And now let the holiday begin !!!!!!
Arrived at Fiumicino airport, Rome to you non travelers, to the travelers worst nightmare. Five hundred weary and frustrated passengers and no passport control officers on the non Euro Citizens controls. In defense of the system it only took them 30 minutes to notice us and one, yes one, officer took it into his head to direct us through the Euro desks. We were in the first group through and as they just stamp your passport after a cursory look at you I'm not sure why we couldn't have walked straight through, no scanning of passports or a look at the camera just stamp and walk
Hire car from airport, €50 including tip €48 by taxi if you could find one and on into Rome
ETC had booked on line and surprise surprise a real gem
Hotel Locarno. Probably had its last major make over when Sophia Loren was a young girl but has atmosphere. Totally lacking from the latest crop of over glossed five/six star palaces popping up all over the world. Includes all the essentials of a genteel class act, bird cage lift surrounded by a wooden staircase, plumbing from another age, ground level open air courtyard for breakfast and a rooftop garden. What more do you really need??