An Incident in Rome Almost Ruined My Tour
Two women reminded me of why I don’t like group excursions.
We had been waiting 30 minutes for the tour to begin. Stepping into a small spot of shade, I wiped the sweat from my face. It was only 10:30, and already the temperature had soared to 95.
“I thought this tour was supposed to start at 10,” I grumbled to my husband, who was also angling for shade.
“It was also supposed to be a private tour,” he said. “But there are 19 of us.”
My husband and I like private tours when we travel, to avoid the sort of scenario we were currently experiencing. Group tour guides are informative and engaging, but there are always tourists who can’t keep up, want to cut the excursion short, or show up late.
Today, two people hadn’t shown up. The excursion was supposed to be a nine-hour walking tour of Rome, and I was ready to get started. Our guide, an Italian woman with thick, black hair and a round face flushed with heat, tried to keep the 19 tourists in our group cheerful.
“Just a few more minutes. I believe the late ones are coming,” she chirped, forcing a smile. “Ah! Here they are!”
I watched as two grumpy blonde women trudged through the crowd towards our group. One was youngish, her expression…
