Ladispoli

We arrived about 45 minutes early from our flight (once again - thanks Alitalia!), and were on our way by around 2 pm, and the first stop was for some food and a bathroom break for my lovely wife near Ladispoli just north and west of the airport. One of the nice things about this route was it kept us away from the crazy traffic of Rome proper, didn't want to scratch up the new wheels! We got lost...
Not bad, but not exactly where we wanted to be, seems the native GPS in this Audi likes to spend its time 're-calculating'. So we stopped in a grocery store parking lot while I got Google navigation set up through my phone. Thought we'd grab something quick in the store (and find a bathroom. Some delicious looking (and eventually tasting) bread & cheese - hey, we're in Italy for goodness sake! While I was looking Donna went to get the key for the Toilette. After about 10 minutes, I was starting to wonder if she fell in...
No, she was LOCKED IN!!! Seems there had been 'issues' with the door prior, it looked like a bank vault, although Donna said there was nothing worth stealing - not even a nice bathroom, but there she was behind the iron door. I flagged down an employee and tried to explain (with no Italian) what was happening, and then it all got going. 3 - 4 employees all talking to each other and on their phones all at once! The key didn't work and the door wouldn't budge. The firemen were coming, ah but maybe they weren't?! Eventually another employee from a different store showed up who apparently had past experience in 'break & enter' as he used a drill to bore out the centre of the lock and free my wife.
Time lost? One hour!
Getting Donna back? PRICELESS!!
Upside? She got some free chocolates upon 're-entry'!Read more