Today marks the end of my Italian adventure. What an incredible country. I have got to come back for sure. My alarm rings and I am up and ready to go in no time at all.
My room mates are sleeping and I head down for some breakfast before heading to the airport. There are many options but I’ve heard about the fast train that leaves from the station nearby so opt for that.
This morning there isn’t any familiar faces as mostly everyone has moved on. So I get myself together and head out. I had noted (thanks to Chiara) that you use the ticket machine to get your tickets and it takes you straight to the airport for £14.

The train is sitting at the station already and the culture here is to wait til it’s due to go before they open the doors. This is fine cause there is plenty of room. Because it’s a airport train there’s plenty of room for luggage. Each carriage has a tv screen which flicks through things like the trains arrival time, advertisements and security camera images of the different carriages on the train. It’s equipped with power points to charge too.

It’s only a short trip and the station is literally right at the airport. Rome’s Fiumicino airport is well signed in English and Italian so it’s very simple to locate where I need to go. It’s a huge airport though with over 200 check in desks. To be honest I’ve never counted how many at my home Sydney airport but I’m interested to see the comparison when I’m back home. They’ll be so many more things I will be looking out for now I’ve experienced a variety of other types of transport and stations in the three countries I’ve traveled.

Check in is simple and I make my way through security. It’s a very long wait but I eventually get through and go on the hunt for the lounge. My flight today is with British Airways so I am able to use my Qantas Club privileges there. Perfect as I have a snack and a glass of prosecco while I wait. The boards tell me I will be leaving from Gate 34 which will take 11 minutes to arrive there. So I have time to relax and just enjoy my morning.
Before long it’s time to head off. It takes a few minutes walk to a monorail to be taken to my gate then another 5 mins walk.

I finally arrive at the gate, I can’t see a British Airways plane where I’m boarding but I know I’m in the right place. Seems there’s a bus ride from the gate to the plane. My goodness. No wonder you get multiple warnings about allowing plenty of time to arrive at your gate for boarding.

Once I’m in the plane I relax. It’s about a 5 hour flight but I also gain an hour by heading back to Heathrow too. I enjoy some snacks on board, we’ve had a slight delay (40 mins) leaving Fiumicino so I had quickly messaged Paul to let him know, as he will be picking me up at the other end.
An incident free flight and a nap made the time pass quickly. But now to battle the queues at the customs area. It’s absolutely chaotic with not all counters open and very inefficient worker at the front who isn’t taking any real notice of when a counter becomes available. Making the wait absolutely brutal. When I finally surface Paul tells me I’ve just won the award for the longest time he’s ever had to wait for someone. I am so grateful to be in the car heading back to Andover after being on my feet in this queue for 2 hours.

We weave our way through the English countryside and make our way back to the home of my gorgeous friends Ian and Paul. Paul and I chatter all the way home like a couple of teenage girls. I share some stories from my travel and he tells me what’s been happening at home. I look forward to seeing their lovely dogs Henry & George who are so happy to see me too (but to be honest everyone seems to get a greeting like that).
I decide to accompany Paul and the dogs for their walk and the weather is actually quite nice. I’ve been so used to being in the sunshine that I was dreading being in a colder climate. I’m definitely NOT looking forward to being in Australia which has been cold and rainy.

We continue to enjoy some time on the lounge and elder long Ian is home from work. He’s making cottage pie. Yummmmmmmm. It’s great to be able to have some good home cooked meals.
Paul and I indulge in a little house drinking that consisted of tequila and wine. We really are two peas in a pod and I wish we lived closer (or perhaps it’s a good idea we don’t – I think they’d be a bit of mischief gotten into).

It really is time for bed, and it’s late. I’m nodding off on the lounge while chatting with Paul and he has to work tomorrow. There’s no alarm and no plans for me, so I head off to bed and sleep like a baby. Looking forward to some down time.