Rome - Friday, September 18th

Rome:
Train trip to Rome was uneventful (= ontime). We met two Australian ladies who were traveling around Italy. It was most interesting to discuss the job benefits of Australian companies vs. US companies. There, vacations are four weeks per year, plus you can “buy” weeks of time off – tax free. They take a little bit out of each check. They typically buy an additional four weeks of vacation per year. In Australia, healthcare is not an employee benefit. Each person finds their own plan in the outside market. Young people can go without insurance until age thirty, and for each year after that, you accumulate lifetime penalties. If something happens to them before thirty, the state pays for it. We discussed the proposed healthcare revisions in the states, and the partisanship which divides us. We are hoping to come home to progress on this issue.
Also met a couple from Redmond in the train station. We all got a good chuckle out of the fact that we were from the same town. They told us where they lived, and we knew exactly which house it was along Redmond-Woodinville Rd. He works in the healthcare division of Microsoft.
Early this morning, we met a guide who took us on an ancient Rome tour of the Coliseum and surrounding areas. Before we started the tour, we caught a quick breakfast. When it came time to pay, Ken’s daily money was missing from his pocket. The only thing that we could think that happened was on our first subway ride – we stood in an area that was packed, but between two subway policemen. While we thought this was safe, someone must have gone for the money then. He probably lost about 100 Euros. We were hoping that the money clip was inadvertently left here in the apt., but alas, it appears gone.
Speaking of the apartment – our fellow apartment dwellers have taken to calling this place the “Romanian Orphanage”. It is VERY spartan, and the beds are small – we have twin beds, and Ken is sleeping with his feet out the end under the foot rail. The shower is so small, that when you drop the soap, you have to turn everything off, and open the doors to retrieve it.
Tonight, we will do a walking tour of the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. We are all a bit beat today after being on our feet for 8 hours. The last of our friends will fly in tomorrow, and will join us for the afternoon sightseeing. They will find the last remaining bedroom in the apartment….I wish we would be here to see their reaction to how bare it is. We have the smallest room, but it came with a bathroom. I failed to notice the shower size…..by Italian standards, they may find this quite grand.
Ciao from Rome. We are off to the Internet café to see how Ryan did on the golf course today. Let’s hope he won his match for the US team! We miss little Carsen, but know that he is in good hands in Ritzville with G-pa and ma Benzel.