Mamma Mia!

After a long and tiring flight from Raleigh to Philadelphia (with an extended layover in Philly because of airplane technical difficulties) we were able to arrive in Roma. I wish I could say it was unscathed but that would be a lie. The plane was crowded, small and contained some very rude people who had no respect for anyone but themselves when it came to wanting their space, even though it was OUR space that was being used by us and paid for through the generosity of our mother and father. I felt really bad for my brother as he was the one who suffered the most. The lady in front of him may as well have sat on his lap for eight hours. One of the saving graces about the flight was having the opportunity to share my previous Italian experience with someone who was going to be there for the first time. Greg got the chance to recommend some good Italian dishes, especially one that is characteristic of Roma.

We arrived in Roma, passed through immigration, picked up our bags and found our way to customs. After having our passports stamped (something that I failed to do when I came through Roma on my last trip--"it's Italy" as Vito would say), we proceeded to customs expecting to be questioned for everything under the sun. WRONG! There was simply a sign that said "if you have nothing to declare then pass through this exit". So without any fanfare, we were finally here and of course, Vito was with his chauffeur (thank you Massimo Taiani) to meet us and take us to our hotel in Gaeta a little more than an hour drive away. We were tired but very glad to be in the land of our family. And so begins the best part of our journey.