11.7.8 ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME?!?

“Hello Avis, we’re now about 17 km from Rome and we'll be cutting it very close to 1pm [we found out we have an hours grace period] which is the best way to get to the car drop?’
“Signore Mercurio, you must take the G.R.A to exit 11-Nomentana…

Anna at Avis continues to give us directions which once we try to follow them only causes more Girare-u’s until we are back on track… but very close on time. Chuckie spots a familiar street name from the map, takes a gamble, whips across lanes and winds up… on the wrong side to Stazione Termini.

“Hello Avis…I’m at Termini, but how do I get to the car park… oh yeah…I see the tunnel”, as he whips left at a red light and bolts for the tunnel that leads to the 7 story garage... and all the way to the top… to find… nobody there to check in the car.

More instructions from Anna and we lug the bags, down the lift, across the street and a ¼ mile aaallllll the way to the Avis counter to confirm we made it in on time. That done he stows the rental agreement in the travel folder and we head off to buy tickets for tomorrows Leonardo to the Airport.

Tickets in hand, we get shunned by the front line cabs,the trip to the hotel is too short for them [one tries to hustle Chuckie for €25 for a €10 ride… which Chuckie calls him on and he slinks away. We finally find a cab to take us to the Hotel Globus where dear Simona gets us up to our room in no time and right after setting up the laptop to charge… remember the Blue folder?

“You have the card in your travel folder, where is it?”
“It’s here in the computer bag….Nope….Hmmmm must have taken it out… look on the bed.”
“Not here.” she says”

After the panic sets in… Chuckie tries to remember where he last used it.., and if it may have fallen out of the bag in the cab.

A hurried call confirms that it’s at the Avis desk back at…Stazione Termini… Ok… not bad… we have to switch metro lines there anyway… just a pain to carry it around for the rest of the night but at least well have it.

A quick walk up the hill to the metro station for tickets, and on the way to the train… Chuckie discovers he has left his money clip in the room and all they have is coins… [he really DID leave his head in Montalcino] but has his ATM card. After retrieving the folder from Avis a stop at the Stazione Bank nets enough cash for the evening and we’re off to grab a metro to Piazza Barbarini and the Great tchotchke Search.

Coming up… Roma by night… meeting old friends… and dinner by candlelight..

Ciao 4 Now
Chuck and determined to finish with the tchotchkies, Dragon Lady.