Guy and I walked down to the car rental agency recommended by our B&B host, and after waiting while the agent interrupted his processing of our request to take care of another customer and then to resolve a dispute another customer was having with another agent, he finally took us to look at the car. Way too small to hold the significant amount of luggage that is traveling with Guy and Joahnna, plus all of us. We had managed to get it all in a taxi from the airport, but that was the largest car they had available. By that time, it was too late to try again at another agency, since our travel time was tight to begin with.
Soooo, change of plans. Instead we got to see the Palatine Chapel in the Royal palace in Palermo. And this is what today's picture shows. It is an overwhelming place, so filled with mosaics and gold that, as Joahnna said, you feel like you are drowning in syrup. It is very beautiful and difficult for any picture to do it justice. We were all glad that we got to see it.
The next challenge to our flexibility came when Joahnna checked on our Rome hotel reservations and discovered that they weren't expecting us until tomorrow night. They could only come up with one room, when we were expecting three: one for Guy and Joahnna, one for me and one for her friend Doug. They also said they couldn't put extra beds in the room, and we couldnt find a reasonably priced hotel nearby, so Joahnna and Doug volunteered to sleep on the floor, so we could all stay in one room. Hmmmm. I wasn't even sure the hotel would let all four of us stay in the room, even if we wanted to.
The final blow was that we were unable to find a taxi at the airport that could hold all of us and our luggage. Actually, there was a queue of taxis and there was one sitting second in the queue that probably could have accommodated us. But the drivers insisted that we try to fit into the first in line--and the larger taxi left. Then when it was obvious that we would not all fit, we ended up having to take two taxis. I was more than a bit miffed at their unwillingness to help us and having to pay for an extra taxi.
Then guess what? The hotel came through with two extra beds in the room, so we are living dormitory style for the night, but no one is on the floor. So all has ended well. Who knows, we may all be lonely tomorrow night in our separate rooms!
Such are the adventures of traveling! It helps to stay loose if you can.
No comments:
Post a Comment