Rome Trip (Days 1 & 2)
Day 1: Wednesday, May 17
SMF > SFO > FRA
Our flight to SFO was slightly delayed due to paperwork (seems to be a recurring theme lately), but we still had plenty of time to grab a snack and didn't have to race through the airport to catch our next flight to Frankfurt (unlike our last experience going to Oahu -- see previous posts!). When we boarded, we discovered that our seats in Exit Row 33 were less than ideal since they have the fixed arm rests and the window seat (mine) has almost no leg room due to the large bump-out of the bulkhead on the exit door. Boo. Don't choose these seats again! Luckily, the flight wasn't at all full, so we asked to be re-seated back in regular Economy and got a 3-seat row to ourselves. No personal seat-back entertainment options this time around, so we each watched some of the group film at times, and I also read all of my magazines and finished the Alan Cumming book. A bit later in the flight, I moved up to another empty row to stretch out and get some sleep, and Mr. E did the same in our row.
Day 2: Thursday, May 18
FRA > FCO
We got through customs pretty quickly and headed for the Lufthansa Senator Lounge, which had an amazing array of breakfast food items that then transitioned to lunch offerings before we left. I particularly enjoyed the licorice candy melange and crunchy snack mix, not to mention the small pouches of gummy animals (several of those found their way into my bag). Our flight from Frankfurt to Rome was delayed by almost an hour (pesky paperwork again!), but our reserved ride was still waiting for us when we finally landed. Due to a traffic accident, the drive to our hotel took nearly an hour, and we arrived at the Aldrovandi Residence City Suites in the late afternoon.
Our room was on the second floor, overlooking the pool in the courtyard behind the building.
After unpacking, Mr. E took a nap and I went for a swim followed by some yoga in the room. Our room was like a mini-apartment, with a separate bedroom and en suite bathroom along with a sitting and eating area and kitchenette cleverly hidden behind wooden folding doors. It was great to have so much space to live in for almost a week, and the orientation of our room provided some amazing sunrise and sunset views.
We got a bit lost trying to follow the porter's directions down towards the Piazza del Popolo and ended up wandering around the Villa Borghese park a bit more than we had anticipated. Luckily, we managed to find our way out and opted for the first little pizza place we saw near the Flaminio metro station, just outside the Piazza del Popolo. Mr. E got a 1/2 chicken and potatoes meal, and we shared the funghi thin-crust pizza that I ordered. Very tasty and a great value at only 20 euros (with tip) for the food and two drinks. My new love affair with Aperol Spritz has begun!
Our return walk to the hotel was along the streets rather than through the park, so it took a bit longer but gave us a good sense of the area. Back in our room, we enjoyed a bit of the complementary wine that was provided by the hotel before heading to bed.
SMF > SFO > FRA
Our flight to SFO was slightly delayed due to paperwork (seems to be a recurring theme lately), but we still had plenty of time to grab a snack and didn't have to race through the airport to catch our next flight to Frankfurt (unlike our last experience going to Oahu -- see previous posts!). When we boarded, we discovered that our seats in Exit Row 33 were less than ideal since they have the fixed arm rests and the window seat (mine) has almost no leg room due to the large bump-out of the bulkhead on the exit door. Boo. Don't choose these seats again! Luckily, the flight wasn't at all full, so we asked to be re-seated back in regular Economy and got a 3-seat row to ourselves. No personal seat-back entertainment options this time around, so we each watched some of the group film at times, and I also read all of my magazines and finished the Alan Cumming book. A bit later in the flight, I moved up to another empty row to stretch out and get some sleep, and Mr. E did the same in our row.
Day 2: Thursday, May 18
FRA > FCO
We got through customs pretty quickly and headed for the Lufthansa Senator Lounge, which had an amazing array of breakfast food items that then transitioned to lunch offerings before we left. I particularly enjoyed the licorice candy melange and crunchy snack mix, not to mention the small pouches of gummy animals (several of those found their way into my bag). Our flight from Frankfurt to Rome was delayed by almost an hour (pesky paperwork again!), but our reserved ride was still waiting for us when we finally landed. Due to a traffic accident, the drive to our hotel took nearly an hour, and we arrived at the Aldrovandi Residence City Suites in the late afternoon.
Our room was on the second floor, overlooking the pool in the courtyard behind the building.
After unpacking, Mr. E took a nap and I went for a swim followed by some yoga in the room. Our room was like a mini-apartment, with a separate bedroom and en suite bathroom along with a sitting and eating area and kitchenette cleverly hidden behind wooden folding doors. It was great to have so much space to live in for almost a week, and the orientation of our room provided some amazing sunrise and sunset views.
Our return walk to the hotel was along the streets rather than through the park, so it took a bit longer but gave us a good sense of the area. Back in our room, we enjoyed a bit of the complementary wine that was provided by the hotel before heading to bed.
posted by jms | 12:06 PM
1 Comments:
Your hotel looks amazing--those views!
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