Italy Trip Day 3: finally here!

So the third day I was gone ended up being the first actual day in Rome. Our flight came in about 11:30 in the morning, and our plan was to push on through and spend the day exploring so that we could go to bed exhausted that night and acclimate to the new time zone. But wait... Had there been enough travel issues yet?? Apparently not. As we waited at baggage claim and watched the carousel go around and around, Candi got her luggage. Mine? It was a no show. We had been assured by United that when our flight was rescheduled the luggage would go right onto that new flight. So, here I am in a foreign country with no luggage. I went to the customer service counter and was asked to return "in 10 minutes" not once, not twice, but four times! I was told by the not so nice Italian workers that I had to wait long enough to make sure my bag truly wasn't there. When I saw workers come to collect a handful of unclaimed bags, and mine still was MIA, I went to the counter again. I told the man "please do not tell me to come back again in ten more minutes!!" Turns out my bag was left in Chicago. Wonderful.

We took a cab to our hotel, and Candi was amazed with the scary driving. I had experienced similar in Mexico before and only need to add that apparently speed limits and lanes are merely suggestions, and the horn, not the turn signal, is used for letting other drivers know you are coming into their lane. 

Our hotel was very cute and clean and we attempted to settle in. For me this involved washing my undies in the sink so that I had a clean pair for the next day. Seriously. But ah, Rome. One can't let a lack of panties ruin the day! 

We went on a walking tour that evening and marveled at the Spanish Steps, which are 135 steps that our tour guide insisted we walk part of twice... You know, because once wasn't enough. We saw Trevi Fountain, that sadly is being renovated so was empty but still beautiful. We saw our first couple of piazzas and ate our first gelato and then went shopping for a new outfit for me so that I'd have some clean clothes. Good thing too- since my luggage (that was supposed to arrive the very next day) would not arrive until Wednesday AM.