October 14-First hours in Rome Sleepy, Nervous and Excited.

I arrived(7:30AM, Oct 14th)(12:30Am Houston)at the Rome airport after departing (Oct 13,5pm)Newark NJ. After going through immigration, and gathering my bag I asked for the shuttle location to my Holiday Inn. I found it, by luck, in the cold morning air and waited(9AM)15 minutes. I struck up a conversation with Ohio Folk waiting for their shuttle to Hilton Hotel. They, too, were going on the Carnival Dream Cruise.

I arrived at the hotel and dropped on my bed for a quick nap at 10AM. I noted I had about two hours before I might catch a free shuttle into downtown Rome for sightseeing by my lonesome self. My three girlfriends would not arrive until 6PM.
I overslept and awakened at 2 pm. I freshened and decided to take the 4pm shuttle to where-ever in Rome. On the shuttle was a Florida couple and a young Phillopino. We talked and shared our stories of arrival. The Florida couple hinted they were going right back on the same shuttle;they,too, tired to get off. The Phillopino was getting in some tourist time because he would be working the Cruise Ship tomorrow. I walked off the shuttle nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. I prayed that the Florida couple would get off and stay with me,did not happen. The Phillopino man asked of my plans. I said confidently, "see the sites" and then turned my back to take I Phone pictures of my surroundings as to remember how to get back and catch the shuttle back to hotel. It would be dark by 8pm and I was alone with no contact with my familiar safety net.