Italia Mia 2011 - one

Monday, 11 April 2011
At JFK waiting to board plane for Rome. Much time at Baltimore-Washington International with delayed flight. Haven't changed money because airport euro exchange fee high, may be better in Rome.


Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Seven hours plus since departure, somewhere over Alps, scheduled for Rome little more than an hour. Not a bad night, though I don't sleep as easily on a plane as I once did. But lucked out by having no seat companion, two to myself, window and aisle.


No respiratory problems! In fact, mightily impressed that breathing has been so much easier in planes as well as at sea level in Baltimore than at Santa Fe's 7,000-ft altitude. Travel days have known usual delays, gate changes, one wheelchair assistance foulup, but no serious problems or excessive physical effort.
Biggest disappointment has been inability to access Internet at Dallas. And at JFK airports was well as on this trans-Atlantic flight. Access for fees is available at the airports, for fee also on this airline but only for iPhone, not iPad, on this flight
Now 4:15 AM New York time, 10:15 AM in Rome. Due at Leonardo Da Vinci airport 11:oo AM.



1:15 PM
Checked into Hotel Termini, but seated in lobby -- room won't be ready until 2. Have already heard from desk clerk that use of Internet costs 15 euros for 10 hours, will forget that for today, go online tomorrow when not so tired. Suspect I'll hit the bed for quite a while once the room is ready.
Italia in these first few hours already presenting divergent faces I've long known. Tremendous luck at airport when an assigned wheelchair attendant was much more gentile, simpatico, pushing other wheelchairs alongside mine. The distance from gate through customs, out of security and to the adjoining train station is huge. I saw young people halted in walk complain of fatigue, and know I'd never have been able to manage on my own. I hadn't checked luggage (as usual, carry-on only), so there was no stop at baggage claim, but the attendant supervised custom requirements, placed me ahead of all lines, and left me where I requested, at the ticket counter for the train to Stazione Termini, Roma. He merited the generous tip I offered him, but refused to take it, warmly stroking my back and urging me to take care.

Boarding the train and the half hour ride into Rome went fairly easily. I had to ask a surly fellow to hoist my bags up the train steps, but on arrival in Rome quite a few men stepped forward upon sight of me, one helping me down the coach steps, another handling the suitcase. After that gracious assistance, though, no wheelchairs in sight for the punishing long trek from the airport train tracks to the main concourses of huge Stazione Termini. I watched for any opportunity to sit and rest, and found four perches which served well enough, each of which I occupied until up to the next stretch of the jaunt.


Hotel Termini is not as close to the Stazione as Hotel Gioberto where Ellen and I once stayed, but not a great deal farther, and I reached it easily enough through densely hurrying city traffic of pedestrians and cars. But -- Italy! -- Hotel Termini proved to be just a locked door on the third floor of an ancient if imposing building housing other businesses, peniones, etc. A note on the locked door instructed "guests" to go to another address on same Via Giovanni Amendola but a good four blocks away. More trudging with the sole but cumbersome suitcase.

Hotel Piram has my reservation, and the desk clerk assures me that though I signed up prepaid online for Hotel Termini, I'll be accommodated here. It's rated a 4-star establishment, seems newly renovated in dramatic operatic decor -- reminding me of stage settings and colors I've seen in productions of Tosca.