3:50 p.m. We are descending into Fiumicino right now. Despite a chaotic boarding procedure and departing Heathrow at least 40 minutes late, we'll be pretty close to the scheduled arrival time. Six-plus hours in Heathrow were boring -- got breakfast, sorted out the Nat. Express as much as we could, repacked our bags to Alitalia spec, sat around (a lot), and wrote postcards. Both of us are exhausted & a little hungry for "real" food and will be happy to meet our pillows in the next few hours. The highlight of this flight has been the long nap we each got, and flying over the Alps. Oh, and free wine! We're just abt to land so I'll sign off, prob. till tomorrow. Ciao.

8:20 p.m. Made it to the hotel, slowly. Good cabbie just lots of traffic. Hotel is good, nicer than a pensione, on a quiet street (we're across from a garden, I think) and a block from the walls of the Vatican. We walked over the St. Peter's tonight then found a place to eat around the corner from our hotel and shared a pizza & 1/2 l. of wine. There was a group of about 15 teens & their minders @ the restaurant. Typical Americans; made me sorta miss Sparky. The 1/4 l. of wine has hit me hard, having been more-or-less awake now for over 31 hours. We came back to the hotel, came upstairs & got ready for bed. Hope I can sleep -- [at home] it's 1:30 p.m., which could be considered primo naptime, right? Tomorrow we're sleeping in, prob [till] 8 so we can shower & eat breakfast. That's 11 hrs. Should be enough. I hope.