11.8.8 CIAO ITALIA…HOMEWARD BOUND

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3 alarms jolt us from our slumber at 5AM and we stumble around with the morning tiny bathroom tango and final pack for the trip home.

The night before, the lovely Simona arranged breakfast to go and at checkout we were handed 2 bags loaded with goodies, fruit etc. Well grab coffee at the stazione if we have time.

Our cab was on time and having just missing the 6:24 Leonardo we head to the Tavolo Calda for a café and wait for the 6:52 train.
Arriving at Terminal C in Fiumicino Aeroporto di Roma via the Leonardo express was quick… finding the shuttle to Terminal 5 was not. After navigating the ramp down to the ground level and a couple of girare-u’s [yeah… we do them without a car too] we discover the shuttle stop across the street.

For some reason, known only to God and the Italian Port Authority, they built Terminal 5 [why didn't they call it Terminal D?] to process the international departures instead of using Terminal C where we arrived

Now get this… first you go through a control point that checks your passport and marks the bags you will check in… then you get in another line to check in and get your boarding pass… and then you take the bags to another location to be weighed and loaded… [of course the big bag is over weight with all the tchotchkies and we have to transfer some things to the smaller bag and the carry on] Then another line to process Italian customs… then yet another for the security screen… only to exit Terminal 5 to board another shuttle back to… where else…Terminal C!

Continental Flight 41 to Newark was uneventful, no stopping on the runway to conserve fuel this time… just a long taxi to wait in line for blast off. Dragon Chick was able to get some nice parting pics of Fiumicino and the beaches as we arced over the Mediterranean towards home.

Arriving in Newark on the other hand was a real Hoot! Since it’s our entry point to the US, we have to retrieve our luggage after deplaning, process customs, and then recheck the baggage before heading upstairs to…another Security screening!!! Why, is anyone guess since we just came off the plane and are in a supposed sterile area…but that’s the way it goes.

And it’s a good thing we have 2+ hours for our connection since the baggage takes forever to come off the plane. And… of course with all the incoming flights converging on this one security point only 2 of the 6 x-ray machines are manned so this process is even more lengthy.

Having arrived at gate C121, our connection is all the way around to the other side of the terminal at Gate C85. This time we’re lucky, an empty courtesy car pulls up and we hop on for the looonnnggg ride, past the Wireless store, site of the famous failed driver download 2 weeks ago and arrive at C85 with time to spare.

Since the battery died in the middle of “More Wine, More Zuppa and B.B. King”, we found a plug at the boarding gate and finished it while the battery charged.

We tried to relax on the flight home as the pilot found Ft Lauderdale… again without White Knuckle Navigator Illy’s help.

Greg, Cristina and the babies collected our tired and dragging souls and took us home to a lovely meal of…what else… Pasta!

Well that’s it Kiddies… there may or may not be a wrap up of the whole trip as we have done in the past. If so... the usual alert will go out.

We will also be re-ordering the entire blog to read from the top down after we’ve added pictures to the earlier posts, and will develop an album on Picassaweb that you can watch in a slide show etc.

Until the next adventure, as always, remember to:

Work like you don’t need the money.
Love like you’ve never been hurt.
Dance like nobody’s watching.
And during life's darkest moments remember the 4 most important words:
"This Too Shall Pass!"

Ciao 4 Now

Chuck and the glad to be home with her Grand-babies, Dragon Lady.