Italy Volume III

Here it is, the third installment of my Italy trip:
On Sunday I was able to go to church in the morning so that I could
try and get more phone numbers of people that I knew here in Italy.
I've almost found everyone I wanted to find...just one more person.
Actually, on Saturday, I went to the mission home to see who was there
and if they could help me. Every phone number they gave me except one
ended up not working, so on Sunday I was able to get two more phone
numbers. I wasn't feeling well at all on Saturday, so I didn't do
much. I had a horrible sinus headache and a cough. The cough remains
of course, but the headache went away by the next day fortunately.
Anyway, I left Sunday afternoon for Naples and arrived that evening at
the most amazing Hostel I've ever seen. It's only 15 Euro a night and
has a Club/Bar attached where they make food and offer music and
dancing every night. The rooms are newly rennovated so they're very
cozy, and best of all, I have free internet access. I just hook my
laptop up and I'm connected! :-) I decided to relax on Sunday and
enjoy my new surroundings and call people that I had phone numbers
for.
Gaia and Fabiana were the first to be contacted. They live in Caserta
which is about a 25-30 minute train ride north from Naples. I planned
to meet them at around 1:00 on Monday. So, Sunday I went to the
grocery store and paid next to nothing for a water, a yogurt, and a
peach for breakfast...I love being out of the tourist trap costs of
Rome.
My day in Caserta on Monday was so great! I met Gaia and Fabiana at
the train station and we went back to their apt for lunch where I met
their parents and had a lovely little pasta meal with friends chatting
about nothing important, but loving the opportunity to speak no
English. It was so great...suddenly, my Italian is coming back to me
as if I never left. In fact, (sidetrack) this morning I walked into a
pastry shop for a chocolate crescent and I couldn't think of the name
in Italian, when the barrista asked me what I would like, it just came
out...just like that. I LOVE being here. When I'm rich, I'm buying a
summer home in Italy so I can come here every summer! (return) We
chatted about old times and caught each other up on each other's
lives. After lunch we went to visit Allessandro and his new wife
Sara. They were married in New York in June. I didn't know they were
there, or I could have come to their reception. We chatted tons more
about all kinds of things. After that we went to the mall in Caserta
(which is very small), and shopped for a few things for Gaia and
Fabiana. They are going to England at the end of this week for a week
long vacation there. By the time they get back, I'll be back in Rome,
so they're going to come visit me there once they fly in :-)
Today is fer'agosto (August holiday) so absolutely nothing is open
except beaches and the cafes and bars near them. I went to the beach
this morning and got some sun. I came back for lunch and to write
this little e-mail, and I'll go back and do some swimming this
afternoon. I'm definitely on vacation. For those of you who are
jealous, I hope you get to have a vacation as wonderful as this one
some time soon because this is seriously so great!
All right, I'm off to enjoy more of the beach. Have a great day everyone!