The Challenge

Relieved to be safely away from the squeezed quarters of the “jumbo” jet that had been what seemed like our cramped nest for seven hours, we made our way slowly through customs at Rome’s Leonardo daVinci airport. Just outside the exit was waiting the friendly and chatty tour guide who directed us to the luggage collection area. We were told where to meet the group some forty five minutes later for our bus guided tour through the historic sites of Rome with a brief stop at Vatican City. With our body clock still lingering at 3:00am, the 9:00am rendezvous in Rome called for a cup of freshly brewed Italian coffee. Soon we were aboard the bus approaching the ancient city of Rome that we had visited the first time some thirty years before. Whisking by the Baths of Caracalla where we had seen the opera Tosca on a previous visit, then to the road leading to the catacombs and the Apian Way leading to Naples, we were given a glimpse of the Coliseum. With a ninety minute stop at the Vatican, we were thankful for an opportunity to grab a snack and visit a few shops. We had toured the Vatican before and were grateful since the lines on this day’s arrival were showing to deliver a two hour wait for entry. Safely back in the bus after another challenging walk, we were promptly delivered to our embarkation port at Civitavecchia. As we approached our cabin door with key in hand we were grateful that our luggage was waiting there for us to unpack it. Looking out from our balcony as our ship traveled south along the coast of Italy we were filled with awe and gratitude for a safe journey and the opportunity to be visiting places we had never seen before. Sore and throbbing, this possessor of PD was filled with thankfulness for another opportunity at a day filled with challenges accomplished.