First Stop - Rome (via Doha)

So here we go again! Another (mostly) solo adventure in Europe, and this time I'm going to head to London and surrounds as well. Despite all my travels around Europe, I've never been to the UK so it's time to remedy that. I'd love to have a look around Ireland and Scotland as well, but that will have to be for another trip. I just don't have time in this holiday.

Anyway, back to the here and now. I left Brisbane on the 10:30pm flight. On boarding, I found a guy sitting in my seat. I specifically choose aisle seats on long-haul flights so I can get up and walk the aisle to stretch my legs and get the blood flow going. (I can also go to the bathroom whenever I feel like it, without feeling guilty for waking people up!) He got pretty bristly when I wouldn't swap my aisle seat for his middle seat, but I stood my ground. And then I had to sit next to him for the next 14.5 hours. 😂 Awkward is an understatement

I'm not sure if it's new or if I just have never been to that far end of the terminal, but they've grown a rainforest in Doha Airport! It really is gorgeous to walk through, with waterfalls and canned birdsong in the background. There are seats, and pyramid-shaped things that people can crawl inside for a sleep to pass the time. Take a look:




And this time I managed to transit through Doha without running into the big, creepy teddy bear (although it appears he's been breeding!). 


I hope someone is keeping an eye on those little buggers. Before you know it, they'll be taking over the place...

And I bought the most expensive coffee that I have ever had (and it was awful). I had no idea of the exchange value of the Qatari Riyal as I haven't been to Doha for about 5 years. He asked for 37 Riyal and I tapped my card. Only later did I work out that I had just paid AU$16 for a SMALL soy flat white that was horrible, almost to the point of being undrinkable!

And on a side note to all my nursing friends and colleagues. When we give our patients a 'spew bag' or even an 'emesis bag', we should take a page out of Qatar Airlines book. From now on they are called "Personal Wellness Bags"!

Anyway, enough about Doha. 😆  Italy is the reason for this part of the trip.

We landed on time at Rome's Fiumicino International Airport and my sister (Georgia) came to pick me up, despite my insistence that I was happy to take the train. It is so good to see her!!! And I am totally impressed with her driving. Rome traffic is crazy. It reminds me of Hanoi, but with cars instead of scooters. I'm sure there's rules, but I didn't see anyone following any. Painted lanes might as well not be there. It seems to be a case of whoever is most aggressive gets the right-of-way. And she navigates it like a pro, all while sitting on the 'wrong' side of the car, and driving on the 'wrong' side of the road!

After I settled into their place and sat down and took a breath after travelling for 24 hours, we took their new puppy for a walk in the park across the road from their place. It's a huge park, with a lake full of turtles and lots of trails, some well kept, others wild. 


It's a jungle out there when your legs are shorter than the grass!



Hard to see, but there are hundreds of turtles in here.




Fede (Georgia's partner) cooked a very yummy Cacio è Pepe (Cheese and pepper pasta) for dinner and by then I was ready to have a shower and crash.

Next up: Venice!


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