Safe Landing

After more than 24 hours, we have arrived safely in Rome, Italy. Along the way, we experienced flight safety instructions in Arabic, English, and Italian, learned about the exchange rates between different currencies such as the Singapore Dollar and Arab Emirates Dirham, and tried to get some rest amongst all of the excitement and the very noisy planes! We were so happy to finally land in Rome that we even applauded when our final plane landed. After thanking the cabin crew for keeping us safe and hydrated during the flight, we disembarked, already in awe in Rome airport at the fact that the people around us were speaking in Italian and the usual airport signs were all translated into Italian. Baggage claim was as seamless as we could ask for as everyone found their luggage and then filed onto the bus that would carry us to our hotel. Our tour guide, Alda, pointed out some key sights such as the Tevere (Tiber River), the Vatican, and Castel Sant'Angelo. We also learned that the place Trastevere where we are staying is so named as it means across (trans) the river Tiber (tevere) in Latin, which is where it is located. We are so privileged to be staying in a place with so much history and significance, and the decor in the building from the central courtyard to our individual rooms contain visual reminders of its religious past. Now, as the sun is rising over Rome, we will gather for breakfast and prepare ourselves for our first full day in Italy!