Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Rome: DAY 106 FAMILY TIME

FAMILY TIME
December 28, 2005

We get up early this AM.  Whitney and friend Amy arrive today for a 10-day visit.  Kimberly is very excited.  We have decided to learn one more thing about “how-to” in Rome.  We will take the bus to the train station and then the railroad to Fumicino Airport.  No problem except somebody forgot to tell us that the Fumicino tracks are about half a mile from the entrance to the Terminal.  We are rushing to catch the 8:52.  We arrive at the track at 8:52 and the train is still there, yea.  It is loaded with travelers on the way back to the rest of the world.  The doors close and we do not get on; I am not happy.  Just another day on the trail.  Within 30 minutes we are boarding the next train, less crowded and an express as well.  I am learning the lessons of Rome even as we start to think about leaving. 

Our mission before picking up the girls is to get new paper tickets for our trip to San Fran.  We are changing dates and that is only part of the problem.  Lufthansa no longer has a ticket office in Rome; all of the airlines have closed these useful-to-the-customer cost centers.  Their ticket office is at the airport.  They have told us to expect a long wait in line to get to the counter, but surprisingly the line is short and we are face to face with a most helpful agent.  What a relief, it is a non deal and we walk away about 20 minutes later with new tickets and a ride home.

More good news, Whitney and Amy are on time (Kimberly is ecstatic) and we grab a cab back to town.  How much riding the rails can I do?  In my mind the cab will be more efficient, faster and not that much more.  In my very first blog the driver had no idea of where he was going.  This man does know the way and we arrive back at our cabin in plenty of time for lunch. 

Things are going too well.  We enter our apartment to find that it has been tossed, burgled, robbed, whatever it is called these days.  I have always felt very violated by crimes against property and this time is no different.  They have taken Kim’s jewelry, the TV satellite programmer and the TV remote as well as some Coco perfume from the bathroom.  I suppose we were lucky, the computer is still here as our most of the other things we like including an I-Pod and I-shuffle.  I had my camera with me as well as money and passports, the new tickets and wallet.  Still, it is maddening to lose your personal property and it sets my teeth on edge.  We try to stay calm, but it is not the perfect ending to our sojourn.  I feel good that nothing terrible has happened.  When I was a kid I had a car accident that did some serious damage to my Dad’s car.  His only comment was, “Are you alright”. He wasn’t worried about the property only me - a good lesson.  I was and am alright, but as usual in this place daunted by its complexity. 


We take the kids to lunch and then we all nap.  Not too bad.

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