Civitavecchia, Italy

We landed approximately 16:03. The coliseum was visible from the plane, and was quite a sight to see from the air. We landed and I was the last off the plane. The plane ride from Minneapolis to Amsterdam was quite cozy with movies, games and good company of a woman sitting beside me on her way to Munich. Following, the plane ride to Rome was filled with locals who clapped when we left Amsterdam and also when we were descending to land in Rome. They clapped again when we landed, and due to the weather intense winds, we were thrown around a bit while landing on the runway.

We had a man waiting for us with a sign which had our name written on it. we som how managed to cram all five of us and many bags of luggage into a small van, where we drove approximately 60 miles or so down to Civitavecchia, Italy. The driver spoke little English and was signing to himself in the van. We smiled. We saw many types of trees and homes on the journey down. We held our breath while he drove through lanes of moving vehicles, and as he put the pedal to the metal to turn corners. I was familiar with the driving habits of those living in foreign locations, however had never experienced it for myself. Until now.

We drove past the choppy waters of the Mediterranean. The colors of the local town are muted with yellows, greens, and pink. The window shades and fins are fascinating. The city here looks old and new, unplanned and somewhat orderly. Our small apartment is tucked within the seams of the old and new.

We settled in, and quickly went out to sample the local cuisine. As we walked I followed behind the crowd, gawking at the structures, taking photographs and being called out as a slow poke. It is difficult being a designer, analyzing everything as I walk past and being unable to photograph, so I did. Others do not see the world as I do, and I have difficulty in understanding it through their eyes as well.

A small pizzeria is where we found ourselves, overlooking the sea. The restaurant was packed, and all eight of us where packed in and around the corner table. We conversed over several different types of pizza, and they brought out several samplings of various pizzas. A four cheese pizza with tomatoes and basil on a white sauce was delicious, and a squash and chicken pizza too. They cut the pizzas into squares and mix up all the of the slices to that there is no order and you get to try everything. They serve it on pieces of round plywood, approximately 1/4" thick and set them up on bases so that they sit above your plate. You can just see over them to the other side of the table. We followed the meal with a dessert pizza made with crust, nutella, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. We found ourselves indulging in gelato too as we walked the brick paved streets back to the apartment.

We slept for the night, the time change however is adjusting well, and it would be now nearly midnight where it is 06:00 here. It is lovely not to have to report to work just now today, but instead board a cruise ship within the coming hours.

Ciao!

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