#6: journals by Ric Carter (himself) & Maureen O'Connell (herself)
Wed 18 April 2001 (S. Apollonio), airborne.
Last night's "gala dinner" sendoff party (a weekly SAGA ritual) was memorable, with one fellow hop-step dancing to a tarantella, and we even won the grand prize in a drawing, a nice bit of crockery that matches our other ceramic acquisitions. But then we had to retire, and pack, and try to sleep, and awaken much too early, and finish packing, and drag our sorry butts downstairs, and ride Aldo's minibus down the coast and up the autostrada in the dark, and hop onto the Naples-Milan and Milan-SanFrancisco planes without breakfast, and devour some rolls and apples and booze for sustenance. And now we're headed for Greenland and California in economy-class agony, and the day will never end.
Songs:
FAR BEHIND
LEFT ON A JET PLANE
I JUST WANNA BE ABDUCTED
BITE ME (Again)
A LONG FLIGHT
Wed 4 am [18 April]
Up in a daze. Waiting in lobby for driver, and having tea and cake. Aldo is driving, and out via Salerno. He says Tramonti is too dangerous in the dark. The motorway to Naples is almost deserted and we make good time. I watch out the window a scene that was so strange 3 weeks ago, but is now quite familiar. The shadows of apartment buildings surrounded by orchards and garden plots. The twinkle of lights along the bay. Imagining the outlines of Capri & Ischia.
Then, one final treat as we fly away — a clear daylight view of Capri [Ischia]. We see it is the remnant of several calderas with buildings and roads, and even a community on a grid of roads dead center in one caldera.
We heard from several guides that Vesuvio is expected to have a major eruption within 10 years. I hope a better evacuation plan is prepared soon, if possible. So few roads and so many people. This culture of the family may have great sorrow some day — or none if they all go together. I hope it is all still for a long time to come.
Thurs 19 April 2001 (S. Espedito), Forestville.
Back at last, nourished and refreshed, i.e. not exactly clean. The flight was over endless bright cloudcover with hardly a trace of land to be seen, the endless sun beating hot against our window, another ride atop wings and engines. This flight was full, no free seats to lounge across, no dorm-feel after a couple hours. The only respite from chair-confinement was to stroll the narrow aisles, tush-tucking and twisting to avoid other strollers and crew and food carts. There's more legroom in the toilets than in the seating. And after meals, piles of munchies and jugs of juice and splits of wine were freely available in the service bays. Alitalia meals are decent, but they're still airline food...
TIPS ON SURVIVING LONG FLIGHTS (OUTSIDE FIRST CLASS):
- Wear comfortable clothes, preferably convertible black synthetics (see my TIPS ON TRAVEL CLOTHES); and be prepared for too-cool and too-warm cabin environments (not to mention your destinations).
- Haul just ONE carry-on bag containing: whatever you CANNOT live without; delicate / valuable items; a complete spare change of clothes (in case your other luggage is lost); and suitable reading / writing / entertaining stuff.
- Also carry a BAG OF FOOD!! Take bread rolls, fruit (apples, pineapples, whatever), water, wine, etc. — you never know when they'll get around to feeding you, especially if your plane's grounded for some hours whilst technicians / administrators diddlyfuck around.
- DRINK LOTS OF FLUIDS!! Airplane cabins are intensely dehydrating, and dehydration can make you sick; and staying hydrated also promotes the next item:
- STAND UP AND WALK AROUND WHENEVER POSSIBLE! Piss breaks make good excuses, and you really don't want blood-clots or frozen joints or severe muscle pain to embellish your journey.
- DON'T ARGUE WITH CREW OR OTHER PASSENGERS! Air rage is no fun — just smile and nod agreeably, then continue doing whatever you want, like rummaging around First Class for goodies.
- Finally, DON'T TELL ANYONE THAT YOU SEE ALIENS! If UFOs are circling the plane or monsters are tearing away at the wings and fuselage, just keep your damn mouth shut. Nobody else wants to hear about it.
- For more info, see Travel Tips: Air Travel
Eventually we're aground at SFO. A quick run through passport control and customs, a quick dash to our just-arrived express bus, then a long slow scenic amble across the evening commute's gridlocked roadnet, along the coastal approach to the Golden Gate Bridge and up Sonoma County backroads. This whole region, so physically similar to the Bay of Naples, is yet MUCH richer and less congested, at this point in time anyway. Dropped at our can, we grab deli sandwiches and beer and are HOME AT LAST!! Whew...
HOME AT LAST!
Summations, Cogitations, Recriminations
THIS IS THE END: OK, it's summation time, with random thoughts and memories:
What was best? Walking the hill and town paths, narrow passages and low overhangs and steep stairs and all. Grabbing a couple tasty pizzas to eat at quayside, then the boat rides along the coast. The shrines and tilework and decorations on buildings and walls and rocks and vehicles. Walking the coast road. Great cheap fresh foods of field and sea. Charming people.
What was worst? All the smokers. Gouging restauranteurs. Urban sprawl of Naples (and Salerno to a lesser degree). Fast-changing weather that screwed with some planned walks and excursions.
What was memorable? Intensive exploitation of the land. Everywhere the villages, orchards, churches, homes, shrines, motorbikes, tiny trike lorries. Dogs with attitude. Skilled bus pilots. Ordered chaos on the roads, happy chaos in the towns. Old folds trying to talk to us strangers. A duck in a shrine. Magnificent art in cathedrals, sometimes-strange art in small chapels. Totally-corrupted radio music. The views from almost anywhere. The African priest and Asian nun in Minori. Afternoon and evening promenading (passagiatta?) along waterfronts and plazas. Easter candies and flowers. The utter ancient CIVILIZATION of the place. And so much more...
BOTTOM LINE: OK, so we gotta go back for more of Naples/Amalfi; AND explore the rest of Italy and the Mediterranean basin. Other travelers tell us: north Italy is best; south France is best; all of France outside Paris is best; Paris is best; south Italy is cheapest; Portugal is cheapest; south Spain is cheapest, immaculately clean, many Brits retire there. Who's right? Who isn't?
So it sounds like a good idea to get to Europe after retirement, buy a campervan, then tour the old world, inspect it all close-up. Rent the occasional moped for jaunts up narrow tracks; rent the occasional villa for lengthier, in-depth investigations; rent the occasional cat for companionship; ship the occasional crate of guidebooks and souvenirs back home to the States.
The adventure continues...
Observations [back in Forestville]
Bakeries are also candy stores and bars. The doors are open to the street and a large glass window displays the treats. You'd never see this in California. Here the family can all enjoy a treat together.
Tobacco is sold in stamp shops w/ bus tickets.
Passengers stamp their own bus tickets — the honor system. But, inspectors hop the buses to find the cheaters. The find is 100 x the fare. The tickets are by fare only - no departure or destination names. Those inspectors must learn every route, fare and schedule.
The bus drivers communicate w/ traffic w/ their horns. One group of sounds means "look out here I come", another "you back up", another "I'll back up". I miss the sound of those horns.
The walls that make the sides of the road are marked in white and black stripes where buses make wide turns and cars must not stop.
There are mirrors on some curves.
One morning when walking into Maiori there was a three wheel truck perched in the road and the old man driver was eating a sandwich while leaning on the wall and gazing at the fishing boats in the harbor [below].
Italians who live here dress all in black and may use cell phones. Mostly young & mid age adults on cell phones — everywhere. Rings & chats on the bus, in the streets, shops, everywhere along the marine promenade.
The evening passeggiata is a town event, with more folks at the weather warms, strolling back & forth along the marine promenade. Our last night was the most busy and included a soccer game, and air-filled kiddy slide, and gelato from the permanent vendor by the fountains w/ the 2,000 [1000] year old lions. People drink from the lions' mouths. Bright annual flowers were added to the promenade gardens during the last week's preparations for the beginning of the season. The madonna in the cliff grotto a the far end of the promenade has a halo of clear christmas lights, a blue spot[light] and is guarded by a circle of chain-connected anchors. There are fresh flower here too.
The neon light on the hotel across from the 2,000 year old Roman villa excavation winks at us in Miami colors as we stroll back to our hotel. The shops are open for evening trade. Ceramics, produce, meat, beauty supplies, pharmacy, bakery and bar. Black clad people strolling everywhere. I'll miss you, Minori.
