Ciao bella Roma

August 09, 2023

Tuesday 8th August 2023

As we said goodbye to our hotel/apartment in Rome, we looked forward to the next chapter of our holidays with the rels.

The tiniest lift for 3 people

the wardrobe,desk,minibar,cupboards all in one.

the bathroom was probably the best bit, bidet included.

Paul dragging in the chair and table for breakfast into the doorway of our room

Me having breakfast in the doorway of our room. You can see a person in the little hallway outside our room making breakfast.

But first we had to get out of Rome, write a good review for the room as requested by the lovely ladies who brought us breakfast to our room, get to the airport, pick up our car and drive 2.5 hours to Sefro.

So simple, but.....

The taxi arrived right on time to take us to the airport (10 out of 10, so far) and we got to the airport in good time. He was mad, I would diagnose as ADHD or even bipolar. Anyway he dropped up off at the rent a car return bit of the airport after chanting 'Hertx, Hertz, Hertz' much of the way.

Unfortunately wrong place. After much waiting to speak to someone, Paul was told we had to go to the pick up office for paperwork/keys etc. They basically told him to work it out for himself after he asked where it was. Luckily an American guy told him turn left, take lift to next floor, 3 traxcalaters, turn left/right etc. Easy? No, not with 4 bags and doubly disabled wife.

We got there slowly and by some fluke of fortune. We took a number and waited, and waited and waited. We were number 50 and they appeared to be up to 40. Anger and pain were again in action. After maybe 30 minutes of notable fuming, a manager called Paul over to the counter ahead of at least 5 other people. I wonder why?????

After doing the paperwork, we had to go back down to where we started and the rude woman at the counter there, to pick up keys and car. Done and we were out of there.

Our car is huge, a Lincoln Colt

The GPS was in Italian but eventually we (me) worked out how to change it to English. It was then that we read the warning that one of the tyres had low air pressure. Great..

Anyway, we stopped, put air in tyre, had lunch, not me as nothing gluten-bloody-free, went through a toll gate even though it was red, got to another toll gate but could not get through this one as had a shut gate. Major hassle as we did not have a ticket for this auto lane but we assumed that the car had tolls paid so could just go through. No. Eventually got some help and after many attempts to make ourselves understood, we paid a large amount of money to get through. The truck driver behind us tooted his displeasure as we left.

And then we had some slight issues with the GPS, maybe took some wrong turns, and somehow landed on a construction site after following another car who turned out to be a worker and not another motorist knowing his way around. Anyway after slightly crashing over a barrier, we got more instructions as to how to get out of there and back on a road, any road.

We arrived in Sefro finally about 6 hours after leaving the hotel in Rome. It was very stressful and thank goodness Paul was driving as I could not have done it. I am supposed to be the better navigator but I was the one who got us trapped in a construction site. I blame the MS.

Sefro was beautiful and we were greeted by GianFranco who organised our room. The hotel looked nice...from the outside.

Very old world. Another tiny lift and to our room which was perhaps even smaller then the Rome one with tiny TV, no remote that we could find and a wardrobe door that did not shut.

Not ideal. But full of an Italian soccer team who are here for some competition. The team is Fernana who are in Seria C for those who understand these things. Funny how soccer/football seems to be a theme for our holiday.

We went for a walk as it was beautiful outside. Ran into Alessandro, my second cousin who told his mother, LallaMaria, my cousin to come down and see us. They know I cant do stairs. We had a nice evening drink.

We decided to dine at the hotel which turned out be very nice. No one at the hotel speaks English which is not easy but my Italian is getting us by.