One of the worst feelings ever is -to desire to go back home after a pleasnat off-season Italian holiday and return to your daily life and preapare fot the waiting holiday chaos but unfortunately find that a major snowstorm has blocked all air planes on the ground and change your plans.
There couldn’t be a worse feeling than this – a major snowstorm back home has grounded all incoming and outgoing flights. After a nice off-season Italian holiday, I was eagerly waiting to return home, get back to work and prepare myself for the pending holiday chaos. After my initial anxiety and fear passed, I contacted my family and manager back home to let them know my situation. It would seem all air travel was temporarily suspended until the two day blizzard had passed through. Being pragmatic, and no small fan of luxury at my insurance company’s expense, I decided to book myself into the Rome Hilton hotel, only a short distance from the airport.
With money tight, I felt pretty lucky in spite of my recent misfortune to find such a great room at such a low rate. What’s more, the Hilton hotel in Rome is, unsurprisingly, close to the city centre and amenities, allowing me access to a bank, a laundromat (packing light, it would seem, was not in my best interest), and a bunch of eateries. I was beginning to feel that this disturbance was becoming a great opportunity to carry on my vacation a little longer than planned.
With a variety of parks and gardens ideally located in and around the city center, I started to think about the different picnic lunches and al fresco dinners I could enjoy. Happening upon an English bookstore, I found a city travel guide which documented some really interesting facts and hidden attractions located just beyond the city borders.
Above all, I started to feel intoxicated by the character of the place. The vibrancy of the people and nightlife saw me dancing to the wee hours of the mornings, with an urge to rise early and continue exploring some of the noted tourist sites. Like a truant skipping class, I felt a thrill to explore and get caught up in all the city had to offer. Upon finding flights available for return journeys home, begrudgingly, I packed my bag tickled by my extended holiday. In turning a potential disaster in a reason explore a new city, I thank you blizzard.
Peter Merifield is a London-based freelance journalist with a mission to make you a better and happier human being. Drawing attention to the peculiarities of life in the modern age is all part of the package.Check out his other articles for everything you need to know about travel destinations and hotels.
