Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

Wednesday February 14 Valentine's Day

A bright and beautiful sunny day - must be because its Valentine's Day and our 31st wedding anniversary. A lazy morning for me since we didn't have anything planned until noontime so I just checked my e-mail at the library after eating a late breakfast. Watched TV afterwards and did some more Sudoku puzzles until Nette knocked on the door to pick us up. I went down to the conference room, got Mom and joined Nette and her friends Yvonne and Emily infront of the BOQ.

Emily was our driver/tour guide and very much Italianized in her driving ways but in a much safer manner. She was weaving in and out of traffic very smoothly and I was very impressed. Anyway, she took us to a local Capodimonte maker/retailer which was only about 15 minutes away from the base. It was a small establishment with the store infront and the shop in the back. Everything is handmade and certificates are attached to the articles. Mom bought 4 small framed pieces for hanging on the wall and a centerpiece for our friend Jess in Rota. Emily told us that this is were most of the Pinoys get their items because the prices are a lot lower than the NEX. The customer service was very good and the items were packed carefully with plenty of padding. We went back to the Support Site with them, had lunch at the Food Court and then took the bus back to the BOQ.

I went to the library to check the mail and mom went back to the room to take a nap. We're supposed to meet up with her coworkers and conference attendees later on to go out for dinner to celebrate Valentine's Day and our anniversary. We were here the same time last year and they all remembered our special day. There were 11 in the group and 3 taxis took us to the restaurant which was on top of a hill overlooking Naples Bay. Too bad it was nightime and a little overcast so we were not able to enjoy the scenery. The trip was quite exciting though since we had the typical Italian driver that zipped in and out between cars like he's in a race, tailgated and smoked the whole time. I enjoyed the ride except for the smoke which was quite an ordeal since it was about a 20-minute ride.

The restaurant is very nice and was dug into the hillside. The different sections are built like tunnels that branched out in different directions and decorations were a mixture of European, Asian and Middle Eastern. What surprised us was the HUGE German Shepherd (at least an easy 100 lbs.) laying down at the entrance. It's probably the owner's dog and quite docile with the regular patrons patting its head as they went in. You just have to be careful and not step on its tail as you walk by because of the narrow aisle. The food was very good and our group got really loud after a few bottles of wine. In fact we were louder than the Italian patrons and they were looking at us (probably because we're Americans).

We had the same taxis going back to the base but got a different driver this time who was quite cautious and drove a lot slower. Found out later that our hostess instructed the driver after we told her about the trip going out. The driver was laughing and joked about getting extra compensation for his good service. A great day.

Thursday February 15

A cold, overcast and rainy day. Had breakfast with Mom and then walked to the bus station to catch the shuttle to the train station. My mission for the day: to see the ruins of Pompeii. Mom's been there last year and doesn't feel like walking in the rain plus the conference was completed yesterday and she had to meet with the director.

Pompeii is about a 25-minute ride on the local train which travels along the coastline and I was able to enjoy the scenery of the fishing villages and marinas. Since it was a weekday and also raining, there was only a few passengers so it was a fairly quiet ride. One thing I forgot to do though was to have my ticket validated and stamped at the station and the conductor reminded me make sure that I do it coming back or I'll get charged for another ticket.

There was a slight drizzle when I got off the train but I was ready with my umbrella. Walked out of the station, found directions to the ruins and started walking since it was only a short distance from the train station. Found out later that it was actually a 15-minute walk since the actual gates to the ruins are far apart even though the ruins' walls were parallel to the main road. No problem because I needed the exercise anyway. I entered through the Porta Marina which is the main entrance and joined the tourist crowd made up mainly of Japanese and Chinese so I felt right at home. It was quite amusing watching and listening to the Italian guides speaking in Japanese.

The roads and structures (except for the roofs) are mostly intact and were preserved by the volcanic ash and debris that covered the city. The streets were paved with large blocks of stone and bordered by curbs and pedestrian walkways. There were also raised stones that pedestrians used to cross when the streets were flooded. I followed the entrance road into the Forum which is the city's center of activity facing Mt. Vesuvius. The guide map identified the structures which included a basilica, museum and a marketplace along with various temples and shrines. So much history to take in because as you look around, you try to imagine what the city looked like. Too bad the weather wasn't cooperating. I had a hard time taking pictures while holding the umbrella, looking at the guide map and watching my steps because of the uneven surface.

The various residences were clearly identified especially for the VIP's which were quite spacious with multiple rooms. The mosaic designs are very impressive as well as the frescoes on the walls. I just followed the road and eventually got to the ampitheater. According to one of the websites, this is considered to be the world's oldest known amphitheater. It's about the size of a modern football stadium and had a seating capacity of 12,000. Took some pictures in the tunnel and the center and returned to the Forum where there is a restaurant to dry/warm up a bit. Consulted my map and then headed back out to look for the theaters which I unknowingly passed by earlier. There was a group of young Japanese tourists at the small theater and they were acting out something because the group leader was giving them instructions to go to specific spots and strike a pose. I had to wait for them to leave to take my pictures.

The weather started getting worse so I just kept on following the street and didn't bother to look at the map anymore because of the wind and rain. My shoes were soaked and water was seeping in from the toes so my feet were now cold and wet so I decided to head back to the train station. I used a different gate this time because I was on the other side of the city away from the Porta Marina. I noticed a church steeple when I was by the ampitheater and recognized it as the one directly infront of the train station. Like an old salty sailor, I got my bearings and finally found Nuceria Gate. It was a smaller gate but closer to the train station. Stopped at the cathedtral for a prayer visit, took pictures and then walked back to the train station. Quite a long, tiring and wet but fulfilling day.

Friday February 16

Had breakfast at the Capo, mailed the package with excess clothes to accomodate the items we bought from the Capodimonte in our carry-on luggage and then took the bus to the Support Site to meet with our friend Bhullets. She's trying to get a room for us at the Pontifico Collegio Filippino in Rome for Friday and Saturday. It is a Pontifical College near the Vatican and is the home for Filipino priests pursuing advanced ecclesiastical studies. It also serves as the lodging for members of the church visiting Rome. Filipinos on a pilgrimage to Rome are also allowed to stay but on a space available and referral basis only and payments are accepted as donations for the maintenance and upkeep of the building.

She was able to arrange accommodations for us so we had to hurry back to the base, pack our bags and then catch a bullet train to Rome. We were able to get to the station 10 minutes before the next train left but ended up leaving 20 minutes later with no explanation about the delay. About halfway through the trip, the train started slowing down and then completely stopped. After some false starts and stops, we finally continued on and arrived at Roma Termini about 65 minutes late. Our sponsor, Evelyn, was supposed to meet and escort us to the place but since she had another commitment and we were an hour late, she just called us and gave directions on how to get there via the Metro.

We also called Sister Helen at the Collegio to let her know that we got delayed and were taking the Metro. She advised us to just take a taxi since it was already late and the subway may not be safe because of the pickpockets and bums. She also assured us that the taxi drivers know the place and will not rip us off so we got in line outside the station and got on one. Another exciting experience as the driver wove in and out of traffic but we were quite confident of his driving abilities so we just sat back and enjoyed the view as we drove by the floodlit landmarks.

The place was past the Vatican and the driver was familiar with the area but unsure of the address so he was reading the numbers as we drove by. We almost passed it because the place was dark but the driver had sharp eyes and made a very abrupt right turn and stop at the gate. I was very impressed because there was just enough room for the taxi to clear the street and park without getting hit. It was about a 20-minute ride but fairly cheap and the driver was very thankful when I gave him a tip. It was well worth it.

The gates were closed and the lights in the building were out so we just buzzed the intercom and asked for Sister Helen. She buzzed us in and one of the priests let us into the building. She showed us to our room which was on the third floor and mentioned that it is where the bishop normally stays when he is visiting. It has a separate receiving room and then the bedroom which has a queen-size bed. The rooms were quite spacious including the bathroom. She already had the room heaters turned on plus two additional electric heaters so it was fairly warm. She gave us keys for the lobby doors and the gate and informed us there is no curfew and that we can come and go as we please. She also gave us directions to a Chinese restaurant and how to get to the subway station.

We unpacked our bags and headed out to the Chinese restaurant which was about a block and a half away. It was a nice restaurant and was halfway full with Japanese and Italian customers when we came in. The menu had a wide variety of selections and the prices were very reasonable. We ordered two entrees each with rice because we assumed that the orders were small because of the price. The waiter was surprised and mentioned it was too much (and he was right). We just took our time since we were very hungry anyway after a long day. A very good meal.

The class members were having a ping-pong tournament at the lounge when we got back so we watched for a while and chatted with them along with Sister Helen and the Mother Superior. I viewed the pictures and newsclips on the wall which related the history of the institution. Mom went back to the room and went to bed after a while and I stayed behind and watched the end of the tournament.