Springtime in Roma!



My first keynote speech to an august body of my flight test colleagues.  What an honor!  I flew into Milan, still working on my talk about "The Future FTE".  Took a train from Milan to Rome.  That trek from Milan to the symposium hotel near Rome was an odyssey and a learning experience on how to purchase tickets. Lots of fast walking up and down staircases with 2 suitcases to catch various trains.  Several kind Italians helped me sort out the maze and purchase various tickets. Got a workout. On the train from Milan to Rome I was "heads down" still working on finishing my talk. Barely looking outside trying to input revisions I made by hand on the flight over. A pity. But the return trip to Milan awaits.  Out of frugality, I choose to take a regional train.  That involved a 1/2 mile walk at the central Rome train station (it's a HUGE station), which after multiple stops and changing trains left me at a country station 1 mile from the hotel.  At that point with a large suitcase in tow, I deferred on walking and got an Uber.  Spent 2 more hours at the hotel in revisions as mine was the first talk in the morning. Went down to the lobby to print it out, and walked right into the SFTE welcome reception.  My first food! Had an hour of interesting conversations before I felt ready to collapse from a long trip and little sleep.   Took a shower and an Ambien.   7 hours later all is well.  Off to give my talk. 

My talk was very well received and generated lots of buzz!

The symposium was amazing for subjects and networking nonstop. I've been swamped with interest. Need a PR manager to manage my schedule :) More on the symposium here and here. The last day was a tour of ITAF Practica di Mare airbase.  I reunited with 3 of the Italian test pilots who I worked closely with in Italy (Marco Mangini, Raf, and Johnny)  


After the conference ended, I wanted to stay in Rome for 3 days until JD arrived to see some sights with my friend Jaime Silva. Not so fast.  There was no place to stay!?  Everything else below $700 per night was taken. Had almost given up and was headed to Rome and then at the last minute was very fortunate to find a tiny flat below $100 a night that was done sorta as a "deal" offline from Airbnb.   Interesting story.  

First night in Rome had dinner with Jaime and one of his TPS classmates at a fantastic restaurant serving traditional Roman food, called Osteria da Mario, near the Coliseum. Walked back to my flat and the nightlight is so vibrant even with a little rain. Took an hour but quite interesting as the route was filled with monuments and people even past midnight.  
Jaime and I toured the Sistine Chapel and walked all over Rome centro.  Most interesting was the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum.  That guy was talented.  Yet frustrated!  There is a lesson there.

 
Headed to Milano.  Travel tip Google Pay is a must in Europe.  always works for train and metro.  Walk on walk off.  Credit and debit cards are hit-and-miss
Location: Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sunrise Sunset - Marriage in Lynchburg, Virginia

Image
  Lynchburg, Virginia.  The place of marriage for my oldest son.  The first time all four of my children have gathered together in years. I was expecting Lynchburg to be a backwater, but was pleasantly surprised with what I experienced. The little turn-of-the-century downtown with classic front porches set in the hills above the James River exuded historic Americana.   But Lynchburg also has two of the most authentic Indian restaurants I've experienced outside India itself and a great jazzy pub.  Not bad for a dry county. You can ride the railroad to Lynchburg from Washington D.C. and I recommend you do especially in the fall.  For me a week of preparation with my son including yoga on the river and getting acquainted with the new family made this a very special time. As the ceremony progressed the scene from "Fiddler on the Roof" where they sang " Sunrise Sunset " came to mind. Take a listen.  
Read more

Glaciers and Yoga- Bettmeralp Round 2

Image
A three day weekend afforded me the opportunity to return to Bettmeralp Switzerland, and this time experience trekking over the Alps and down to the Aletsch glacier. It a word WOW! But this Italian phrase says it better. “Non ci sono parole per descrivere questa esperienza.” But I will try.  My challenging treks were punctuated with wonderful yoga and meditation sessions. The glacier is 14 miles long and over a 1/2 mile wide. The crevices are huge and are only traversed with ropes and crampons. Blow up the pictures  down by the glacier and find the people. It will give a little perspective. The glacier's grandeur can only be fully appreciated in person.   Beyond the glacier, the silence and solitude are so cathartic. Winston Churchill thought so as well. My picture  link has a foto of his cabin overlooking the glacier. Still my experience wasn’t all bliss.  I must admit the 2nd day was not only arduous, but challenged me to overcome a primal fear. I had chosen to take the
Read more

Mendocino Coast, Accordians & Ecclesiastes

Image
Hopped a flight to San Francisco to visit family near the Mendocino coast, close an open book, and attend the world famous Cotati Accordian Festival. The redwoods are so big, strong and SILENT. You feel their presence. Something to learn from this. I stayed in my Aunt Lil's old cabin. I drove up on a moonlit, foggy nite to the remote cabin. Such wonderful solitude to reflect or shoot a haunted movie. 👀🌙I shared a meravigliosa Italian meal with family. Great grandchildren to Aunt Lil. Dinner was a plethora of home grown vegetables and homemade gnocchi. Aunt Lil worries that the farm is running down. You can see it and is a vivid reminder that nothing on the earth stays the same. Visiting my 92 year old Aunt and her 89 year old "baby bro", I pondered the question again, what to do and where to live when one's working career is over? Their lives center around extended family, living in nature, and growing. Can that be enough? On this trip I closed one chapter in life.
Read more