40th Anniversary Trip – Days 1 – 2
Yes, it’s amazing to think that Vicky and I’ve been married
almost 40 years, but it’s true! We’ve
been planning this trip to Italy for months, and now it’s here. I was planning on uploading every day or so
but my new computer doesn’t have the login, So Il’’ post after I get home – one
post per day!
We’ve flying out of Los Angeles at 10pm tonight, but after
we missed the boat due to airport problems at the start of our cruise around
South America, I insist we leave early.
Our flight from Phoenix to LAX leaves at 10am which isn’t bad except
that we’re at the other side of the Valley and it’s morning rush hour. So we’re up very early and our friend Lisa
arrives at 6:30 to take us to the airport.
Wouldn’t you know it, minimal travel problems and we’re at
the airport around 8am, with over 1.5 hours until boarding. Time for a coffee and to explore the newly
remodeled Terminal 3 at Sky Harbor airport.
It really is so different it’s hard to envisage where the areas we’ve
used so often in the past actually were!
We do board the plane and it leaves on time and actually arrives about
20 minutes early, so we get to sit on the runway at LAX until the gate opens
up.
With 7 hours until we can check in for the flight to Rome,
what is there to do? Fortunately, one of
the perks on one of my credit cards is access to the Delta Sky Club (lounge) at
a reduced price. We find the lounge,
which is one of the better equipped ones we’ve seen. The chairs are comfortable and Vicky is able
to get some sleep. I also get a little
but inevitably I’m too excited, so I enjoy the free food (fresh salads and do
it yourself tacos, plus cookies and free drinks) and work on the computer for a
while.
Leave about 5:30 and find where our luggage was stored, then
walk over to the International terminal to check in for our flight on Norwegian
to Rome. The line to check in snakes
around half the terminal, since Norwegian has about 5 flights to Europe leaving
in the next few hours. Fortunately it
moves fairly quickly and it’s only an hour or so before we’re at the front of
the line …. just as they decide to prioritize those traveling to Barcelona and
Madrid, which flights leave an hour before ours. So we stand and watch other people, who
didn’t arrive as early as us, get processed first. Eventually an agent takes pity on us, and
since I checked us in at one of their computer terminals (they don’t allow
online check-in) it’s only a minute later that we’re ready to head for the
security check.
For the first time in years we don’t have TSA Pre-Check, and
so we have to go thru the whole rigmarole of taking off shoes and belt,
emptying out pockets and doing a whole body scan. We luck out due to Vicky’s intense dislikes
of escalators. We take the elevator to
the security area and discover that this has put us in the (short) line with
disabled people rather than the very long line for everyone else. Thanks, Vicky!
I’d checked out the terminal online and discovered there’s a
P F Chang’s restaurant on level 5, which otherwise has only the First and
Business Class lounges, so it’s quite quiet, and we get a table, and a good
meal, quickly. I guess our timing was
right, as there’s a long line waiting when we leave! Then it’s down to the gate and wait to board.
Norwegian allows you to pay a small fee for “Priority
Boarding” which I did, so we’re among the first to board. I’ve chosen seats at the rear of the cabin –
the only place where you can get just 2 seats together instead of 3 – so it’s
nice to get on early and not have to get past lots of other people trying to
stow their luggage.
The flight is almost 12 hours and I catch a couple of movies
including the new version of “A Star is Born” which is much better than I
expected it would be. I also play
several games on the interactive screen.
Vicky, as always on long flights, sleeps well. The meal was a choice of chicken (which Vicky
said was good) and beef with pasta which for me was one bite of beef and most of
the pasta – need I say more?
It did come with a small, but fresh salad and some
chocolates, so all was not lost. An hour
or so before arrival they served a light snack, which was better. Al in all, not a bad flight. We choose Norwegian because their prices are
good, and for what we paid, I can’t complain.
On arrival at Rome airport we’re pleasantly surprised to
discover that citizens of certain countries, including the USA, Canada and New
Zealand, are eligible for electronic passport checks. Not only that, but they open the rear door of
the plane. So in no time at all we’re
through that formality without the usual long wait that comes from being at the
back of the plane, and ready to find our bags……which, of course, haven’t yet
arrived. However it’s not long before
they do and we’re re-united and out the door.
I’d found a hotel close to the airport which had a shuttle
and booked there for the night. I had
directions to the shuttle which were actually correct but the pick up area
didn’t look right so we went past it at first.
But then we did find it – only 3 other passengers – a young couple who
were dropped off at what appeared to be a funeral home(?) and a lady who was
going the same place we were.
We arrive at the B&B Hotel Rome Fiumicino, one of a
chain of over 450 in Europe which I’d never heard of before this trip, and are
pleasantly surprised. The room cost only
40 Euro (about US$45) and although small and basic was spotlessly clean and has
a good bathroom. It’s now 8pm Italian
time on Tuesday and past time for sleep, but not before we head to the mall
behind the hotel to get a Coke Zero. The
only place to get this also serves gelato, so a raspberry gelato is my
nightcap.
The hotel is a real find, especially as the train station is
right across the road, and tomorrow we’re taking the train to Florence. The beds are comfortable, and we sleep well.
A great start to the trip!
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