First Impressions in Rome

What a contrast Rome was to us, just arriving in from firstly San Francisco and then more recently Zurich. The clean minimalism and efficiency of Switzerland was in vivid relief to the chaos that was Fiumicino Airport.

At Zurich Airport, the planes seemed to scoot around the tarmac with purpose and speed and no encumbrances just like you had designed it all in Sim City.

Even sitting in the Zurich airport gate waiting for our flight to Rome we got a sense of the Italian world we were so anticipating re-entering - sitting opposite to us was a young man in bright orange trousers with another not far away with lime green!

As we taxied into Rome, you could tell this Swiss Air plane was entering another world! Airport service vehicles were zooming around taxiing planes at random and entering the airport there were hundreds if not thousands of people forlornly surrounding every luggage carousel.

As we waited and waited for our luggage, we watched some locals in highly animated conversation about national politics, hands waving, leaning forward with earnest expressions, full energy in each point being made. Such passion and energy from 3 Italians who had clearly never met before. As they engaged further, their backs turned to the carousel as they made point after point to each other! Forget about the bags, this was fun! When their bags finally arrived, they shook hands and farewelled one another as new friends.

Ahh... back in Italy!! Waiting an hour for our bags to arrive, but such entertainment all around and such a contrast to sullenly waiting in line for an hour at San Francisco for our finger prints to be taken.

Chaos and inefficiency in a delightful mix somehow. Love it.

Once our bags did finally arrive, we simply walked out of the airport via a well worn path labelled 'nothing to declare'. There was a red line for people who had something to declare but I don't think it had been used for years. SUCH a contrast to the Swiss and US experience where they virtually take blood samples and full body scans (I'm not kidding) on entry and exit to any new part of an airport. At no point in Rome did we have to produce ANY documents!!

Ahhhh Italia, bella Italia.....

We arrived at our apartment near the Vatican exhausted, but SO happy to be back.....