The colosseum is an enormous monument and we basked in its stature and cooled in its shadows for quite some time before making our way back to our hotel district. We visited a local coffee shop and sampled some Italian soda. Or that's what we ordered at least! What we received was a very expensive glass of tonic! I kid you not - Schweppes Tonic over ice with a slice of lemon. The only thing missing was the gin!
We ended up picking up some cheap carryon bags as our shopping had gone beyond our packs. Too many damn Birkenstocks! Hopefully the bags make it home in one piece! We just need to get them through 3 flights! Move over Birks - more room for olive oil!
We indulged in an al fresco ristorante for supper and enjoyed yet another tasty Italian wine. We had calamari and fried zucchini flowers (a local delicacy) and then sampled some Napolian pastas. A very nice last supper in Italy.
Today we flew from Rome to Athens. What a great flight! Marjorie and I agree that there are some recommendations to be made after these first weeks:
1) Home Away - the company through which we found our French apartment. But more specifically, Decothentics, the actual apartments. The place was perfectly suited to us, the location was fun and peaceful all in one and the people were fantastic. Riquewihr was a great place to stay and the girls were able to get out on their own in the town.
2) Hotel Berna - the pensione we stayed at in Florence, Italy. Amazing people, especially Emanuela, who was a sheer delight from start to finish, helping us get around, booking reservations for tours and sharing stories of her family and country. It felt like home and we would both recommend this place in a heartbeat.
3) Aegean Airlines - service was superbe, from boarding to disembarking. Inflight service was excellent, seats were plenty roomy for a short hop flight (even though many write ups say to expect tiny spaces) and although Nichola was a touch under the weather, the flight was a piece of cake. She even came out of it feeling better. We might be a bit biased because they are a Star Aliance member, but for the 16 Euro more that we paid to travel with them, it was worth every cent!
The people of Athens have been very welcoming. We are looking forward to a 5 hour tour tomorrow of the Ancient Athens highlights. It starts at 8:30 so as to beat as much of the midday heat as possible. With temps up into the 40s, that's not a bad thing at all! Whew, that's hot!!!
Just like the Sisterhood ... after a day in the Roman sun...
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