Hello From Bahrain: Chapter 7 (Germany & Italy)
Part 2
Day six, we have to be up early to take the car in and catch the train so the hotel had our breakfast ready before their regular time. We first go to Innsbrook, Austria and here we change trains to go to Rome. A young girl by the name of Iris sat in our cabin and we were grateful for that since she’s half Austrian & half Italian and even speaks English. Having her there helped us communicate with others in the cabin. An Italian guy named "Luigi" came on board on one our many stops and was very friendly to us. That’s the only thing I didn’t like about Germany. The people were so reserved. Not these Italians though. They are really out going. We changed trains in Rome and then we were on our way to Naples. Danny called guys he knows in Naples to pick us up and take us to a hotel there. Well we arrived around 11pm. Chip & his Italian landlord (another Luigi) and upstairs neighbor were waiting for us. But instead of taking us to a hotel, he takes us to his house. ( I also know Chip and his wife Joanna from when they were living in Bahrain). We are too tired to argue with him. so we stay. We are also hungry so Danny and Chip go out and get us a "pizza". Hey, we were in Italy!
Day seven, Chip and Joanna take us to the base to do a little shopping. That night we went upstairs to a "Name Day" party that Luigi and his wife (another) Joanna were giving their teenage daughter. They had three large tables set up outside on the terrace. We were served a seven course dinner and I loved every bit of it. Joanna (Italian)is a great cook & did all the cooking. The pasta sauce was made from fresh tomatoes that she had jarred the day before. They were a large family and everyone of them were as nice to us as they could be. I attempted to communicate in Italian and did manage to learn a few words. The father of the clan who was in his late seventies and walked with a cane, sat next to me at the table and he was so sweet. He was always looking out for me…..to see if I had wine or enough to eat. The children put on a show for us with their singing and dancing. This was such a beautiful family to include us in on their family celebration and we did enjoy the whole night!
Day eight, we went and had breakfast on base and then to a market. There Danny bought sandals and I tried on leather coats, but couldn’t find one to fit me. I sure wish I could have found one since they had such good prices. On our drive to the market Joanna pointed out the burial sites. They look like apartment buildings and there were blocks and blocks of them. That afternoon we went to the town of "Sorrento" which is on a cliff overlooking the sea and is a resort with lots of shops and restaurants. This is a great place to shop but being the only one of the four who wanted too, I felt rushed so I didn’t buy as much as I would have liked. We ate there and then drove back. It was late and we did as much packing as we could since we had to leave for Bahrain the next day. We do plan on coming back to Italy before we return to the States since I still haven’t spent any time in Rome. I only saw the train station.
Day nine, and August 20th we rode in with Chip to work to catch the Mac Flight back. We went to Sicily and had a two hour lay over. Crete was next and we waited another two hours. We arrived in Bahrain at 11pm and boy does that heat hit you as you are getting off the plane. You feel as if you have stepped into an oven. (We will miss the great weather we had on our trip.) We took a cab home and Winnie was so happy to see us.
Next time it’s more of Bahrain….until then…..
Sylvia