Colonna Family's Bucket List Tour: Dante's First Ring of Hell is in Rome

Gelato in San Gimignano

There I was. My first night in Italy. Crying in the middle of Rome’s train station. Exhausted. Hungry. My luggage scattered about me… no way to get to Florence and no place to stay in Rome. I left Orlando at 9:30 AM on Friday and arrived in Rome, Saturday night at 10:30. I was supposed to be in Florence by noon. Sweet little nuns were sending me frantic emails saying, “Where are you Signora? We are missing you! We are worried! In Firenze your soft bed awaits and we have a continental breakfast for you in the morning!” To top it off, my email wouldn’t work so I couldn’t tell the nuns that I was just stranded and that I had not been abducted by the shady man asking, “Bella! Bella! Why you cry? Maybe shawl with naked statue of David make you feel better?” I’m in Italy a week before Dan and Illiana to take a class on Dante’s Inferno…I’m sure there is a special ring in hell for someone that skips out on a reservation in a monastery. One more thing to make me give TAP Portugal (the airline that caused the cascade of bad events) the finger, or whatever vile hand gesture they use in Italy to tell someone how much you are annoyed by them. I eventually realize that no one is going to magically whisk me off to Florence so I put my big girl panties on and stumble down the street to find a place to sleep. I get the last room in a sweet but expensive hotel in the heart of Rome’s tourist hell and sleep…and sleep…and sleep.

I finally make it to Florence the next day and everything falls into place. It is HOT but the gelato is cool and I’m in ITALY!

The only thing that could make this better is if Dan and Illiana were already here! I’m stuck with only my iphone but below is a little photo journey of the adventures I’ve had so far…Ciao!