Feels like home

It is now Friday, and I am writing this offline and will post when I can.  

I have arrived at my Grandparent's house in Caulonia, Italy.  I have been here since my arrival on Tuesday evening.  My Aunty and Uncle also live here and my Aunty looks like the spitting image of my own mum except about 20 years younger, that I immediately feel like I am home.

This house is in a remote village, things are pretty backward, so I am mostly offline.  I have been washing my clothes by hand, and my Aunty got given her first vacuum cleaner only a year or two ago when my mum came to visit.  I got asked last night, by a cousin, whilst we were out on our "passagiatta", whether we have street lights in Australia.  I told him no, that electricity hasn't arrived yet; I cook with fire and that I've never heard of the Internet.

I have mostly been eating, eating and eating, yet the best meal I have had is a tomato salad made from  home grown tomatoes and some figs.  The heat is debilitating for those here, but I am enjoying it still, although the humidity ain't great.  It is thundering a lot today, but still no sign of rain.  There is no air-conditioning and my Nonna in particular, is really feeling it.  My biggest complaint is that the mosquitos are eating me alive, but thank God I bought some repellent with me.

My Nonna is now totally blind, and it upset me to see her because she is so thin now, however, she has all her wits about her and is still quite independent.  She puts her medication in different spots around the house so she knows which ones to take when.  She does't need my Aunty to help her.  She can even take herself to the toilet during the day.  At night she wears an incontinent pad which she took great pleasure in telling me how comfortable they are to wear.  And if she needs to go during the night she can't bring herself to go in bed, lying down, so she gets herself up, does her business then changes herself.  It's pretty amazing.

My Nonno on the other hand, who, when last time I was here, had far better health than my Nonna, has let himself go.  He basically can't go climbing the hills with his goats anymore because of his knee, feels the land isn't being looked after and is now quite grumpy.  There is nothing to be done.  He got himself out of bed for my arrival, but hasn't been feeling well these last two days.  If he could just change his mentality, we are sure he would be pretty good for his age.

I am loving catching up with all my cousins.  They are beautiful.  My Italian is pretty shite, but I get by ok, but it is times like these that I wish I knew Italian well. I only planned to stay here a week, but now I fear it is too short.  I will have to come back again soon.  Not, in another 15 years.

Just one more thing.  I arrived here on the wonderful wings of Emirates, so had the pleasure of seeing a tiny bit of the Dubai Airport.  I arrived at Rome Airport, and saw a bit more than at Dubai.  "Che schiffo."  Italians, you are rude, and dirty.  Your economy could be fixed in one swell swoop.  You have a lot to learn.

Arriverderci per un pocco.

-------------------------------

Im back.  Just  a quick story.  I have just got back home from a cousins for dinner.  I have one cousin from one side of the family that is engaged to a cousin from the other side of the family.  Feels a bit weird but is nice.  Thank fuck it's not incest...  Anyhow, I got in the car to go back home and my cousin Luca started pissing himself laughing, and I asked him why.  I figured it was because I had said something in my second rate Italian that I pronounced so wrong that it had another, solicitous type meaning.  Luca said, I'll tell you in a sec.  Instead, he moved the car a few meters, then stopped the car.  I said, "do you want me to get out" and he said "do whatever you want to do", still laughing, and then proceeded to walk off to the other car in the driveway.  I followed him and figured he was playing a prank.

A few moments later I realised that he was simply moving the first car as his car was blocked in.

--------------------------------

I haven't written in quite a few days.  I have been busy eating.  On Saturday morning we went to the Marina, which is short for Caulonia Marina (not really a Marina, merely the main town which is by the sea). We had coffee and a cornetto, which is not an icecream, it is like a croissant with custard cream in the middle.  It is breakfast for the Italians.  That's what I call breakfast!  Then we went to the market and my Aunty bought me a dress as a present.  

Then it was time to go to Zio Pietro's for lunch.  I got there and my Zio was outside sitting in the shade, seemingly spending time with one of his dogs who was 'resting' about a metre away.  My other uncle said something about the dog looking dead, but Zio Pietro said, "no that's his spot, he' sleeping".  So I went and had a look, and well, he looked pretty dead to me.  I said to Zio "vedi, che questo cane e morto" (look, this dog is dead).  My uncle said, "no, he's sleeping".  I insisted he was in fact quite dead...that got people coming in for a closer look.  He was dead.

I later found out, that the next day, this dog's puppy freakily, also died - one of the neighbour's dogs had attacked him! 

After lunch I went and visted my Grandfather's sister Zia Nuzza, Maria and Loredana.

The next day I went to another Uncle's house for lunch.  He has a new, younger girlfriend.  Interesting. His house is right on the beach.  Walked down and saw another relative, Ilario Paparo.  Then my uncle took me to see cousins Bruno, Adriana and Fabio was there visiting from Milan.  Then I went to his ex-wifes place where I would be crashing for the night to spend some time with my gorgeous cousins Sabrina and Claudia.

The girls took me out to 'Locri', another town along the coast where there was a temporary bar on the beach - the coast of Italy is full of them in summer.  The Italians erect temporary bars and discos right on the beach, where you can drink, eat and dance the night away.  Anyway, first we got there and found a spot on the beach with their friends, then with sundown we got a spot in the bar, and I did something crazy - jumped in the sea at night time!  The water was so warm, it was amazing.  I've never done that before, but it was truly incredible.  And when me and Sabrina were in the water, quite by coincidence, there were fireworks.  Everyone was jumping in and out of the water.  What a party.

From there we went to Gioisa for a bite to eat with their friends.  We got home about 1.00am.

The next morning we got up quite early so that I could get some things done in town before heading home for the day.  Given it was my last day before heading North, I needed to be home because relatives would be visiting to say their farewells to me.

My Zia Adriana dropped me home and when I got there, my Aunty Teresa was waiting for me.  That night Simona and Vice and kids, and Luca and Chiara were there for dinner.  My Aunty Rosa made Lasagna for dinner.

---------------------------------

This morning I was up at 6.00 and had to say my goodbyes.  Too too sad.  Both Nonni said that they won't see me again. Toto, Rasalba and Chiara accompanied me to the airport.  These shots were taken at Soverato along the way:

On arrival in Milan I called my Aunty to say I had arrived safely as my Nonna would be worried sick about me.

I had to find my way to Central Station in order to get to Cinque Terre.  I got on the right bus, and a girl I was talking to in the check-in line at the airport said she would help me get to Central from the drop off point.  But it turned out I had to purchase a ticket first (go figure), so I had to get off that bus.  I finally found the kiosk for the tickets (signage in Italy is attrocious).  I got on another bus headed for the City of Milan, and a lovely lovely lady overheard me talking to the bus driver about where to get off etc.  She approached me near the end of the trip and said she would help me as the route I needed was on her train line and that she would tell me where I needed to get off etc.

She walked with me all the way to the Duomo train station (I quite easily could have got lost if I had been on my own).  The Duomo was looking spectacular - the last time I had seen it, it was covered in scaffolding for maintenance.  She pointed out sights of interest and told me that on the balcony of the Galleria that day, that Madonna (the singer) would be making  an appearance.  People were gathered in the square in anticipation.  If I had been on my own I would have stopped and waited, but had I been on my own, I wouldn't have known.

We had to walk quite a bit to get to the right entry point and it turns out that I needed to validate my ticket on the bus, in order for that same ticket to be used for the metro.  So, this Signora entered with her ticket, but I was stuck.  This amazing woman had another ticket in her pocket so she gave me that one to validate (she had realised I hadn't validated the one I had puchased).  She then got us on the right train that would take me to Central Station.  She helped me all the way, and wished me well.  I told her I didn't know what I could do for her.  She said "Salute per Australia".  She said she has a son about my age, and wanted to help.  

Whilst I find the paid help of Italy is of poor qualtiy (putting it nicely), the people of Italy are of big heart.  This woman is a fine example.  I will remember her forever I'm sure.

---------------------------------

I arrived at Central Station, but buggered if I could work out where I needed to be from that point.  I wandered around (never finding any paid help along the way, and signage lacking again).  Eventually, after going around in circles a couple of times I found the station and platform.  As an aside, I'm usually a really really good 'packer' but my bag weighs around 22 kgs (I had to pack for summer and Ireland!), and at the platform, this 'marachino' helped me with my bags.  I thought he worked for 'il ferrovia', but no, on finding my seat and putting my bag up on the shelf he asked for money.  I gave him 2€ but I'll be fucked if I know how I'll take the bag down at my stop!

I am typing this on the train to Cinque Terre now.  My real journey has just begun.