Reminding oneself that long haul travel is simply a necessity and that it is the exception to the rule of how it is not about the journey we arrive safe and sound to a major gridlock traffic jam buts what’s another hour or two added to the journey. We are here, safe and sound and soon to be able to wander in air that has not been recycled.
Our hotel is lovely and as it’s nearing 4pm we decide to wander and try to stay awake. April 25th is a public holiday in Italy as it is at home. It is their liberation day and the city is very very busy. We walk with the crowds and step sideways into a pretty courtyard where a nice security guard who speaks English tells us it’s free to visit today and shows us where to go to enter. We wander around in this not very touristy tourist attraction which seems to be the lonely place that doesn’t have crowds but is interesting enough with its sculptured walls and alfresco ceilings with giant chandeliers.
Once outside we once again join the masses and make our way to the hotel. It’s 6pm so we sit on the rooftop bar and order some spaghetti and pizza and enjoy the view. It’s bitingly cold and reminds us of a southerly from home but the benefit being there are very few others enjoying the view.
We decide that its time to call it quits and hope that we can at least stay up another hour but we lie on the bed to watch a movie only to wake half an hour later switch it off and go to sleep a restless timezone sleep. The new day dawns and we start a new day with a full moon still hovering over the domes of the city. It’s good to be here.
