Roma : Décollage (episode 1)

Hey everyone

So I promised an account of my time in Rome. My trip to Rome began much in the same way it ended: I was cold, alone, bored, and poor... Okay, so it didn't begin or end that way but...

I flew into Rome from Lyon. I was the only one going this way as a result of planning my trip very very very late into the month. I spent about 9 hours in the Lyon airport waiting to board my plane. I panicked when I got there late at night and didn't see my flight on the screen (Which had flights from that night all the way to the next afternoon.) I texted Matt who revealed to me that there are two airports in Lyon. Somehow, my easyJet booking made no distinction between the two. I found an information desk and was relieved to discover that my flight was leaving from that same airport. The man gave me directions to the easyJet terminal. He may as well have given me directions to Narnia. I had seen the voie earlier when I was exploring the airport, but now that I was looking for it, I couldn't find it. Finally, I got to terminal three (You had to go subterranean rise up through the east side of the building, traverse "construction" and go through a makeshift tunnel to get to there) I decided, due to it's deserted state and my desire to wander, that I would return about 2 hours before my flight. I went back to the main building and resolved myself to take advantage of the lax airport security at that time of night.

I wove in and out of every information desk. I explored and examined every restroom in that place. I found that if I wanted to I could take a shower, shave, change diapers, and even get a facial in the airport. I walked into the airport chapel. There were accommodations for Muslim's Christians, and Jewish people. Atheists may feel left out... but there were benches where you could stare into nothingness if you so desired. In one corner of the airport I found a group of lounge chairs facing a glass wall. I watched planes land and take off for about 45 minutes. The baggage handlers here are pretty skilled at handling that luggage. One cart-driver seems to always drop a bag or two, but it's okay, the bags make it back on the cart and hopefully to their owners.

I continue on like this analyzing my surroundings and recognizing the other people in the airport waiting until 5am, 6am, 7am, to take their flight. Two Chinese students have taken up shop in a lounge that is closed for the night. A group of 4 or 5 European guys take some of the lounge chairs to another part of the airport and are hanging out. About an hour later, I see airport security take the chairs back.

Between 3 and 5am I start to get bored. I brought my journal, but I can't find a pen. I brought Jen de Florette with me. My host mom lent me the book, because I enjoyed different Marcel Pagnol movies so much and I like Gerard Depardieu. The language level is a bit high for me, and I can only read 3 or 4 pages at a time with mild difficulty. I explore the same parts of the airport I have have already seen. I make the trip to and from terminal 3 twice more before I finally settle there at 5am. Between my terminal and my voie is the above-ground tunnel. The door beyond it is locked. The tunnel an the locked door separate me from Rome. From 6:00 to 7am I make the trip between terminal and locked door 3 times. On the fourth try I notice a Mexican family waiting at the door. Around 7:20am the door opens. My flight is scheduled to begin check-in in 15 minutes. After checking in I finish off the last of my bag of pain au chocolat. That turned out to be a good purchase all the way back in Angers.

I make my way through airport security and learn that they don't take off their shoes here. This is evident by the look of confusion in a woman's eyes as she waves me through. I wait at the gate for 30 minutes. Once it opens there is a mad rush to our plane. Group A. Group B. Group C. It's all the same. It comes down to who is doing the most elbowing and displaying the least couth. I sit down and read the safety precautions, just in case they are different in France. Mesdammes et Mesieurs, bienvenue sur easyJet...

A suivre.