Monday, Sept 28 Palermo to Rome

Got checked out of our apartment about 11, decided not to leave luggage with manager. Would be really bad if we could not get back to our luggage, and they were closed certain hours. Went down to the large square in front of a large theater, a few blocks from the hotel to sit and read. This was within 1 block of the bus stop to the airport. We had located that the day before and bought a ticket from a Tobacco shop. The tobacco shops or newsstands seem to always be able to sell tickets for most buses. It was not a standard little ticket but a large 8x11, a little unusual and had a time on it but it worked.
We sat on a wall reading until the sun came around and made the square concrete tile hot. So we looked for benches at small green park about a block away. Sun shinning, and it started to rain a little, then a lot. We found shelter under a awning at a restaurant/cafeteria spot , next to the green square. Did not stop raining, so with luggage in tow, we sat inside and ordered drinks. Then we ordered lunch. Still raining. Stopped about 1pm, just in time for us to walk to the bus stop. We caught the earlier bus, 1/2  earlier than our ticket. But the driver did not seem to care. Traffic was really bad, I am amazed at the drivers patience. I only saw drivers of taxis screaming at each other on Capri, and that was just once! Everywhere else they seem patient, honk their horn a toot or two and that is about it. One intersection was so bad, there were cars still in the middle of the intersection after the light changed. Rather than just sit there they would push into in front of the bus. Two changes of the light before we got across, and if it was me I would not have been pulling in front of a bus! Dumb. But no one got hit so all is good.
Airport was nice size, about the size of Medford or a little larger, two story,  so was easy to find your way around. We had printed our boarding passes out at the Internet Café next to our apartment the day before, so that was done. I insisted we double check our carry-ons were okay. They had different luggage requirements than we do here. Smaller by about one inch. The counter guy said no problem, and it was not.  They did what Alaska does, put it the larger luggage on the cart at the bottom of the steps of the plane, loaded in with the checked luggage. Nice flight with Ryinair, they were like 30 minutes late, for the 5:30 flight, but the flight was good. Got to Rome airport and lots of construction. They took us from the plane to the main terminal by bus.
Saw our luggage on a little train, following us but then it disappeared. Jerks put it into the checked baggage . So we stood and waited for it. Might as well have checked it. Now it is like after 8pm and we are trying to find the Hotel shuttle. We tried to just get a taxi, but we were low on Euros. Wanted to use the Euros up and not bring them home, especialy the change. So I had not gone to the ATM. The first thing that happened is we got in the wrong Taxi lane and$48 was the fee. Turned out it was going to downtown Rome. We wanted to go just to our hotel 5 km away. The next taxi wanted $25 to go that distance. So back to the information desk inside, they found in their book where the hotel shuttles were. We waited for like 45 minutes there. Got two people to call the hotel, the hotel keep saying it was coming. Finally arrived at our Best Western at around 9:30,cost $6 each on our hotel bill.  Walked down to the beach, a block away, and walked the waterfront until we found an open Restaurant. What a long day.
Below is the key to the apartment in Palermo, odd key, odd lock in second photo. Third is the outside door at street level. Last picture is of rays through clouds as we came into the Rome airport.