an update from Italy

We have had a wonderful two days in Rome. Friday we were surprised to find Patti [the luggage clerk at O'Hare] had booked us in business class seats! So we had a late but very pampered flight to Rome. Saturday we arrived in Rome around 10am. We got through customs quickly as they merely glanced at our passports and stamped them. We went to baggage claim only to wait 45 minutes and then find out our luggage had not made it. We filed a claim, they said our luggage would show up Saturday or Sunday, and went on our way to the city.

We hastily checked into the B&B and ran to the Vatican for our 2pm reservation. It was all I hoped and more! We spent 4.5 hours there beginning with the Vatican Museums, then the Sistine Chapel and on to St Peter's Basilica where we saw the Pieta and many other fabulous sculptures! We returned to the B&B to find our luggage had not yet arrived.

Saturday night we ate a few blocks from the B&B-- Ben ordered pizza with egg, olive, artichoke, mushroom and proscuitto on it. To our surprise it arrived with all the toppings haphazardly placed in their own sections including a big soft boiled consistency egg in the middle. Saturday night I fell asleep very quickly!

Today we awoke and had a leisurely breakfast and then went to the Colloseum, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain. They were all magnificent! Our guide at the Colloseum had a stereotypical Italian accent, adding an -ah to the end of all her English words. We stopped back at the B&B and talked to the manager and he said the airport had called and said the luggage would be delivered at dinner time or soon after. Hooray! We then went to dinner. We had pizza again tonight--this time three different kinds...one topped with sliced potatoes.

We arrived back at the B&B after dinner--at about 9pm and still no luggage. So Ben asked Freddy, the manager, if he had heard anything, and he had not, but soon after Freddy came in and said your luggage is on its way! We signed for it and now have it in hand in time to go to Florence tomorrow!