Arriving in Singapore

Wednesday 20 August
We have woken up for our last morning in Rome and have a long flight viaa Frankfurt to Singapore where we will arrive on Thursday afternoon. We are all packed and in the process of checking out of Maria's Bed and Breakfast. This has been a great place to stay as we are 2 minute walk from metro, 5 minute walk from train station and 30 minute walk from the Colosseum area.

I have just been interrupted to be told that we haven't paid our deposit. I will have to check our statements at home because I have a copy of the fax I sent authorising the payment. Always little hassles.

Last night Terry and I were able to do all the check-ins on-line with a couple of pints of Guinness in our puku. It's a good thing that we did because Dallas was sitting elsewhere on the plane.

We all then went out to Plazza Navona for dinner. This was a vibrant place in front of a Pope's palace with lots of restaurants and outside entertainers. Marco, our waiter, was very jocular and most of us had a great meal, but we could see the prices were quite a bit higher than we were used to.

Terry had a proscuitio and salad appetiser followed by a spaghetti and meatballs main, Dallas had Caneloni, Leigh had fettucini alfredo and I had calamari which was not as good as the ones I had in Spain.

This was all washed down with a nice Montepulciano red and a Venazzia white. Dallas had a tiramasu, Leigh a liminicelli thing and I had some ice cream with whiskey. We were a little bowled over with the bill of 180 eur, but it was a good final meal to have in Rome.

The taxi ride home was as madcap as the dash by taxi to the restaurant.

This morning we had a gentle start to the day and after organising for our bags to be left at Maria's we walked to Plazza Republique (31 degrees at 10.00am), bought an Italian Rugby cap for the boss which I might keep because it is so nice (!), 2 dresses foe Leigh, a couple of more gifts and then checked on-line the best way from Changi airport to our hotel.

We are now sitting in the departure lounge waiting for our flight to Frankfurt which has been slightly delayed, but has now just been called for.

Update
We are now in Frankfurt Airport after a straight-forward flight from Rome. The flight was delayed a little and I'm glad it wasn't for longer as it took us lmost 30 minutes to make our way from arrivals to our departure area. No time for the cold beer I was looking forward to.

During that walk we talked with a young woman who was finishing a year's exchange in Italy. She was from Trident High School and her mother used to be in Playcentre with Leigh and sold real estate briefly in Opotiki. Her last name is Probst. It was a chance encounter just after I greeted a guy going the other way in a Chiefs shirt!