Italy Bellissimo Travelogue, continued

Day 11- Addio, Italia!

Our Tour Director didn't want us to take the risk of missing our flights so she had us check out by 6:30 AM. We were provided with boxed breakfast meals to take to the airport. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to eat our breakfast and use the bathroom. My son's flight back to London would depart later than ours.

My son and my mom bade farewell to each other at Rome Fumicino Airport. He would return to the States 4 days later at the conclusion of his Study Abroad program in London.

The American Airlines check-in counter personnel was very unfriendly and rude. She barked at us when my friend, my mom and I came forward together to check in. She told us she couldn't accommodate the three of us even though we were travelling together, so my friend went to a different counter and was glad because she was helped cheerfully in that counter. In the counter where the rude personnel was, I stepped up to help my mom in case she needed help, but the airline personnel looked at my mom in contempt while shaking her head and asked if she could speak and understand English at all. I have never encountered anything like this in my travelling life. I didn't want this airline personnel's treatment of us to ruin the remainder of the trip so I chose to just ignore her bad attitude.

My mom received wheelchair assistance from the check in area to the gate and the Italian wheelchair assistance personnel was very gracious like the one who helped us when we arrived. He also declined to accept any gratuities.

The tour was overall a good experience in getting a taste of what you should go back to in Italy. I probably wouldn't do it had I known that the pace would be like it was just because my mom traveled with me. This was my first tour experience and I came to the conclusion that I prefer traveling on my own, hitting my own itinerary just because I don't like to be on a time limit when I sight- see. We did see a lot in 10 days and that was a plus, but I wish we were given more free time on our own to shop and venture on our own.

The pros of touring in my experience:

1. Convenience of handling bags- you don't have to lift a finger in handling your luggage

2. Convenience of transportation from and to airport

3. Navigating destinations- the coach driver does it

4. Breakfast provided and some dinners included

5. Tour guidance provided by Tour Director and Local Guides

6. Convenience in museums/ sites entrance

The Cons:

1. Pricey because of the above mentioned conveniences.

2. Inability to hit spots that you wanted to visit but not covered in the tour.

3. Inability to taste and shop for things that aren't covered by the tour.

4. Tendency for visits to be rushed because of the itinerary set.

On our first day in Rome, our Tour Director (an Italian) said that whatever stereotypical stories we hear about Rome and Italy are most likely true. My experience proved it wrong. Initially, I honestly was apprehensive going on this trip, but ended up enjoying it. I'd definitely feel more confident going back because of the positive experiences I've had. The horror stories I heard and read about taxi drivers ripping tourists off and pickpockets are typical in big cities and aren't unusual. You just have to use common sense in protecting your valuables. All the taxi drivers we came across in Rome were all nice an no one even attempted to rip us off. They were all but polite, gracious and friendly.

I fell in love with Italy, its people and its language during my brief visit. I'm hoping that the coin I tossed at the Trevi will work its magic and I'd get to experience its beauty once again in the not so distant future when I'll still able to handle walking in its cobbled stone streets and carry my own suitcase.

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