As we exit the bus, we are told our bus driver from the Fiumicino airport in Rome, a pleasant, quiet fellow named, Donillo (spelling?), will be our driver for the duration of our 13 day tour.
In the doorway and up a few steps , we enter the modest Ludovisi lobby, and are given a heavy, clunky key to room # 604.
The itinerary contained in our "Important Travel Documents" Bible states, "time to rest or start exploring the Eternal City" and "at 6pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a special welcome dinner".
Rather- and as an indication of things to come- before retiring to our room, we are informed that we'll be meeting in a small room off the first floor lobby at 4:30pm - a full hour and a half sooner than expected.
Bob & I enter the tiny, closet-sized elevator and make our way up to the 6th floor where we quickly locate our room- a small but adequate space containing a queen-sized bed and minuscule, built-in nightstands and little else. Interestingly we have a sliding glass door that opens onto a balcony of sorts. I say of sorts because you have to stand on one of the two little chairs that are surrounding a small round cafe' table in order to look over the high wall and into the street below. Nonetheless, I find our balcony quaint and amusing. My mind quickly categorizes it as something "European" so I like it on that basis alone although I also like the sense of space and openness that it affords our tiny room.
The bathroom contains the usual equipment found in bathrooms throughout the US plus one common European addition, something known as a bidet. The bidet looks a bit like the toilet bowl but its purpose, I was told, is to keep certain unmentionable body parts fresh and sparkling clean. I've heard it that some travelers have mistaken it as basin for washing one's feet or, ugh! even worse, have used the bowl to wash their recently purchased fresh fruit. But, having been to Europe in 1966 and several times since, I feel very knowledgeable and well-informed regarding its' true purpose. Therefore, on one occasion during our Globus tour I decide to give it a whirl. Even though I'm "in the know" as to the bidet's reason for existence, I haven't the foggiest idea how to actually use it. I looked around briefly but I was unable to locate any written instructions or visual diagrams..
But not to worry - I don't give up easily, life is short and since this may be my only chance to experience fresh and sparkling unmentionables, I make my mind up to give it my best shot. I mean really how hard can it be? ......to be continued later today
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