First impressions of Italy...August 29, 2009

Ahhh....the Grand Canal from the Rialto Bridge, my first day in Italy



Here goes...transcribed from journals....

My backpack and I have landed in Italy. After a crowded flight from Boston to Rome with only two hours of sleep, I'm now waiting to board a flight to Venice.

The Rome International airport is a sprawling facility, complete with the standard European mall just after you clear the initial customs area. The security check was probably one of the most chaotic I've experienced. The late passport control was a first - at the last minute before entering the domestic terminal.

I still can't believe I'm in Italy. I kept my eyes glued to the window as we landed this morning. I was thinking about all the early morning European landings I've made - 8 to be exact - and this probably the sunniest and the warmest. Traveling in the shoulder and off-season is usually less expensive but tends to be chillier or even down right cold since I've been to Europe three times in the winter!

I remember the first time I came to Europe, landing in Brussels being in awe of the hot towels distributed just before landing. The Brussels airport is huge and I had a six hour layovers, so Shannon and I traveled into the city - lounging in the Grand Place and eating Belgian waffles with Nutella. We continued on to Heathrow where I had to produce my return plane ticket to passport control to prove I actually was going to France to study in 10 days. Hard to believe I was 19 and so naive, wearing my flannel shirt and Mom-like Levi's - how things have changed.

It's a sunny, warm morning and as I gaze out the window, I see Alitalia planes, too numerous to count. I'll be getting on another one soon to continue my journey. This will be one of the first times I've landed in another country, where I don't speak the language and I will navigate on my own to Raegan's hotel. Flying long distances by yourself is lonely, the worst was going to Australia, but this has the added challenge or a language barrier. Should be entertaining.

Random observations:
***It's really funny that whenever I hear a foreign language I revert to French!!! Even in Italy when I'm not even remotely speaking French. (This happened after buying a croissant at an airport snack bar...)

***It's really surreal to be sitting in an airport in Italy and watching news updates from Ted Kennedy's funeral. I had no idea of the importance of his death outside of the United States.