Got there in plenty of time for the next flight. Gatwick has an odd system – well at least BA did. They don’t post gates until about 30 minutes before a plane takes off. So there’s always a crowd of people around the board, waiting, waiting, waiting.
No wine on this flight.
But it did have the amazing plus of flying down the Italian coast. It is so silly, but I always get such a big kick out of seeing geographical realities from the sky. My father talked about seeing Britain from the sky – taking in the shape of the island. I felt a frisson as we made our way down the real live map, which is not a map at all, but simply real.

Got to Rome – early. (I want to share the exact words of the pilot when we landed – they were so charming – but that’s back in the apartment. Later.) Caught the F-1 (not the Leonardo Express the ticket guy thought I wanted) to Rome Trastevere..and there was David waiting for me!
An odd thing. I was thinking about it at Mass  – so odd to go through your day in Alabama and then find yourself at Mass in Brighton the next day. Equally odd to see your son waiting for you at the Trastevere station in Rome.
I had the directions to the apartment, he sort of knew where it was (it’s in Monteverde, he lives in Trastevere. Yes, it’s away from the Center…but it’s very nice. And it’s cheap. As I said. They have buses here. I’ll ride them.)
My father had warned , “You know, it’s up a hill. You should probably get a taxi.”
Whatever, Dad.
Um…many, many steps later, carrying suitcases…
Yeah. There was a hill. But hey…I need the exercise!
We found the place, after walking right by it once. The proprieters came to meet us, gave me a great orientation  – she even had maps on the wall with bus stops and routes outlined, and so on. I practiced locking and unlocking the door in front of them, we said Ciao, and David and I went in search of some pizza – just from one of the countless storefront by the slice places in Rome, but my cherry tomato and fresh mozzarella and tiny mushroom slab was delicious, as is usually the case.
Last time, my favorite kind of pizza in Rome was slathered in green olives, sometimes with onions. Looking forward to that.
As well as to seeing a few things I’ve seen before as well as many things I missed last time. Missing everyone else terribly, especially that special joy that comes with traveling with small children – and Iàm not being sarcastic. As much as I was glad I wasn’t dragging them as I was racing to jump on the F-1, there is something irreplaceable about being with children as they experience the new and sometimes the strange.
So…that’s it for now. Time for sleep, and more tomorrow, I hope.