Rome to Home

A bit of a lie-in until about 08.30 then up and about ready for breakfast. Hotel a lot quieter today as I guess all the weekend guests have gone home and it's back to their corporate clients.

Had a relaxing breakfast and a last wander round the pool and then packed at a snails pace as we didn't need to check-out until 11.00.

Check out was a bit of a pain as they'd worked out our bills incorrectly - a €60 room service charge had been added to our bill. When they produced the receipt it was clearly for 439 and not for 437 so they knocked it off. Much confusion about the charges made to the room - some stuff we hadn't had and some of the stuff we had had wasn't there. Took about 20 minutes to sort out but we got there eventually.

Stopped for petrol on the way back to the airport and then dropped Nikki and Stuart off outside the terminal while I took the Avis car back. Bit of a wait to get it checked in and then the moving walkways weren't working so I was hot and bothered by the time I rejoined them in the terminal. Check in was straight forward apart from the fact Alitalia had put a wheelchair next to Stuart's name. Once we sorted that out a girl from ADR turned up and whisked us through to the departure lounge. Really helpful girl - when I tried to give her a tip, she refused it saying "No, no, no, it's my job!" On both trips through Rome airport ADR have been excellent.

Went and got some lunch for the plane - including a bottle of water. When we got back to where Nikki was sitting, she tried unscrewing the cap and obviously loosened it so when she took a drink through the flip top cap - water went everywhere. She dried off in the loo!

Got taken on board the plane first and seated in 32A, 32B and 32C. So when allocating a seat to someone who can't walk very far - Alitalia seem to put you at the furthest point away from the door. Stupid airline. Stuart asked about extra leg-room and was basically ignored.

Once we took off they did redeem themselves slightly by moving him to a better seat. Me and Nikki had our Panini with Mozarella and tomato - really nice.

Slept most of the way back apart from the odd glance outside at Corsica and Nice. Turned very cloudy as we got over the Channel and stayed that way all the way into Heathrow.

Met off the plane by a chap with a wheelchair who got us through in pretty good time - only delay was the wait for the bags, but when they started coming ours were among the first off.

Purple Parking arrived within a couple of minutes of us getting outside Terminal 2 so we headed off to Reading Station to drop Stuart off. Uneventful journey home broken only by a coffee stop - and so back home.

It's amazing with these short breaks how much longer they actually feel when you're doing them. All that's left now is to work out our bills - Stuart paid for everything in the hotel, we paid for everything outside the hotel - let the number crunching begin!