We had an uneventful trip home. I hate those overnight flights. I did get a couple hours of sleep. Below is all that we did and accomplished on this trip. Oddly, everything I planned worked out perfect. I am not used to that! This would never happen in Italy.

Happily we had wonderful house cat sitters. Leah Wiedemar is an accomplished artist. She painted a lot of small paintings while here. You can look her up online and Facebook to see them. She surprised us with an oil painting of our boyz, Simba and Rocky. It’s amazing!

The first thing that was new on this trip, and I wasn’t sure how it would workout, was the new-to-us hotel in Fiumicino. The ISA Residence. I mentioned it before in my first post. It was cheap at €60 a night. Big, clean and no frills room. The parking was the big draw for us. We drove there and they parked our car in an underground garage for the 12 days we were gone. We paid €5 a day minus a small discount and we had a private driver to and from the airport for only €29. The drivers were super punctual and a pleasure. I highly recommend this place for people who live in Italy and want to leave a car.

Getting through TSA, passport control and customs was a piece of cake on both ends. The flight to the U.S. arrived one hour early. The return was half an hour early. The flight crews were all super nice and accommodating but we were flying business class so it was expected. My food on my return was actually delicious – spicy chicken cooked in coconut milk with Udon noodles. It had a nice spicy kick. I was astounded. Here’s a picture.

I had a window pod on the way back so I had fun looking out the window. The first image is the Chesapeake bay bridge. We have driven over it many times. The other two the alps.

Our rental house in Old Town Alexandria was very comfy and well appointed. Also great location walkable to a ton of restaurants, breakfast places, the waterfront, etc. My sister and her husband stayed with us for three nights at the beginning. They also came to pick up a big piece of antique furniture I had brought back from Germany.

All the myriad plans for emptying the storage facility went perfectly. My very helpful nearby cousin helped me with getting rid of the big furniture. I only brought a rocking chair gifted to me by a now deceased old friend. Luther and I unpacked everything and then the shippers showed up and repacked everything. We shipped 16 boxes and the rocking chair. That happened Monday. I managed to give away the big display towers I had on Freecycle. We donated my Wedgewood China and other things to Goodwill and gave my Kitchenaid mixer to a friend, and finally the NOVAJunk people showed up on Friday on schedule to take all the left over trash. Voila. Many moving parts that all worked. 😳 If one thing had gone wrong I may not have succeeded.

Once we were finally done we had time to see family. We had dinner with Luther’s brother, Mike and his wife Anne one night. Then we had a great get together with all the rest of the family on Saturday. Mike & Anne, their daughter Rachel and husband Alex, and second child Dave and his wife Shira and their two children. I had not met my grand nephew and grand niece. We were missing Sarah, their youngest who lives in a far away land…California. We missed you Sarah!

Check out this other small painting gifted to me by our artist housesitter. The Saturday Umbertide market. I adore it!

Now we are back to the land of €4.00 pizza margheritas. Returning from the land of $19.00 pizza margheritas. Above, my homecoming gift! Beautiful flower that I was gifted by friends last year. It decided to bloom. 💕 Ciao everyone. Thanks for going along on this most productive, but tiring trip! Now to deal with the jet lag!