[INSIGHT TRAVEL - EUROPEAN GRANDEUR] - Naples to Rome

DAY 18 - SEPTEMBER 17, 2000
ROME, ITALY - HOTEL ALBANI
ROOM 503

Another driving day, but with a peaceful start -- the bus left early to bring the Amalfi optional people up to the cliffside for their drive. all those not taking this optional tour were left behind at the hotel to enjoy a late breakfast and the fountains and pools. Dad and I went down to make sure our bags were stowed in the baggage hold, then went back to the hotel to catch up on rest. This surprised our driver, and we had a little exchange of banter when he asked if I didn't want to go "on a quiet drive on the mountains" and I answered with a crisp negative that set him laughing.

I loved the peace of the La Sonrisa in those early morning hours. I loved being alone in the silence, soaking up the beauty of the place. It's different to be out on one's own, no matter how much you may love other people and are loved by them.

When we all (the non-Amalfi people, that is) got on the front drive to wait for the bus, Lisa gave us a moment of banter by sharing with us an inside joke she's got going with one of the waiters. It seems she'd been given a "certificate" written on the back of the hotel's business card, redeemable for a thousand kisses from her two friends at the front desk. Which worked out to about five hundred kisses each. Then she teased her friend into posing for a "bridal" picture with her, complete with bouquet (also teased out of, and graciously given by, said new friend). I've promised to send her a picture as soon as I get these rolls of film developed, maybe I'll fix them up with Image Magic stuff. So as not to have the other ladies excluded from all this banter, Lisa's new (but alas, married) friend gave all the rest of us blush roses.

So when the bus arrived, there was much oohing and ahhing over Lisa's new marital status, and the roses all of us had received. Dmitri tried to do the gallant thing and found a plastic water bottle, halved it, filled the bottom half with water for Lisa to put the flower in, so they wouldn't die so fast. Only to be gently refused by Lisa, who reasonably pointed out that the water could spill and mess up the bus. The expression on Dmitri's face was the perfect Kodak moment, poor dear man!

Amid much merriment we set off for Rome, with clear skies and no traffic. It was pretty much a straight run, since we'd already finished visiting Monte Cassino before arriving at Pompeii. On the bus, Lisa ran through an enormous list of permits a tour group had to pay before even entering Rome, and it simply boggles the mind how much all this costs a tour comapny. Of course they take it out of our booking fees, but the service this particular team has given us is worth its weight in gold.

Pulling into Rome, our first challenge was to find a checkpoint where we could pay our permit fees. We, to use the words of the Barry Manilow song, went high and low and everywhere we possibly could, looking for an open checkpoint. Then when we did find one, the maintenance man bawled out Dmitri for idling the bus engine. Arrrgh! The look on our driver's face was just too vexed by half.

Once we were out of that, we managed to surmount the next challenge : parking the bus as close to the hotel as possible. It means a rather long walk to the htoel, about a block, including the turn. Our room is worth the wait, though. It's almost a junior suite, with lots and lots of room. Not bad at all.

Decided to have dinner at the hotel tonight, since Ma and I were spooked about going out in an unknown area at night. The waiter was very kind, if somewhat slow, but then after all, this is Italy! The food (lasagna) was all right. Then back to the room to build up reserves for what promises to be a hectic day tomorrow.