Travel memory...

I left Italy, of course, with a bit of sadness.  It is just such a wonderful, beautiful and enthralling country, it is hard to say good-bye.  I left, however, with a very nice 'flavour in my mouth' down to the delightful driver I had for my trip to the airport. 

I had to leave early in the morning and be ready to 'rock and roll' by 6 am.  The people at the Hotel Lancelot were extremely helpful in arranging a ride, including providing me with the expected cost for this approximate 45 minute ride.

I was, as usual, all ready on time.  (Side note:  I was raised in a family where if you weren't 10 minutes early, you were actually considered late!).  And so also was the driver, a positive point for a nervous solo traveler.

He was a private driver and helped me into his vehicle.  As he settled himself behind the wheel he said, "You are going to Fiumicino?"  

Now our tour guide Alfio said that Italians always seem to say things more than once.  So I simply said, "Si, si."  (Side note:  I use the double 'si' as opposed to the triple 'si, si, si' that seemed to be favoured by the rest of the group. Not sure why, only that it seemed more natural to me.)

The man turned around in astonishment and exclaimed (thankfully in English), "You speak Italian!"

"No!  No!" I said.  I was terrified that he thought I was misrepresenting myself. "I wish I could, but I don't." (My 'Si, Si' must have been very convincing!)

Then we settled in for our ride and he was utterly delightful.  He pointed out all the various attractions we passed while still in the city proper.  He talked about other areas of Italy...  For instance, he said Vesuvius was sleeping and was a real danger.  Not so much Etna, he thought, since Etna isn't sleeping...  He was very interested to know where I had visited in Rome.  He even told me I had seen a fair bit in Rome during the visits I had made.    

When we arrived and he unloaded my luggage he said, "You will come back to Rome.  And by then you will speak Italian!"

:)