Day 25 - The Voyage Home and Pictoral Recap

The morning of our departure we were packed up and sitting on the Circumvesuviana before 6:30 am. Even taking this earliest of trains out of Sorrento, we made it to Naples with barely enough time to catch our scheduled transport back to Rome. We ended up in one of those clasic movie scenes where a family is rushing through some foreign train station dragging their suitcases desperately behind them. It was exactly the sort of situation Handler 1 had wanted to avoid. Alas.

Arriving in Rome, the Handlers found that we had a substantial layover before we had to catch a train to the airport. We decided to take a quick side jaunt to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, which was just across the street from the station, and which Handler 2 dubbed the Church of SCIENCE! The structure was constructed in part of the Baths of Diolcletian (which were unfortunately closed that day), and has been decorated in honor of scientific discoveries. There's a sun dial constructed into the marble floor, and a number of other scientific contraptions decorating the walls. There was also an explanation of the Gallileo excommunication affair (which the Catholic church appears now to feel a bit bad about).

Upon returning to the station, the Handlers found that they probably didn't have enough time to eat, which annoyed Handler 1, who was getting hungry. Instead, we trudged out (once again, 1/4 mile away from the station's main doors) to catch the Leonardo Express to the airport. Once there, the travel back to the states was comparatively uneventful. The grandhandlers picked us up from the Detroit airport, and the Handlers resumed their daily grind the next day.

So, what did we learn from our 3 week European extravaganza? Here's a few gems:

1. Trasportation in Italy...sucks.

2. The common conception of French hautiness and dislike for Americans is exaggerated. Almost all of the French folks we interacted with were absolutely lovely and accomodating.

3. French food is, on the whole, better and cheaper than Italian food.

4. Three hours is not enough time for the Louvre.

5. French kings were assholes.

6. The Italians really don't want you photographing their art. The French couldn't care less what you do with your camera.

7. Do not stay at a zero star hotel in Europe. They are not the equivalent of similar such establishments in America.

8. Get the tourist passes.

9. Strangely enough, you can apparently knock out a taillight on a rental car in Europe and not get billed for it...or at least...we haven't yet.

10. Doing laundry is a terrible waste of good vacation time.

To finish off our narrative, here's a photographic retrospective of the trip, comprised of some of Handler 1's better black and white photos.

































































So what's next for us intrepid travlers? I don't know. For once, the Handlers have no trips planned for the future, and they don't seem to be taking my advice on anything. Perhaps I can convince the grandhandlers to smuggle me into Russia with them this summer! In any case, maybe I'll post a short recap of the Handlers' adventures in Boston (the traitors didn't take me along!). Otherwise, we'll just have to wait and see.