streakingtheblue: Rome to Home

The weather fluctuated for our last days on Familia: The blazing sunshine of the forthcoming summer was interspersed with winter’s dying gasps, echoing the mood on board as we struggled to pack up our lives into more bags than we had possibly imagined, and clean the boat ready for sale. A number of unsteady trips on the folding bike were necessary to collect the extra suitcases and a set of scales to work out what could go where. It appears we have accumulated about 200kg of additional essential items over here…… A few packs/unpacks and a trip to the freight forwarder was necessary. Fortunately Antonio was himself a keen traveler and not only took care of our backbreaking extra payload but shouted us a beer and a gelato afterwards.

The Alexanders cast us off

Luckily the kids were kept entertained hanging out with the Alexanders, the Canadian family on their sabbatical just down the dock, who politely showed enough fortitude to spend more time with us despite the appalling first impression from yours truly. Thanks very much for dinner and a few vinos on the last night guys.

Finally the bags were packed, Familia spotlessly cleaned, and with very mixed feelings we left the dock for the last time for the 30 minute motor to the final berth at the Tecnomar boatyard a little way down the Fiumicino river.

Farewell Familia - not happy

The arrangements were made at the office, bags loaded in the taxi, the last bit of cleaning, and we were off to Rome for our last 3 days. No backwards glance….

Re-visiting the Pantheon

This visit cemented the idea that Rome is the perfect tourist city: the grandeur of the Roman ruins, the renaissance architecture, the classic narrow lanes brimming with food, fashion and trinkets, and locals who revel in the attention the rest of the world fosters on their city. Just as good the second time around really. This time we stayed in the more exclusive Spanish Steps district (actually it was the cheapest apartment we could find).

Climbing the Spanish Steps

The interactive Leonardo Da Vinci Museum

Hilary Clinton was in town and the American embassy was only three blocks away: so the police were out in force with machine guns and flack jackets, choppers constantly hovered overhead, and motorcades seemed to be forever rushing by with sirens blazing. Endless lower key undercover cop cars cruised the streets with the roof light attached (but not flashing). The Italian plainclothes had no idea of self-parody, smoking cigarettes and squinting, driving with unnecessarily tyre squeals, and trying fairly unsuccessfully to look hardbitten with their flashy suits and expensive shirts on. Alfas and Audi A6’s were preferred, in mandatory black.

Cavorting around the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument

We inhaled as many sights, pizzas, Nastros and chiantis as we could cram into 3 days, but the sound of the clock ticking was never far away. Finally the last morning dawned, the bags were packed one last time, we grabbed a last café latte in the nearby gardens of the Villa Borghese, and then it was into the taxi. A nervous moment with 10 too many kilos at the airport but we got a let off, the bags were checked, tax refund obtained, a last dash to the gate lounge and we were away. Arrividerci!

Old Rome

We spent a few hours last night in the hotel inside Dubai airport rather than attempt 6 hours of sleep on a chair, and as I write this we are speeding over the Indian ocean at 10,688m, doing 946km/h and taking a break from the 13 hour movie fest to write what may well be the last entry for this blog…..although perhaps one more is warranted after we get home properly to recap the highlights and impressions…..