Pompei-Naples-Palermo-Roma
This will be as short as we can make it as we are sure the others have been a bit long reading.... and we are attempting to wrap up from: Positano to Sicily to Montecalvo Irpino and back to Roma for a final Whirlwind “Arrivederci Roma”!!!
KABAAAAMMMM......kathunk.....kuthunk.... Sssst…. kathunk....ssssttt….
Oooohhhh S#!T o.... e.... y.. y.... y......
The road was 45 degrees down hill, Chuck is riding the break and backing down the transmission in third gear and we’re still going 60 MPH......when........
Oh wait.... We’re two days ahead of the story.....
We start off with the great ferry ride to Sicily.... but first another reminder......
When doing Pompei, DO NOT....REPEAT...DO NOT EAT AT THE PARKING AREA to the right of the exit from the Autostrade, across from the road up to the entrance to the Excavation. Food horrible... service worse and attitude????? Oh YEAH !!!
The race back from Pompei to the ferry in Napoli was a bit hectic....
[Illy—O....E.....Y...Y......O.....] The kamakazies in Napoli are worse than those in Rome.... and trying to find a way into the port... [again the Mapquest directions failed to note that there is no way going North to make the recommended left turn into the port.... soooooo.....Chuckie, taking a lead from the kamakazies ahead of him, makes the famous “Girare-U” just before the tunnel leading north to Rome.... Right in front of the 3 Polizia, waiting to take tag numbers and mail you a ticket.... soooooo… the Avis Bill may have an additional add on for Traffic control.... we’ll see.
We finally find the way into the port..... pay for the tickets....only get lost finding the boat [3 times.....—Illy>>> “watch out for the tourists.....look out!!!! NO...wrong way......opppsssss, go back....” After a protracted attempt to calm her... we...emphasis on WE... finally find the right boat and get in line to board the car. This is an exact science for these guys. You should see the Tandem semi’s backing onto the ship Parking is easy.... and up to get the cabin key...not too bad.... nice outside cabin with all the comforts of home [Riiigght....] well it was pretty good...and the bathroom was as big as the one in the hotel Oxford [Ok.... just a little smaller].... but the shower was hot, the beds comfortable and all in all, a good choice.
Cocktails before dinner introduced us to a former Miami Beach Bartender, now on the boat.... [Loved Miami] never did get his name, and off to a lovely dinner, Where... we sit next to this cute foursome. Guy and three girls..... Interesting hairdo’s..... they were having too much fun.... so they rated a Picture.... which led to conversation and exchange of email addresses etc. He owns a Beauty Salon in Carini, Sicily... North of Palermo [this explains the interesting hair colors etc.] along with his wife Rosanne, traveling with two employees. Soooooo… after dinner.... it HAD to be coffee and Brandy in the Bar... and Photo’s around... Kisses around... Ciao’s around and promises to Write... [they even have an email address.]
Hhhhhmmm.... 2 Cocktails apiece.... [not small ones]... bottle of wine.... Cocktails after... and more cocktails..... Guess who slept well?
The boat [which left 1 hour late] made the time up and docked precisely at 7AM..... and boy do they hustle the cars off. We were on the way to Hotel Bel3 [getting past the morning rush
hour in the city center... O....e.....E...y...y...] and traveling smoothly with a purposeful and planned Girare-U and following the well placed signs to “Hotel Bel 3 -->” and winding our way up another serpentine mountain road to arrive at the best view in Palermo. Those of you who had a chance to log onto the webcam site from the hotel cannot appreciate the view we had in person [film at 11]
Delightful people who, after we went in search of something big to make the “Hi USA” sign, helped us to get it up..... only to find that it was too far from the camera to be read. [changed the location later but not much better]
Actually... this is how it really went. After a fun ride down the hill.... we spotted an Esso Gas Station that was using the back of large advertising posters for daily announcements.... Soooooo the ever hustling Chuckie talks them out of a poster and magic marker and does the sign there.... Of course he draws a crowd and has to explain in his ever improving, broken Italian.... about his “Amici’s” in America waiting for a sign from us. The had a good laugh and wished us “Buono Fortuna”.
Back to the hotel.... up the snake road...o...o..e...e....e.....y......[some of these guys come down the mountain and around the corners at 60 MPH] rush to put up the sign and head out for Termini Imerese.... the home of Chuckie’s ancestors.
Finding Termini was easy.... getting out of Palermo was another thing..... the guy at the hotel said “20 Minuti to Termini”....Yeah..... but he didn’t mention 30 minutes to get outta Palermo... Kamakazies and all !!!!.
Rolling into Termini, we proceeded to get lost often and on purpose to get the flavor of the city And get lost we did.... After passing the same corner 3 times and going down the same narrow one-way street twice [just wide enough to keep the tires off the side walk] we decided it might be a good idea to find a map!!!
Well now... the train station doesn’t have them.... the tabachi shops don’t have them... the hotels don’t have them.... NOBODY has them!!!! Seems like nobody gets lost here but us!!!! Sooooo… we do the usual thing:
“Senore...Mi Scusi....Puo Dire Mi, Dove il Ufficio della Municipio” [Please tell me where to find the Municipal offices]
Figured we might as well get started looking for the Family info.....
Well.... after getting chased out of the Piazza in front of the Municipio by the cop who indicated parking a few blocks away.... we encountered “Louis”, who, at the instance of his associate... directed us to another location, the “Ufficio Comunale” [another nice local even offered to lead us there].....to find one Senorina Cardalla.... Once there, we attempted to find the info on Chuck’s grandparents etc. but the dates were hazy.... and of course Chucky had left all the Mortuary cards at home with the birth dates etc.... Soooooo she says...”Come back with a date and we’ll help you”, expecting to never see us again. [little did she know how determined we were!!!!]
Now we’re off to find a phone to call Greg back home, to find the info in a folder.... somewhere on Chuckie’s desk....[Have you seen Chuck’s desk lately?] and on the way.... we spot.... Ta DA!!!! the >>> “Ufficio Della Tourismo”!!!!! [hey.... They gotta have maps!!!!] Wellllllll...yes...and no...but they did load us up with lots of touristy stuff [all in Italian of course] and gave Illy a very complicated but precise map to the Public phones.... ask her to show it to you later [only found them the next day... Some map!!!] The phones that don’t take coins.... Only credit cards etc......
So Hey..... Maybe the Grand Hotel Terme [coincidentally in the same neighborhood as the Grandfathers house.... oooppps we are ahead of the story] Maybe they will let us make a call on the house phone and bill our credit card. After the third trip up and down “Via Serpintina” [real name] we’re getting good at finding the hotel and after a protracted attempt at getting the desk clerk to work with us, we are directed to a hot... steamy… unlit phone box. [This is the “Grand” Hotel Terme?] We finally get a line out to call Greg.... who by now, is off to work and all we get is his voice mail..... The much frustrated Chuckie tries everything.... and can’t even get the U.S. information operator to answer the phone....
Sooooo.... after another short trip around the town.... we tumble upon the cute little Ristorante “Sal e Pepe” [Salt and Pepper] that was recommended by the Tourist lady of the nonfunctional phone map who gave even worse directions to the Ristorante, for a delightful meal before heading back to the hotel in Palermo. [Another photo op..... should have one for every Ristorante and Bar we ate in.
Alternating between the Autostrade and the coastal road for Pictures and flavors of the region, we arrive back in Palermo.... just in time for... RUSH HOUR!!!!!..... Soooo... the ever adept at map reading Illy,,,, [NOTTT] and the not too observant Chuckie, blow past our left turn at McDonalds [Yeah....the same McD’s, even in Sicily] and wind up way north of Palermo before we can get an Uscita [exit] for another Girare-U.... getting good at these Italian U Turns.....
Now..... after getting lost a few more times... .we find the right turn [at McDonalds] for “Via Leonardo Di Vinci” and back to the hotel for a mediocre meal and hot bath....
After Chuckie sits on and breaks Illy’s glasses... we called Greg for the Right Dates and any other family info we could scare up. [He really tried to send that file Rene...] We then wrote the NOWAT report from Bel 3. [this really isn't out of order… just seems that way.]
The next morning after locating a very nice Ottica [Optical repair and sale place].... right on Via L. Di Vinci .... Who would not take any payment for a very speedy repair of Illy’s glasses, we were off to Termini with the right dates etc.
We completely surprised Angela [Cardalla] who, with the assistance of the Lovely “Salvi” another delightful local Civil servant, and with good dates to start with, really got into digging up the info.
Not only did we get the Birth info for the grand parents. But the Great grand parents as well and… their marriage certificates TOO! Once we had a good starting date, the girls got really excited and had more OLD books.... the size of small boulders all over the place... tracing, and backing into info..... Needless to say.... we had a VERY emotional Chuckie on our hands by now... After getting certified copies of all the documents.... we headed out to find some flowers for these nice ladies as they would not take any payment for their services either. Nice folks these native Sicilians…Of Course!!!
Upon returning with some cute desktop dried flower arrangements for both [they were a quite surprised to see us again], Chuck took a stab at the possibility of some addresses for the Grandparents. Lo and behold.... there WERE addresses on the original documents and after some quick map work on the BIG central office map… we were off to find the roots of Chuck’s Sicilian-American family.
Remember the Grand Hotel Terme, So Close yet so far?... So happens it was built at the end of the Very Street on which Chuck’s Great Grandparents gave birth to Filippo Battiste Mercurio [Philip B.- Chuck’s Grandfather]. And… just a few blocks away... the Di Blasi Family gave birth to Dorothea Purpura [nee Di Blasi] who gave birth to Agatha [Ida] Purpura. Ida and her parents immigrated to Cincinnati and [where Phillip B. traveled to to purchase produce for his fathers produce business in Richmond, Indiana] Not sure that they even knew each other in Sicily, but it may have also been arranged] Ida married Phillip B. and together parented Baptiste, Vince and Salvatore August [Charlie], the last of which was Chuck’s dad..... whewwwwww.... that was a very emotional mouthful.!!!
There are abundant pictures of a V E R Y emotional Chuck actually touching the very building of his blood..... and standing in the small square where his grandmother played as a child.
While there, we ran into some very accommodating locals who directed us, rather, lead us to the “Congelati Himera Di Mercurio Diana” the fish market owned by one of the Many Mercurio families in Termini Bas [lower Termini] which is down the hill, close to the port. As opposed to Termini Alta, which is located on top of the hill. The whole bloody area is just one hill after another!!!! It seems that most of the Mercurio’s in Termini were/are fisherman while those that immigrated to America went into the Fruit and Vegetable Business. Diana has a son visiting America, who speaks English, who will call us upon his return to catch up on more family info. NEAT Hunh???
Quite an emotional day to say the least.... a short trip around town in search of more Film once more.... [Finally found the non-coin taking phones], found a Foto Shop along with some Great Panoramic shots of the city, [to be framed for the house]..... and a nice ceramic shop for some goodies...and...
Back to Palermo.... remembering to turn at the McDonalds this time....a rush to get the laundry packed that had been sent out for cleaning [that was still damp].... and off to finish the tour of Palermo before boarding the boat for the return to Napoli.
Better ride back than over.... Better Waiter... better Food and sounder sleep.....It’s about time!!!!!!!!
Upon landing in Napoli.... and a few more Girare-u’s... we were off to Montecalvo Irpino...the birth place of Chuck’s Maternal Grandfather.
Now when we said it was in the mountains.... we had no idea how high up. We actually traveled in and over the clouds on the usual serpentine roads.... o... e.... y... e… o...y.... until we finally found Montecalvo.... not too easily......as usual.
It took no effort to find the Ufici Communale this time though.... now that we knew what to ask for.... and a wonderful gentleman and his assistant were able to find a large amount of info for us.... Again more that we bargained for... Seems that Pops [Chuck’s-Mother's-Dad] had a few more sisters and brothers than we knew about.... so copies of those certificates were also made... Also got addresses.... but after 3 serious earthquakes in the past, most of the original town had been rebuilt and renumbered..
Now the Guy in Montecalvo Municipio provided the 2nd best one liner of the trip.... imitating Steve Martin >>>
”Do you Speaka English.?? Ooohhhh Yeeessssss”....
.
Ok.....another one of those, “ya hadda been there moments” Ask Chuck to replay it for you.
We did however locate what may have been one of the residences of Giovanni Floriano and Maria Theresa Manna. Pops dad was a big Builder in Montecalvo and also bit prolific and had to keep moving into larger quarters to accommodate the growing brood, and of course pictures ensued. This led to meeting a gentleman who currently owned one of the suspected properties [photo op] who then misunderstood the family name [Manna], and directed us to the local “molino” [grain miller] named Marra.
When stopping for clarification of the directions, we encountered another 2 local ladies, one of who accompanied us to the home of the miller and his family. Chuck’s grandfather was Manna [Manno after Ellis island mangled the name in the U.S] The old man who sent us understood Marra... [Chuck’s pronunciation needs a little work]
We caught the Marra’s right after lunch. and even after finding that they were indeed NO relation they still insisted that we join them and would not take NO for an answer.
Let me tell you... Zuppa Fagiole with Potatoes and the Best Broth we have ever had, was never like this at home.... And the Home made wine.... Whewwww... needless to say, they insisted in sending us home with a bottle wine along with some pretzels made from Giuseppe's special flower. A quick Tour of his Mill.... Kisses and photos all around and we’re off to take “Omerata” our elderly guide, home.
Soooooo... now we’re trying to find the right road back to Ariano Irpino, which we had to pass through to get back to the AutoStrade... and instead of taking the correct turn, Chucky barrels straight ahead when...
Down this incredibly steep Hill.... at 45 Degrees.....on this totally desolate country road... at 60 MPH.......riding third gear and the break.....when.........KABAMMMMM.....we hit this 8” deep by 24” across pot hole that was filled with water and all but invisible but impossible to miss at the last minute..... Wellllll.......kathump...kathump..Sssssttt…..kathump...Sssssstttt….kathump....
“OK.....Ya Broke the Car now!!!!” The ever so observant Illy Screeched.
Fortunately we were able to get to the bottom of this wacky gravel… some times dirt road... and to a somewhat level spot to change the flattening tire for the Doughnut spare [Terrible American invention adopted by Alfa Romeo]. We discover that the Rim only had a good ding in it and fortunately we did not rip the VERY expensive Pirelli Tire.
Just then a nice local Tomato Farmer passed by and directed us to a Gas station that also had Pirelli repair shop and after having the ding hammered out, all four tires re-balanced and rotated, we were on our way back to Rome.
Trip back uneventful... actually found the Autostrade on the first try.... of course if you haven’t been on a European Autostrade.... ya gotta try it... We’re Traveling at 80+ MPH and these bozo’s are passing as if We were standing Still!!!!!
One Girare-U in Rome.... [Chuckie studied the Rome map so much before and along with his uncanny sense of directions once he has a good orientation] and we found the Hotel near the Train station.... of course… not before Avis closed.... so we had to park overnight in the Coolest Parking garage we have ever seen... [Turn table auto parking device scoops up and parks the car for you, on another floor altogether!!]
Now we drag the stuff up to the Hotel Scott House, forth floor, and unloaded the bags and the spoils of our search. A Long walk to the Piazza Navona for Dinner after a short Metro ride to the Spanish Steps [to be covered in detail below… Kids... DO NOT try this at home] the Metro stops at 11.30 so we blew the extra tickets we bought and walked to Via Veneto, flagged down a Taxi and crashed for a well deserved rest.
The last day in Italy may... or may not be covered later from Rome.... or if need be… upon our return home.
We certainly hope you have enjoyed traveling with us so far... and we look forward to the flight home... although Illy is not too sure about that 6 AM train ride to the Airport...
Ciao 4 Now
Chuck and the VERY tired.... but very Satisfied with the trip,
Cuban Lady
