The alarm went off at 5 am and we all rushed about cramming the poor car to the hilt with all our bags before hitting the road for the 3 hour drive to Rome airport. After Italy having a drought of 5 months and being in the grips of a heat wave dal'Diavolo (from the devil), the last thing we expected was rain. The heavens opened and it just thundered down. It was so heavy and so much lightening and thunder that we couldnt see more than a few meters ahead of us on the autostrada. Most people were pulling off the road but of course- we had a plane to catch so had to push on. Eeeekkk so scary! Arrived at the airport and checked in. Just as we were walking across the tarmac to the plane- the second wave of the storm hit!! Lightening on a tarmac very disconcerting! Not much comfort either being in a metal plane! That was where we stayed though for the next 2 hours as the airport stopped all flights. Finally took off and landed late, greyer but in 1 piece in England! Customs was a breeze!! Had to show all our papers but they were welcoming and we soon had stamps in all our passports! Cant believe were through the gates after so many months of trouble and delays! YAY!!!!!!!!! There was even an enormous Queen Lizzie on the wall to greet us! A few more hurdles were encountered however.... had to wait an hour for our hire car due to the queues then had to drive 2 and a half hours. Got hopelessly lost trying to find our house as no house number given, phone flat and now 10pm at night (originally supposed to arrive at 6pm!). In the end- the owner stood out on the road with a torch and we finally found him! Exhausted after 17 hours travel but hapy to be here at last!