A lot of planning went into this trip/adventure/experience in Italy in order to make it happen at a reasonable price and to accomodate two people traveling together but returning separately.
For one thing, we flew in and out of Rome which is not convenient to Guardia Sanframondi. That neccessitatated each of us spending the night in Rome before we left for the USA for morning flights. Also since Joel would be arriving in Rome at night, he would have to stay a night before taking a train in the morning to Campania to join me.
Peter left Guardia early on a Monday morning for Rome. He wanted to be able to spend the day there and meet up with Christina, our friend we met last year who manages a B&B there. Pasquale, who can arrange almost anything, got Peter a driver to take him to Rome right to the hotel, which I had booked right near the train station. After he checked into the hotel I think he did have a few minutes of anxiety; it’s hard to be in a place where you don’t speak the language although in Rome that’s not such an issue BUT Peter didn’t also have a telephone there. Somehow he talked a bartender in the cccccc hotel into allowing him to make a phone call to me. Without a smart phone or iPad he couldn’t check himself in early and didn’t remember his flight time or number. I calmed him down and assured him I would get all this information to Christina through WhatsApp and she would relate it to him. Really technology overseas can be your savior! 
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He spent the day roaming around Rome; the 
And he found his way to the 
He even discovered Rome’s own underground metro system which I might add he was a little disappointed in because they only have 3 lines AND the cars and stations are not very clean or pretty – Graffiti everywhere!!! 
Later on he met up with Christina and they had tea and dinner while they waited for Joel to arrive. Joel was due to land around 8:30pm and expected to join Peter around 9:30. And when he did he was starving! OK so they’ll all eat another dinner! Look at cute these two guys are in Roma…. 
I had them booked at the Hotel Marsala, Peter said his room was fine, Joel said his room smelled like dirty socks. The next morning Peter took off to the airport and Joel headed to the Termini to find the train that would take him to Telese where he would be picked up and brought to Guardia.
ARRIVEDERCI ROMA
FAST FORWARD: All good things come to end eventually and the time had come for Joel and I to take our leave of Guardia Sanframondi. It was sad, there were tears, we gave away any remaining food and we headed north to Rome, where we would spend the night and leave for the airport the next morning.
With the pedal to the metal we made as good time as we could because we had to get the car returned by 1pm. At least I didn’t have to encounter Andreas, the ass who was at the counter when I rented the car a month earlier. Finally after more hairpin turns in the parking garage, we reached the 5th floor where two guys began poring over the car – finally I said, “It’s perfetto”! And we were off to the Hotel Marsala which was within walking distance but not by car which is exactly what can happen in Rome or Florence. You can see your destination however to get there by taxi 🚕 (you remember the multiple suitcases), well we went this way, that way, and around and finally we arrived. I was so hot and tired, I couldn’t imagine taking a room such as I imposed on Joel and Peter (single bed, shared bathroom in the hall)! So I upgraded us to a private bath and WiFi. My room was glorious.
I just wanted to rest because we had an evening planned for us by Jessica, one of my daughter, Chiara’s college dorm mates! Jessica moved to Italy shortly after college graduation to work in the travel industry. She married an Italian and they live in a very toney neighborhood in Rome with their adorable little girl, Beatrice.
Well Jessica outdid herself and arranged for a fabulous 2 hour golf cart tour of Rome for Joel and I. She knew I would have a really difficult time hobbling around with my boot and cane. It was so much fun and our driver/private tour guide was exactly what you would expect – very good looking, tall, lean and very Italian!
We zipped around central Rome, stopped at Church, Joel wanted to see, saw the Colliseum and learned that originally it had been totally covered in marble ( I’m not surprised after having seen marble in every house and store and bar in Guardia). The marble was stripped off to build the Basilica and the Papal Palace. Of course we went to Trevi Fountain where Joel tossed the obligatory 3 coins in the fountain. He had received explicit instructions from our new Guardia friend, Michael on how to throw coins the night before. I’m pretty sure he got the correct arm over the appropriate shoulder considering both he and Mike discussed this over many glasses of Luigi’s excellent wine and topped off with Limoncello.
“Take it from me Joel, it works”.
Mom to Joel: “Hey that’s a lot of Limoncello you’re chugging there”
Now if they work he will fall in love, get married and return to Rome….MMmmmm
To be continued…
I want to buy a jar to take home and the olive oil. We went out of town towards Telese to the Forreste cooperative. What a place! Like gas pumps, there are huge silver tanks with indications as to what wine is in them. You literally pump your own wine in multi-liter jugs. This is definitely better than a wine club!
We spent a couple of hours poring over ledgers from the 1890’s through the early 1900’s. I was trying to determine which brother was the older, my grandfather, Luciano or his brother, Antonio -a great debate had ensued over the winter between cousins. It’s amazing what can get so-call lost in translation or just misinformation! Anyway to set the record straight, Grandpa Louie was the elder.
Bill Ding and his band of clowns are the security patrol for this blog site. He is a favorite toy from the 50*s. By the way sometimes a blog is just an ego-maniacal stream of conscience.
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