Up at 6:00. €38 cab ride to the airport at 8:00. Even with a multi-step security and check in process we were at the gate in less than an hour thanks to a lack of Sunday morning traffic. That left us just under an hour and a half to kill until boarding. Take off was right on time. Fiumicino airport is very near the Mediterranean, so we were flying over water less than a minute after taking off.

We situated our smug little selves in our business seats, got our amenity kits, menus, blankets, and pillows and set ourselves to the task of choosing our entrees for lunch. Dan made a remark about spoiling me which went without saying but seemed unnecessary me being the mother of his children and all. Once lunch was cleared away I dedicated what was left of the nine hour, 4,500 mile flight to movie watching. Dan read a stack of magazines and took a short nap. We landed at 8:20 p.m. Italy time, 2:20 p.m. Virginia time. We collected our bags, got a ride home, and were walking through our front door 16 hours after waking up. Amazing how easy international travel is when a) all goes well and b) the flight is nonstop!

We had a wonderful time and are so grateful to be able to visit amazing historic sites, enjoy beautiful countryside, and eat and drink like royalty.

Dan’s favorite: the whole Franciscan experience
My favorites: Assisi’s Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli …and… the well in Orvieto