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Published: October 22nd 2014
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Stayed up much later than planned on my first night in Rome, on my own. Although (to be fair to me), it was already after 7pm by the time I got from the airport to my hotel and almost 9 by the time I had dinner. So, of course, I slept in Tuesday morning - easy to do in my very comfy bed!! Had to rush downstairs so I wouldn't miss breakfast. And glad I made it there because...wow!! It was by far the most impressive spread of buffet breakfast options I've seen at any hotel...ever!! My eyes were bigger than my stomach, as usual. They had just about every type of fruit you could think of, a large selection of breads, spreads, deli meats, yoghurt, cereal, cakes, pastries and even a Japanese breakfast buffet!! Not to mention every kind of proper Italian coffee! This time I remembered to ask for a caffè latte, instead of just a latte (which is basically a glass of milk in Italy). Thankfully I've managed to hold onto most of the Italian I picked up in Florence and Lucca. Though I did get a bit confused when first off the plane and was saying danke
instead of grazie and buongiorno instead of buonasera.
After breakfast, I prepared myself for a trip into central Rome, only to realise I had missed my chance to use the hotel shuttle bus... should've read the info more carefully. Thought it was back and forth every hour, but there was actually a big break over lunch time. In order to make the spa treatments I had booked, well in advance (first one at 4pm), I would have needed to get into Rome early and be waiting for the bus to come back at about 12:50. A bus leaves the Piazza Barberini (to take you back to the hotel) every hour from 9am to 1pm. After that, there isn't another one until 4pm, which would have made me very late for my first appointment. 😞 It was far too much of a distance to walk (I'm not training for Oxfam Trailwalker)! Oh well - I was so exhausted anyway. Was content to just chill. Yes, I know... there's so much to see in Rome!! But there are plenty of other places in Italy that I haven't been able to visit on this trip (Venice, Verona, Milan, Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, Cinque Terre,
etc, etc), so I'll just have to come back some day!! 😊 😊 (Better start saving now!)
Spent the afternoon getting my bags organised, so I have all the stuff I need in my carry on luggage, then sat in the poolside bar and enjoyed a few bevvies. (Including a massive strawberry daiquiri, which the waiter recommended as a 'lady drink'...this may have offended me on other days, but I decided against showing off and ordering a double scotch. Maybe there's hope for me yet?!!) Next I spent 3 hours being pampered in the Grand Spa, which is part of the hotel. (There is also a bank, pharmacy, conference / function centre, gym, restaurant and much more incorporated into the hotel!) My massage could have been firmer - sometimes it just felt like I was being rubbed with oil (and a lot of it...she put that much on my back it may take me weeks to get it all off). Maybe I'm too used to my amazing remedial massage therapist in Point Cook - she is so firm that it actually really hurts!! It was, however, all very relaxing, which is exactly what I wanted for my last day in
Europe. Dinner, movie and a (half) bottle of sparkling 😊 😊 Then sleep in my lovely, comfy bed (which I may miss most of all!!) Called my taxi friend, who had picked me up from the airport on Monday - he was true to his word and capped my fare back to the airport, despite a longer journey because of traffic.
Once on the plane, an older Chinese woman was trying to communicate with me (no English) - worked out that she wanted me to swap seats with her husband so he could sit with their group. I politely obliged and the karma gods rewarded me with a window seat. Then I had a nice Chinese man trying to communicate with me by writing something on a piece of paper and showing it to me. I think it was in Italian, so I said "English?" He then wrote something else, which I also couldn't understand. Gave him some chewing gum and helped him adjust his screen to reduce the glare. Then I figured we would spend the flight in silence, given that he didn't speak English...oh, how wrong I was!! Part way through a tv show I was getting into,
he tapped me on the shoulder and started pointing at another piece of paper with the numbers 1 through to 10 written on it. Eventually I realised he wanted me to teach him the English words for each number. After going through that a few times, he started pointing at various objects ... on and on it went. I had to draw him a picture of the Australian flag to help him understand that I wasn't from a country in the European Union. He wrote the name of his home city and a picture of a panda. So I drew him a rather crappy, very basic image of a kangaroo - boy, did he love that!! He kept pointing at it and laughing, giving me repeated thumbs up. Then he started mimicking a jumping (and boxing) kangaroo (which you'll know I've encountered a number of times in Europe, if you've read some of my earlier blogs). By this stage I was getting pretty over it and put my headphones back on, in an effort to politely avoid conversation. A few more attempts to get me chatting, with me not understanding (genuinely) and eventually he gave up. Finally I was able
to enjoy the movie I'd been trying to watch. There was a good half hour where he fell asleep and was leaning very much into my seat. Annoying? Yes, but at least he was quiet!! Normally I get stuck sitting next to young children who won't stop crying - this chatty old man (who doesn't speak English) thing is pretty new...lol!! 😊 😊
Anyway, here I am, in Doha at The Airport Hotel. Took a little bit to find it...got pointed in so many different directions by airport staff, I nearly gave up! Free upgrade yet again (from a Superior Room to a Deluxe Room) - all I wanted was a bed and a shower, but this will do just fine! 😊
So my holiday has come to an end - this will be my last blog post. (Expect for the next post which will only interest my foodie friends and family - all about exceptional meals I've enjoyed over the passed 6 weeks).
Here's hoping my 13 and a half hour flight to Melbourne is uneventful!!
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