CALAMATTA’S HOUSE

April 13, 2017

It started out so smooth, and went south so quickly.

We got off the ship early and walked to Calamatta Piazza to wait for our host.  I arranged to be able to use my cellphone in Italy on an as needed basis, and lo and behold, the email wouldn’t work.  Just by chance, I sent a text to Amy and she was awake (at 3 a.m. Georgia time).  She emailed Ernesto and told him we were here.  A few minutes later his assistant came and let us in. 

We headed out to make arrangements for next week to get to the Rome Airport (a taxi driver at the port gave us his card and we decided after checking at the train station, to use him).  We ate at a restaurant we enjoy near the train station and headed back for an afternoon nap.

We have had problems with the door on the apartment before, so we practiced before we left, and yes, you guessed it, the door wouldn’t open.  After about 15 fruitless minutes, I again texted Amy to email Ernesto.  Before they made contact, one of our neighbors came in and I asked him if he could get our door open.  It took him two tries, but he opened the door.  I told Amy to tell Ernesto get someone out here to fix it, and a man came in about 30 minutes.  There is no secret to the lock.  You just have to have great hand strength, which typing 100 words a minute does not generate, but crocheting minions, potholders, afghans, hats, etc., does.  Bonnie is the official door unlocker of this group.  And a great job she does.

I will let her pick up and tell you the rest of the story.

TTFN

Getting off the ship was relatively easy and then we waited in line for a shuttle, boarded said shuttle and he dropped us at the same place we had boarded a shuttle when we cruised from here is December. It was a not to long of a walk up to the piazza and we were sitting in the piazza on a bench watching all the people from the other 2 cruise ships and out fellow passengers walk up the street toward the train station and other places. After getting into the apartment it wasn’t long before we ventured off to go to the train station to check out our future excursion to Pisa. It will cost about 80 Euros for the train. It is a 3 hour train ride. We will try and leave about 7. No luggage just us.  After checking about a taxi to Rome to the airport, they wanted 140 euros if we booked in advance, we decided to try the cab driver who gave us his card as we got off the ship. He wanted 90 euros including our luggage.

We headed back to the apartment and decided to have  lunch. We stopped at a little shop we had been to before. We had a hot dog, fries and a coke. 3.50 euros each. Very good and hot fries. No mustard but they had ketchup. Then, we decided to check out the nearby supermarket and then made our way to the open market at the top of the town. It is open outside stalls with fresh fruits and vegetables, and little kiosks with some having meat and cheese, some have bread, there is one with flowers and some have canned and jarred food. We found eggs, cheese, pancetta, bread, jelly, and butter at the market at the top of the town. Then, we went to a little more modern market down nearer our apartment and got oj, water, paper towels, lettuce and salad dressing. So we have everything we need to have breakfast tomorrow and a salad for lunch or supper. We will eat out one meal.

After the kindness of the young strong neighbor man, we got into the apartment after a very frustrating time. We have solved that problem for now. Then, we laid down and took a short nap. After getting up we decided to go out and walk around. It is still light and not very cold. Needed a jacket but it is nice outside. We wandered up the streets behind our place and down to the major shopping thoroughfare and walked up to where there is a roundabout and then back down. We were headed back down to the street that goes to the train station to go to a restaurant for a pizza. But on our way down the street we saw a sign for a wood fired pizza place. It was down a side street so we decided to check it out. It was just a half of a block down and we stopped and we read the menu outside 1 kg pizza for 12 euros. We went inside. No one else was there but we decided to try it. We tried to order just a half of a pizza but they thought we wanted a half each, Oh my there were at least 18 pieces. We ate half and brought the rest home for lunch another day. It was good but had no tomato sauce . It was like a hot sandwich on pizza dough. Very good dough it had ham, cheese and another meat.

Got to learn the word for one half. Well, we came home and I wrapped up the pizza and put it in the fridge.

Today we walked 16,480 steps (not counting steps inside apartment) which is 7 miles.

Well, we are attired in out pjs and I have been crocheting. We will probably play cards again and he forged back into in the lead last night before supper.

P.S. I got the door open on the first try. Yeah me.

Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie