It Happened in Italy – The Day of the Surgery

2016-11-15 | puppy1952

The Earl’s surgery was scheduled for 12 noon. Lady Helen walked over to the hospital, confident that she could go straight up to the ward and spend a few hours keeping her husband company before his ordeal. Well, she managed to slip past the man at reception downstairs but when she got to the ward the trouble began. A man diligently cleaning the floors yelled at her – in Italian of course. She did not need to understand the language to know that he was saying, “Get off my clean floors – you are not allowed in here!”

Mio pavimento pulito!

L.H. was in no mood to be cast out. “Mio marito – medico detto visito”(my husband – doctor says I can visit) Bad grammar – yes – but it was after all it was her third language and she hadn’t reached sentence level yet.

He was having none of it but a nice nurse came to her rescue and allowed her one minute; enough time to give him a hello kiss then she ushered her out and showed her into a sterile waiting room with a statue of Jesus looking down upon her with kindly eyes. Lady Helen was distraught and so was The Earl.

Jesus and Mary were her only comfort

Earlier his room-mate had been given privileged treatment because he was a staff member. His entire family of five had been with him till he was wheeled out for his surgery. Why then were the Inglese being treated differently? With the aid of his ITranslate App he complained about this to the medical mafia.

At the same time Lady Helen went to the duty desk and pretended to cry – Posso coraggio. (I can give him courage) she tried hard to impress upon the nurse. He shook his head and pointed to the waiting room. Obviously he was used to Italian histrionics -and her version was too tame for him.
But then along came another nurse. And she said it would be fine if the Earl joined her in the waiting room. She’d been the one to allow it for the room mate too. So they were left alone with Jesus and Mary presiding until The Earl needed to return to his ward to be prepared for surgery.

The Earl in the sterile waiting room

Before leaving she asked what time she could see him after the operation but all they did was shrug their shoulders and point to their watches.

It was great to have had that time with The Earl but L.H. felt a little shaky and tearful as she walked back to the hotel to ask about lunch.
“Ho fame – pranzo?” ( I am hungry – Lunch?)
Some other guests were there and they said they were going to the ospedele restaurante and invited her to join them. In Italian of course. The dad was due to be admitted for surgery and his kids were there to support him.
They thought L.H. was American but she put them straight on that – “Sud Africa – Chris Barnard – numera una cuore.” She tapped her heart and transferred her hand to the chest of the son trying to make the young man understand that it was a South African doctor who performed the very first heart transplant at Groote Schuur Hospital in 1967. “Capisci?” He looked at her blankly but very politely said, Si!
But obviously he’d never heard of her Chris.
Lunch was lovely – a salad and acqua for L.H. and then coffee – and the Italians really tried to make her feel welcome.

The Hospital Canteen

A delicious salad

Lady Helen’s kind friends

She showed them photos of The Earl and said, “Mio Marito Cuore operanzione”( My husband – heart operation) which they understood. “Mia figlie preoccupato – papa” (My daughters – worried – dad.) They got that too! And so they continued to communicate with words and gestures. Priceless! It was a comforting interlude but she never saw any of them again.
At 4:15 L.H. headed for the hospital. Dr P had told her that she could be with The Earl when he came round. But the man on duty said, “No, visita alle sei” No, Visiting at 6:30. Lady Helen argued. “Medico detto mi posso visitato Mio Marito”. The doctor said I can visit my husband. He understood. But said No. She began to cry. Genuinely this time. A man who was sitting in the waiting area came up immediately and started to translate for her. She told him that her husband was having surgery and that the doctor had told her she could be there when he woke up. He started to interpret but the receptionist said, “I can understand English.” Then why hadn’t he spoken to her in English!! L.H. was furious and continued speaking to him in poor Italian. “Sono solo in Italia. Voglio mio marito visitare.” I am alone in Italy. I want to visit my husband. Perhaps it was because she continued to try to communicate in Italian or perhaps he genuinely felt ashamed that he had not been more gentle but he picked up the telephone and after speaking a few sentences he turned to her and said in a kind voice. “Your husband is still in surgery. Just wait a little while longer.”
Then a few minutes later he called her to follow him and escorted her to the recovery room. Three doctors whom she had not met previously greeted her at the big red door.

They spoke to her in perfect English and told her that everything had gone very well. One doctor introduced another like this: ‘This is not Dr Barnard – but he is close!’ That reassured her ladyship greatly!

The Real Chris Barnard in 1967

They were extremely kind and allowed LH. to don a sterile robe and slippers. Then they led her to The Earl. He was not conscious. She spoke to him and shed a tear or two and then they gently led her away and said that she could come back the following morning when he would be in High Care. They were so kind and caring and later Lady Helen found out that allowing her in was unheard of. She was clearly only given this special treatment as she was “Solo in Italia” and only seeing her husband in the flesh would reassure her that these Italian “Chris Barnards” had done a good job!

It Happened in Italy – In Excellent Hands

2016-11-13 | puppy1952

International SOS did not get back to Lady Helen within the promised three hours. When the Earl phoned L.H. the next morning she had no news for him. The Earl went straight into stress mode. L.H. feared he would have a heart attack and ruin all the good care he had received. His mood dived from cheerful to depressed and to make matters worse he’d had an injection in his stomach which bled like crazy. “I called a nurse to look and he looked at it, prattled something and then just walked away. Nobody cares if I bleed to death!”

“I don’t think it’s anything to worry about,” said L.H. “It’s just that you don’t understand their words. I’m sure they said – ‘this is perfectly normal My Lord’ – only it sounds like ‘I don’t care’ to the untrained ear.”

The Earl was not amused. “You have to get me out of here,”he whined. “If they can’t stop the bleeding from a simple injection imagine what will happen when they open my chest! I will die on a foreign operating table. I want to go home!”

“Don’t be silly, Darling.’soothed L.H. “You’re in a First World country, in the best heart hospital in Europe. You’re more likely to die if you get on an aeroplane in your condition!”

“Well I’d rather die in my own language, and it will be cheaper too!” he sulked.

It was, of course, the worry of how much all this was likely to cost that was really causing the melt down so L.H. turned herself inside out to get answers from their insurance broker, International SOS and The Hospital. Finally the broker got through to I.SoS who then called L.H.

She was not at her best when the call came through and certainly not in the mood to answer in polite tones irrelevant questions like “How are you Mam?”

“My husband is bleeding, stressing over money and threatening to die – not that fine at all I’m afraid!” came her rude reply.” The young man didn’t miss a beat and continued to be pleasant and polite. “I am so sorry for your troubles, Mam, and for the delay in getting back to you. Please just answer a few questions. ” She responded to questions that had already been asked and then said, “I gave the previous consultant this information. I am going to email it so that you have it on record.” He continued in the politest of tones, “That won’t be necessary Mam but by all means do so if you if makes you feel better. Thank you for your patience – we shall get back to you shortly.” She responded that they had better do so very quickly and to have one of two solutions – 1 – All expenses in Italy would be covered or 2 – they would pay for a medic to accompany The Earl on a jet back to South Africa to have his surgery there!

Her Ladyship could not believe it when they did indeed reply later that afternoon with Solution 1!

Earlier she had messaged Filippo, told him of The Earl’s despair and asked him to visit. He messaged me to say “Superman is on his way. Do not worry.” Then when he arrived he spoke to the doctor and then messaged her to come to the hospital as the dottoro wished to speak her.
So she, The Admiral and The Captain arrived before visiting which was strictly from 6:30 to 8. L.H. told reception in her best Italian that the dottoro wanted to talk to her and he allowed them to proceed to the fourth floor. The Earl was looking much happier. Filippo had worked his magic.
The doctor could not have been more charming. He spoke perfect English. He told L.H. that she need not worry about insurance – “In Italy, all emergency treatment is free.”he said, “Even if you are not a member of the European Union.” L.H. told him that her medical insurance would be contacting the hospital. He shrugged and said. “Yes I have spoken to them. I told them the Earl was too ill to fly and that the surgery must take place here. You will not be billed and there will be no forms to fill in.” This is also what I.SoS had told her so she decided to leave it to the hospital and I.SoS to decide who paid what!
The doctor then explained that the Earl would need a double bypass operation. They needed to wait another day or two so that the blood thinners could work out of his system and after the operation he would need to be in hospital for two weeks. So all in all he would be in San Leonardo for 18 days.
L.H. was relieved to see The Earl’s complete change of attitude. He was in excellent spirits and chatted happily to his friends for the rest of visiting hour.

The Captain and The Earl bonding

Seeing him happy caused Lady Helen to relax too. So their holiday was over – well it could have been worse – It could have happened in the middle of the African Bush. He could have died! But instead, It Happened in Italy – near an excellent heart hospital with amazingly competent staff!

It Happened in Italy – Castello di Arechi

2016-11-10 | puppy1952

After The Earl’s episode he and Lady Helen decided to take things easy and while the Captain and his Admiral went to do some chores in town they took a slow walk to a nearby pharmacy to get blood pressure medication which the Earl promised to take for the rest of his life!

The following day The Earl was still not feeling up to anything strenuous because on top of everything he’d bruised his foot and found it painful to walk. Also his medication made him drowsy and he just wanted to sleep. He insisted the rest of the group do a trip to the castle without him. “Take lots of photographs,” he commanded.

This required that they take a bus so they set off reasonable early, stopped at a popular coffee shop and had coffee and chocolate croissants for breakfast and then waited – and waited – and waited. Three hours later the bus arrived! The castle is atop a very high hill and they would have walked but were advised against it as the road was quite dangerous.

The bus was full of Italians who soon picked up that the Inglese were headed for the only tourist attraction en route. And when they approached many voices called out – Castello – Castello – otherwise they would have missed their stop and been taken heaven knows where!

The Arechi Castle dates back, according to some scholars to the third century AD, while others believe the earliest parts were only built in the sixth century. It is situated at a height of about 300 meters above sea level. It has breathtaking views over the city and the Gulf of Salerno. The castle assumed great military importance in the eighteenth century, with the Longobard Prince Arechi II who, although didn’t introduce major changes to the fort, made it the cornerstone of the defense system of the city.

They enjoyed exploring and taking photographs and really wanted to walk back home but fear of the dodgy road made them wait another couple of hours for a bus. However, the time was spent beneath the shady pines relaxing and chatting to other tourists. Meeting people on vacation is also part of the fun.

The most exciting part of the excursion was the bus trip home – the road was steep and narrow and hair raising to travel in the hands of the crazy Italian Driver who had no fear! It was better than a roller coaster ride!

It Happened in Italy – A Scary Incident

2016-11-09 | puppy1952

The Earl was delighted to have his Lady safely back with him. He bragged about his improved fitness telling her, “I’ve been walking up the hill without having to stop and rest. I think I’m Italy Fit now.”

Lady Helen was delighted to hear it but on their first long walk together she noted that he could no quite keep up with her. “I really was better,” he said “It’s just that you’re walking too fast!” And so she slowed down – she slowed down a lot!

On her third day back they set off to visit the Medieval Gardens. The Admiral and The Captain did not accompany them as they’d done it on their own on a previous excursion. They hadn’t gone far when the Earl had to stop. “I have a chest pain,”he gasped. Let’s rest a while. “I just need a few minutes” But the pain did not subside. Lady Helen began to worry. “This is worse than before,” she said. “I’m taking you to the doctor.”

“No!” He said. “I’ll be fine. Just walk slowly.” But even at a snail’s pace he could not cope so Lady Helen insisted they go to the emergency room. “There must be one where we see those ambulances parked just around the corner.” It was a minute away from where they were. The minute they arrived she rushed into the building and said to the first person she saw – “Mio Marito ha male petto” “My husband has sore chest” A woman who must have been a nursing sister was called and immediately ushered ithem nto a small room and indicated for The Earl to lie on the bed. A doctor appeared out of nowhere. He took his blood pressure and attached a heart monitor to his chest.

Lady Helen began to explain that she didn’t have their passports or medical insurance on her but she couldn’t quickly run home to get them. The nurse shook her head and just wrote down The Earl’s name. “No passaporto – no pagare” No passport – no pay” Was Lady Helen understanding correctly? She didn’t think so.

Then some paramedics appeared and started wheeling the bed out to the street. Lady Helen did not know what was going on. They prattled away in Italian to her and all she picked up was “ospedale” “ambulanza”

“You’re taking him to the hospital in an ambulance? But it’s just a chest pain!” They ignored her and indicated that she should sit up front next to the driver while a doctor and paramedic accompanied The Earl in the back.

Lady Helen had never been in an ambulance before and now she was screaming down the streets of Salerno on the wrong side of the road!

The Earl was in good hands

As they screamed down the busy streets of Salerno, Lady Helen gazed in awe as the cars made way for the speeding ambulance. “How many euros is this going to set us back?” she wondered. She had no idea where they were going not how they were to get back. It was a 15 minute ride before they arrived at outpatients, The Earl was wheeled out and Lady Helen followed but was barred at the big red door and told – “Solo pazienti – aspettare qui” “Only patients – wait here.” She stared at the red door for a full minute before coming to her senses. She must phone The Captain. After two rings he answered, “Hello – Lady Helen – talk to me” But the words wouldn’t come – finally she managed to stutter out the story and he asked, “What’s the name of the hospital” “I don’t know,” Lady Helen cried.

Then held up her phone and called out to those in the waiting room – “Ospedele – nome – per favore” hospital – name – please” A young man approached and said, “San Leonardo”

“I don’t know how to explain how to get here,” said Lady Helen “But it’s not far by ambulance.”

“Don’t worry, ” said The Captain “We’ll Google it. Keep us informed.”

Lady Helen waited anxiously for half an hour but nobody came to give her any news about her husband’s condition. Finally she could handle it no longer and went to reception. The receptionist could not speak English. “Voglio vedere mio marito” “I want to see my husband” The receptionist sighed, picked up a phone, prattled a few words in Italian and then pointed to the big, red door. Lady Helen approached the door which was soon opened by a man who spoke excellent English. He allowed Lady Helen in and took her to The Earl. There he was looking perfectly comfortable and pleased with himself.

“There are some very pretty nurses here,” he said

His pain had gone, he was on a drip and he was feeling on top of the world. They’d taken blood and were monitoring his blood pressure and heart. “We have to keep him for a few hours and then we will discharge him.” said the man. “There’s no need for you to stay. Come fetch him later on.”

“Where do I pay?” asked Lady Helen. The man looked surprised. “Nothing to pay.” he said.

Lady Helen couldn’t believe it – they were not Italian citizens or even members of the EU yet as tourists the emergency treatment was free of charge. It gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling and a sense of relief that her Euros were safe!

Now she had to find her way home. She approached an ambulance driver and in her best Italian asked directions to the bus stop. He wanted to know where she was going and when she said The Lungomare, Salerno, he suggested the train instead. The station was a minute away and the ride there only 20 minutes. Nervously she found her way there, got help from Tren Italia personal how to use the ticket machine and then hopped onto the train. It was not necessary for The Captain and The Admiral to come to her rescue after all.

They did not discharge The Earl that day but kept him overnight. He caught a taxi home early the next morning and declared that all was well! It was just high blood pressure (200 over 100) and he needed to get his cardiologist at home to send him a script for the medication that he was supposed to be taking but wasn’t!

It Happened in Italy -An interlude in Engand

2016-11-08 | puppy1952

Lady Helen left her travelling companions for a few days and flew to England to spend time with her dearest friend Jennifer.

On Wednesday when she arrived they went straight to the garden centre where they enjoyed a delicious baked potato stuffed with tuna.

That first day it was a tad chilly but the rest of the time was warmish.
On Thursday Jen had to work so Lady Helen spent a chilled day alone at her house, reading and watching British TV!
On the Friday it was a half-day for Jen so she went with her and walked around the town
taking photos and enjoying the canal with its barges, shady trees and water birds.

Wow – a Post Box!

Telephone booth – in 2016 – Really?

High Street shop

One of the many colourful doors seen

She had breakfast at a wonderful coffee shop called Epicurus. She told the owner that he was better than Starbucks. This flattered him no end as he’d worked at Starbucks a few years back and was delightful that she appreciated proper coffee.

When Jen knocked off they went shopping at Milton Keynes. Lady Helen wanted to buy three pairs of denims at Marks and Spencer – black, white and blue – as they
sell them at the correct leg length. She also wanted a white shirt and was convinced she would have no trouble getting them there but Jen said. “No way – they’re not as good as they used to be. Everyone’s complaining and shopping elsewhere these days!”

But she did manage to get one pair of perfectly fitting blue denims but no white shirt! So they checked out a few other stores. Just as they were about to give up Lady Helen spotted a shop that looked like it specialised in men’s shirts but the window poster was of women in shirts too.

The shop was staffed with a few very dapper young men who assured them that they did indeed stock lady’s shirts in this speciality store. The range of shirts was awesome and the quality fabulous so Lady Helen ended up spending a good deal of her budget on three well fitting, button up, long sleeved shirts in white, blue and pink and white stripe. But because she bought three she got one free! So instead of three pairs of denims and one shirt she got one pair of denims and three shirts. She could live with that!
On the Saturday they had the most beautiful walk at a nearby wetland – not many birds on that day but the wild flowers were beautiful.

One cannot visit England without enjoying at least one pub lunch so on their last day together they headed to they headed to a stunning place next to the canal. The weather was pleasant so they started with drinks outside before moving to their indoor table.

Lady Helen ordered sausage and mash and veggies and it was really good. The New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was excellent too.

In the evening Jen drove her to her “luxury” airport hotel. As it turned out the Quality Skyline Hotel was miles from the airport and required a taxi ride to get to it! The quality bit was also a misnomer. The hotel was shabby and the bathroom tiles were cracked. The place was in a dodgy part of town and its restaurant wasn’t open because it was Sunday!
Thank Goodness she’d had a good lunch because there was no way she could risk life and limb by venturing out in search of an eatery.
But on the positive side it was clean and the TV worked. The staff were kind and woke her in time to get a taxi to the airport for her early flight back to Naples.

She was in good time for her flight and enjoyed an excellent coffee and croissant at Jimmy and Bennie’s.
Lady Helen had caught a bus from Salerno straight to Capodichino Airport in Naples but upon arriving back she found that there was no bus for several hours and her next option would be to take a train. Not having her darling husband’s travel panic to deal with she managed to find where to catch a bus to Napoli Centrale – a most uncomfortable ride as it was so full. This bus dropped her off quite far from the actual station and so Lady Helen
followed a guy who looked like he knew where he was going and 5 minutes
later found herself in the right place. Now to get a ticket – She joined a queue where she met two young, Spanish girls. They told her that the ticket cost 17 Euros. That didn’t sound right so she went in search for a cheaper fare and after asking a few people found the machine for Tren Italia.

She looked blankly at the machine, turned to someone next to her to ask for help but was met with a blank stare! “No Inglese” Suddenly a youth appeared at her elbow and in clear English offered to help. He showed her exactly what to do and directed her to the correct platform. She thanked him profusely. And then he very politely asked if she could spare him some cash. He looked so neat and tidy she couldn’t believe he was a beggar – he was not Italian. She handed over a few euro with a smile on her face. He’d certainly earned it!

Lady Helen now had the right ticket, knew where to get her train and could relax for an hour before departure. She returned to the Spanish girls and gave them instruction on how to get a cheaper ticket – only four Euros! They were most grateful.
She then parked off on a bench to drink a refreshing sparkling mineral water and got into conversation with two American woman of her around her own age. They’d just been on a cruise and now wanted to go to Rome for two days and then fly to Barcelona. They were
trying to go online to book flights but the ‘free’ wifi was not working. Lady Helen had data on her phone so searched for them and gave them all the details. This had taken some time and suddenly she realised she had 5 minutes to catch her train, bade them farewell and dashed to her platform. Once settled she read her Kindle and became so absorbed that she forgot to check the stations but something told her it was time to look up and as they pulled into a station she was surprised to see it was Salerno! Then as she stepped out of the carriage the Earl was right there to meet her! What a look of relief registered on his face. His wife was safe!

It Happened in Italy – A visit to Pompeii

2016-11-07 | puppy1952

One reads about it, one sees it on TV and in movies. One knows bits and pieces of its history and one’s heard everyone else’s stories about what it is like. But only when one is there and experiences it for oneself does it sink in that this all happened in 79 AD. And it’s all so amazingly well preserved that one is transported back to that age and sanding at the foot of Vesuvius one almost understands the enormity of what happened that fateful day.
Lady Helen was about 10 years old when she first heard about Pompeii. Her school reading book – Wide Range Reader – had many stories of historic interest and each of them had left a lasting impression on her and the one about Pompeii was particularly fascinating. And now here she was more than fifty years later seeing it all for herself.

The admiral and the captain had done Pompeii on a previous visit so The Earl and Lady Helen took the 30 minute train ride and met their host, Roberto who is an archeologist and a tour guide. One probably needs two days to see all of Pompeii but in the heat of an Italian Summer that would be suicide. Roberto showed them the most interesting parts in their two-hours spent there.

Roberto waxes lyrical about the secrets of Pompeii

Cement was invented way back then in Italy

The image of the Goddess who protected the actors

The amphitheatre

A row of shops

The streets doubled as a sewage and draining system so the stepping blocks were there for safe crossing. The spaces between the blocks allowed the chariots to pass through.

An original Pizza Oven!

A Roman Bath

Pictures advertising the wares of the prostitutes

A bed in a whorehouse

Mount Vesuvius in the background

The ruins of Pompeii

During early excavations of the site, occasional voids in the ash layer had been found that contained human remains. These were spaces left by the decomposed bodies and so plaster was injected into them to recreate the forms of Vesuvius’s victims.

Remains of one of the victims

He covered his nose but was overcome by the fumes

Remains of a dog

It was a very informative and interesting visit and when they were done, Roberto kindly drove them home.

It Happened in Italy -Life in Salerno

2016-11-06 | puppy1952

The First Earl and Lady Helen along with The Captain and his Admiral were to reside in Italy for two months – a month in Salerno from where they would take day trips to surrounding places of interest and then a month in Diamante where they would relax and enjoy the seaside and simple lifestyle and get to know the local folk. So there was plenty of time to settle in and explore Salerno. Their accommodation, Via Centola Giovanni 33, on the fourth floor was comfortable providing them with a double room for each couple, a shared bathroom and a reasonably equipped kitchen.

Neat kitchen

The Noble Suite

View from Kitchen Balcony

It was a narrow street and one felt that one could lean out of the window and the touch the neighbours across the way. In fact many conversation could be had from one balcony to another. Although the four foreigners were used to private gardens and wide open spaces they found this type of living rather fun and giggled when they hung their washing on a line attached to the balcony rail!

One’s laundry hung for all to see!

For the next week the four walked the city flat, shopped where the locals shopped and found wonderful restaurants and bars to snack and dine at.

Lady Helen had tried to get The Earl fit for walking before leaving the Fiefdom of Struisbaai and the failure of this venture was evident when he needed to rest frequently on the uphill route back to the apartment. The Captain and The Admiral were very patient and didn’t mind going at a slower pace. Lady Helen, however, tended to walk on ahead at what she thought was a slower pace but was not slow enough for His Lordship. And he didn’t like her not to be right by his side where he could be sure she was safe and sound. So at a very slow pace she had to learn to walk!

All Italians wear hats and sensible shoes. The Earl therefore had to get himself a hat to make him blend in with the rest.

The Earl trying to look Italian

Nothing like cooling off with an Italian Gelato after a morning of exploring

Saturday Farmers’Markets were amazing

Aqueducts still standing after many centuries

The Castle dates back to the sixth century

Often seen – groups of men meeting for a chat, a game of checkers or cards and a coffee

A typical street scene in Salerno

A delightful place, hidden in a narrow street – excellent for pizza

His Lordship was reluctant to part with too many Euros, fearing that they would not have enough for their extended holiday. But Lady Helen was determined to buy at least one dress Made in Italy. And all the shops were having amazing sales – up to 75% off. What serious shopper could resist such a bargain! So one day while they were out on their own Her Ladyship could no longer resist temptation and dragged her reluctant husband into an exclusive little boutique. Of course when he saw the love of his life in the pretty little dress he forked out the cash with not a murmur of complaint.

Lady Helen in the doorway of Only Up

The lovely assistant could speak a little English

Made in Italy – the dress not the lady.

It Happened in Italy – Exploring Salerno

2016-11-05 | puppy1952

Lady Helen is one of those irritating people who rises early in the morning in a chirpy mood and expects everybody else to be equally keen to start the day. Much to her dismay her travelling companions did not jump up with any measure of enthusiasm but continued to snore and catch up on their sleep so they only set off to explore at 10:30 am.

Her ideas of a Banting Breakfast were soon squashed flat when they entered the corner shop and got croissants di cioccolato instead. And horror of horrors these were eaten in the street and on the hoof!

The Admiral fell instantly in love with the fruiterer and gave him kisses every day thereafter – didn’t he love that!

The lovely Italian Assistant handing over the irresistible croissant

As they devoured their decadent pastries they walked the narrow, cobbled streets of the ancient city. There were so many interesting nooks and crannies to explore. Even the doors were interesting. The Admiral and Lady Helen were intrigued by a building that looked like a hospital but they discovered that it was a convent and a primary school. They entered the courtyard and a nun appeared. She invited them in to take a look. Lady Helen had, before leaving her homeland, learned a few Italian words and was able to tell the nun that she had been a First Grade teacher. “Io una insegnante – classe 1.” She couldn’t speak a word of English but they managed to get her to understand that they were from South Africa and she was more than willing to show them around the school. The men, feeling intimidated by the cloth, did not join them on this excursion.

A statue of The Virgin Mary in the garden

Statues of Saints were everywhere and it was all rather beautiful and peaceful

It was, of course, school vacation so no children were about. But Lady Helen was keen to see the classrooms and wondered where the playground was – there didn’t seem to be any sports fields at all.

A Third Grade Classroom – Note the poster on the back wall reminding the children that they have a great Friend.

The Play Area – no sports field!

The good sister could not wait to take them to the chapel and she prattled away in Italian telling them about Saint Theresa, The Virgin and other saints. Of course they only caught a word or two but they nodded and commented in English as if they all understood each other perfectly. She then indicated that they should kneel in a pew and she blessed them uttering words that Lady Helen was sure meant “God is the Father of us all” “You are beautiful women and display the fruits of the spirit.”
The words Bella Signori, tutti and frutti dello spirito came into it somewhere so whether Her Ladyship interpreted it all correctly is debatable.

The Chapel was absolutely beautiful

They left feeling they had experienced something very special in Italy and Lady Helen in particular was overjoyed to have seen an Italian Primary School.

They continued exploring till midday, marveling at the little holes in the wall they called shops and chatting to the locals who were extremely friendly but couldn’t understand a word of Inglese.

A narrow Salerno street

An alley stairway to some apartments

Shrines are everywhere

This enormous door opens into a courtyard – In the olden days the carriages would enter through these doors.

After eating a light lunch the four nobles went home for a siesta – while in Italy they did as the Italians did for doing otherwise would be crazy as everything shuts down for a few hours and then the fun begins again after five. Each evening they either catered at home or found a different restaurant on the Lungomare and enjoyed the fabulous Italian cuisine. Lady Helen was particularly partial to anything with squid, aubergine, artichoke, spinach or feta. If one of those ingredients were in it she’d eat it! And all the Italian wines were wonderful.

The Lungomare

It Happened in Italy – Getting There

2016-11-04 | puppy1952

I have had a long break from blogging due to travel and other things that have claimed my undivided attention. To get back into it, I am pledging to try to write one post a day for the rest of November. In most of these posts I will write about what happened during the holiday my husband and I took in Italy. To make it more fun, I am fictionalising it slightly and changing names to protect both the innocent and the guilty.

How it all began

Back in May 2016, at Milkwood Manor, the First Earl and his wife were chatting to their friend, affectionately known as ‘The Admiral.

“The Captain,”she said, “has in his wisdom booked flights to Italy – leaving 1 August and returning 29 September! We love Italy but 2 months is rather long and yes, he’s used his air-miles for the tickets but we still have to find a place to stay!”

“Sounds fab,”said the Earl. “Why don’t we join you – and share expense.”

“We can’t,” declared her ladyship. “We’re going to The Kruger National Park. And anyway – you don’t like travelling in Europe!”

“Of course I do,” came the indignant reply. “It’s England I dislike! And we’ll be back in time for Kruger!”

Yes they would be; with barely a week to spare. Lady Helen looked at her husband in disbelief but not wanting to miss an opportunity for an adventure she agreed and The Admiral insisted that The Captain, who was completing his time skippering a boat in the Middle East, would be delighted to have them as travelling companions. And so the rush to get the bookings co-ordinated, sort out visas and find accommodation began.

The Earl although an active man and fit for activities like fishing, was not too keen on walking. And walking long distances would be a requirement on this type of holiday. Her ladyship tried to encourage him to get walking fit and he accompanied her on a few excursions but complained that it hurt to walk and his chest didn’t like it. Feeling concerned, they decided to visit the cardiologist in Cape Town a few weeks before departure. After an hour’s consultation he was pronounced fit enough to travel. “Take your blood pressure medication and you will be fine,”said the good doctor.

And so full of confidence and excitement the foursome set off on their adventure on 1 August 2016. Air Emirates were the privileged airline to be transporting the gentry on their journey. A lovely airline indeed but even though of noble birth, first class seats were not within the limits of the budget!

The plane that took them to Dubai

In the middle of the night at Dubai Airport

Her Ladyship was recovering from Diverticulitis and not feeling quite her usual chirpy self. She was worried about the food on the flight but all turned out well with the bland meal she’d ordered. Well done to Emirates. Two flights and 20 hours later they arrived in Rome and made their way to the city of Salerno.

The noble millions had dwindled over the centuries so although the Earl and the Captain fancied themselves as Lords they did not have the funds to carry it off in style. So instead of being transported to their lodgings in a carriage or a taxi they decided to save money, hoist packs on their backs, drag their trolley luggage and walk. The season was summer; it was hot, they were tired and they didn’t know the language or the way! And to add to their dillema the cell phone batteries failed one after the other making Google Maps no help at all. Getting directions to the apartment became a tad nightmarish. After stopping many well-meaning and kind Italians and who helpfully gesticulated and prattled incomprehensibly and drew maps that were impossible to interpret they finally made it to their apartment. “Getting lost is all part of the adventure!” declared her ladyship cheerfully as everybody collapsed in a sweaty heap. Nobody else was in the least bit amused.

However, after unpacking and cooling off they cheered up and set off to explore and get something to eat.

The only place open during Siesta Time

They shared two Margaritas and drank some refreshing beers.

And yes it was HOT

Later in the cool of the evening they set off to the Lungomare for a delicious Italian Meal.

The Lord and Lady enjoying pre-dinner snacks and sundowners

Love in Italy – The Captain with his Admiral

Delicious Italian Pasta

More of the Italian Adventure tomorrow.

#NaBloPoMo 29 – #TheGreatWedding

2015-11-29 | puppy1952

NaBloPoMo

My brother, sister and I produced our first children within six months of each other and the cousins grew up together and were even in the same class a school until the end of Primary School. I adored my niece and nephew and when my sister and sister-in-law announced that they were again expecting babies, I said to my dad. “Well – I won’t be able to love these new kids like I do the ones we have!” Wisely he replied, “Just wait and see – there is always enough love in your heart to bond with one more.’ And he was right – my two new nephews wriggled into my heart and I adored them just as much. And when my brother adopted his step-son I found I could love him too just as I loved my own step-daughters – what a capacity for love the heart has! Soon the next babies were due – within three months of each other and this time I had no doubt that I would just love them too – And of course I did. All the cousins were close and for my daughter, whose step-sisters were much older, they almost filled the role of siblings.

Now those gorgeous little kids are all grown up and getting married and having babies themselves!

If you were to meet my daughter and nieces you would truly believe they were born into Royal Families. So real is their princessness that they would absolutely be bruised black and blue if they slept on a pile of mattresses covering a pea.

The youngest of these girls is the most royal of them all and yesterday she married her Prince Charming. I can’t describe how emotional I became watching her walk down the grassy aisle on the arm of her handsome father. If I was teary – how did my sister and brother-in-law feel! I asked Brian and he said – “I feel perfectly happy and proud as I know she’s chosen the right man and I know that they are very much in love.”

Princess Belinda escorted to the alter by her adoring dad

Now our Pretty Princess Belinda, like all real princesses, has a way of always getting her way – and on this day even the weather toed the line. It was warm and windless and the setting at “In the Vine” was stunning.

Three Gorgeous Bridesmaids

Four Handsome Groomsmen

And so two families are joined

First Dance

Father and Daughter Dance

It is no wonder that this beautiful child is a princess – she’s always been treated like one having two fabulous older brothers who doted on her and kept the wolves at bay!

Princess Belinda with Prince Charming Brothers, Robert and James

The celebrations continued into the wee hours of this morning and a fabulous time was had by all.

The other two princesses dancing together

Welcome home Martine – so good to see you!

My brother’s kids, Martine and Mick live abroad so it was super special to have them both here for the wedding.

Mick being introduced to his future second cousin

Taking a break after some energetic dancing

There was also a lot of fun with a camera set up to take selfies!

Belinda and Dayne, may I share with you a pearl of wisdom that I picked up in a sermon I heard at a wedding many years ago – Try to outdo each other in what you can do for the other. That should be the only competition between you. Look after each other and your love and relationship will grow stronger. Love you lots.

#NaBloPoMo 28 – Addictions

2015-11-28 | puppy1952

NaBloPoMo

A prompt that I got for writing today goes like this: What is your addiction and how does it affect your behaviour.

Addictions are supposed to bad and if their effect is harmful to oneself or those around one then – yes they are. Drug, alcohol and gambling addictions for example need intervention. And of course there are TV addictions, Computer Game Addictions which seem less harmful but I believe are just as bad for one.

If something grabs me I tend to get into it intensely. This goes for philosophies, diets and different kinds of trends. It might be part of my addictive personality. Or perhaps I’m just a passionate person. I don’t believe that it affects me or those around me detrimentally. Others in my family may beg to differ. But they all seem pretty well-adjusted so they have to live with it.

I prefer to think of my addictions more as passions or things that I am deeply interested in. For example, when I learned to sew – I threw myself into the activity with great enthusiasm. My talent was limited but my determination to master quite advanced skills was strong and I like to think that my daughters were the best dressed kids in the neighbourhood because of my constant activity on the sewing machine. At the time I was not employed full time and was able to devote a fair amount of time to this hobby. But when I returned to school full time, it fell by the wayside and it’s been 2o years or more since I touched my machine.

My career was also a kind of addiction I suppose. It certainly took a great deal of my time and energy. Now can that be a bad thing? My husband thought so but that was only because he received less attention than he believed he deserved. So like all good wives I tried to keep a balance – doing the things I was addicted to while giving him quality time too! I was not always successful!

Another thing I might be addicted to is technology. I am deeply fond of my laptop, Ipad and Iphone. I have a knack of getting to know the applications and constant changes that are happening by the month. But I still manage to function like a normal human being and only use my devices for useful things. It changed my way of teaching kids – and for the better I believe. So my addictions are good ones and have enhanced the way I behave rather than made me into a reclusive, secretive addict trying to get to the thing I crave twenty four seven.

Now that I’m retired I have returned to hobbies/addictions that I gave up years ago – I am now constantly teased about my crocheting and knitting. But I have thick skin – I just creep away to a quiet spot and get on with it.

#NaBloPoMo 27 – See how they’ve grown

2015-11-27 | puppy1952

NaBloPoMo

The photograph below was taken 15 years ago. My grandsons always wanted attention at the same time so the easiest thing to do was to pick them up – one on each hip! Not the most sensible thing to do if you want to preserve your back well into old-age! However, I have survived. I studied this photograph and saw their personalities portrayed so clearly in it. Jay, the mischievous one, always full of smiles. Josh, equally as mischievous but somewhat more serious. And Grandma – looking fractured!

My expression, I think, says it all!t

Today we had fun trying to recapture that moment, 15 years on! Oh my how we laughed. They wanted to climb back on my hips! Their personalities are still the same! Jay joked and teased while Josh tried to get the pose just right!

How handsome they’ve become!

Jay will matriculate in June next year and Josh in December. I won’t say where has the time gone, because I know – it’s been 17 years of battles, fun, laughter, excitement and not a moment of boredom. We have not been the normal spoiling grandparents but co-parents with their mom and now that they’re almost adults we can look back and say – It was all worth it!