It Happened in Italy – The Medieval Gardens and St Matthews Cathedral

2016-11-21 | puppy1952

3 September 2016. Fourteenth day in San Leonardo Hospital.

The Earl continued to improve and became less reliant on Lady Helen.
The physiotherapists didn’t work on weekends but in spite of this The Earl continued to do his exercises on his own. The staff found it very funny that he walked down the passages and worked out at the bar unsupervised by a therapist. They weren’t used to hyperactive patients.

Just over a week after his surgery he felt confident enough to let L.H. go off sightseeing on her own. Before The Earl was hospitalized they had tried to get to see the Medieval gardens but the first time they were closed and the second time he never made it there but got to ride in an ambulance instead! So that was her first port of call. It cost her all of €3 to get in and there wasn’t a great deal to see but it was lovely just to walk around and enjoy them. The gardens are walled and terraced and date back to the 12th century AD. The first owners were the Silvatico family. In the 14th century Matteo Silvatico created a garden that would be the forerunner of all future botanical gardens in Europe. The interesting thing about him too, was that he taught medical students the names and uses of plants and showed them how to use their healing properties.
The views over the bay were also spectacular. She would have liked to have had a drink at the restaurant and to sit and take in the peace for a bit longer but the cost of refreshments were ridiculous so she decided to move on.

Great View

Looking down on one of the terraces

St Matthew’s Cathedral was not too far away so she popped in there and found the experience quite spiritual. The architecture, paintings and sculptures were beautiful. But the crypt is what did it for her. She felt tears pricking when she walked in. The walls and ceiling were beautifully frescoed and told the biblical stories. It was quiet and peaceful and all the visitors seemed as awed as she was. She sat and reflected for ages before moving on.

The Courtyard at St Matthews

The Crypt was awesome

It was once again a beautiful day in Italy – everyday in Italy is stunning. L.H. walked along the Lungomare and then decided to treat herself to lunch. The restaurant she chose was one she’d seen before but not tried. It looked smarter than some of the others they’d been to yet the prices weren’t bad at all. It was semi-outdoor and cool.

She splashed out on a insalata di pollo (Chicken Salad) not expecting much – but she was quite blown away. It had plenty of delicious chicken, cheese and good olives and it came with a basket of pane (bread). She could barely finish it. With this she had an excellent glass of white wine which compared very favourably with the expensive Springfield – Life from Stone – she drank at home – but this one was certainly cheaper.

Of course she couldn’t resist finishing the whole meal off with a good cup of Italian Coffee even though it was Americana. To die for!

The Earl messaged her to say that he’d almost burst into tears because the staff from his company had sent him a huge bouquet of flowers! And he didn’t even own that business anymore! He was certainly a well-loved boss.

Flowers from the new boss and staff of Fenwick Electrical

He also said he missed her and wanted to know when she would be back! So of course she dashed home as fast as she could.
His first words were – Where’s my gelato – so she popped down to the canteen and got him a tub of coffee gelato which was very good.

He’d had a good morning, finished reading a book and had started another.
His neighbour’s family came in to chat – in Italian but they managed to communicate with signs and Itranslate and the few words L.H. could say and understand. They expressed concern for their plight and showed great interest in where they were from and how long they would be in Italy. The Earl was only too pleased to be able to show them phone photos of where he lived and what amazing fish he caught in South African waters!

Both The Earl and Lady Helen were grateful for the care and friendliness shown to them by almost all the Italians they met. Without the kindness of these lovely people it would have been so much harder to cope.

The Earl and his grandson with the day’s catch

It Happened in Italy – Physiotherapy in Italian

2016-11-19 | puppy1952

Before the Italian Doctors would discharge The Earl, they insisted that he should spend some time in their rehab facility. This would, of course, all happen in Italian. So down to Piano Zero he went. He still had a private ward separated from his neighbour by a curtain so not quite so luxurious. And the view was not as good either. Each day he would have at least three sessions of physio with qualified and student therapists. There was very little English spoken or understood so Lady Helen brushed up on the names of body parts and words for instructions she thought The Earl would need to understand. Stand up, sit down, bend your arm, breathe in, breathe out etc. She was then equipped to serve as interpreter during all his sessions. The therapy was excellent. His pulse was checked every few minutes and he was asked if he was dizzy or had any pain. L.H. was glad she’d been diligent in her study of all the terminology as most of the time she was able to help her husband answer the questions. Of course Itranslate helped too. The trouble with this app though, is that it is slow and if one mis-types a word it won’t give an accurate translation! Lady Helen’s accent and pronunciation were not perfect and there were some confusing and funny moments. On one occasion the nurses needed to help The Earl into a chair. Lady Helen saw that he was in pain and called out – Mela, Mela thinking she’d said pain, pain. But when they stared at her with a question mark on their faces she realised her mistake and said – No I don’t want an apple – Male, male. The nurses burst into fits of laughter.

This gorgeous girl was the only nurse who could speak English – and she was Polish!

The word for cough was learnt very quickly as it formed a large part of the therapy. “Aspirare, espirare, tosse” Breathe in, breathe out, cough.”

See the look of concentration (and fear for the coming cough) on the Earl’s face

Oooh and it was so sore! But The Earl was cooperative and worked hard with his therapists – he wanted to get well sooner rather than later!

Perhaps he should take up ballet now.

The amazing staff – Nurse, Duty Doctor and Physiotherapist

Student Therapists doing their thing

Student doctors

Anything to keep a pretty girl happy

Expressing his appreciation!

The teacher – “Ha fatto bene” (He did well)

The Earl made good progress and while he was in rehab the days were busy. All the therapy exhausted him though so he slept a lot between sessions. Lady Helen was sure to take breaks and would take long walks around Arechi or take the train to Salerno to buy airtime or do some sight seeing.

On one such trip she’d returned to the apartment to pack up all their belongings in preparation for the time when they would have to move out. On her way back to the station she stopped at a coffee shop and sat down to enjoy a croissant and Americano. The tables were all taken when two Italian signoras and a bambino came looking for a place to sit. L.H. invited them to share her table. How lovely to discover that one of them could speak English! Not the bambino. She couldn’t even speak Italian. No, it was the friend of the mama. She was an English teacher and interpreter! She asked L.H. where she was from and how she was enjoying Italy. “Wonderful of course except that my poor husband is in San Leonardo recovering from heart surgery.” She told her new friend.

Lady Helen still keeps in touch with Svetlana (centre)

She was very kind, gave her ladyship her card and said if she could help in any way she was to call her. Lady Helen doubted she would need to but it was heart warming to know that she cared! The friendly company, excellent caffѐ and wonderful English conversation improved Lady Helen’s mood a hundredfold. She returned to San Leonardo fortified and ready to face the language struggle again.

It Happened in Italy -Recovering on Piano Sei

2016-11-18 | puppy1952

Lady Helen was still in a dead sleep when the ringing of her phone awoke her. “What have they done now,” she answered in a panic.
“Nothing at all,” answered a cheerful voice, “I just saw a missed call and wondered what you wanted.” She breathed a sigh of relief – that missed call was from the day before when he’d had his roaming switched off. Lady Helen
The nurses had got him up and allowed him to go at his pace with no with no pulling from them. They weighed him and washed him and all went well.
She decided not to go up to the ward until she was sure that the grumpy cleaner had done the floors and just as she was leaving to have breakfast The Earl messaged , “The coast is clear – you can come now😄”
So after her coffee and croissant she went straight there. “Buongiorno,” she called to the duty man and marched confidently toward the lifts.
“Singnora!” He called. “No”
She went up to the desk and said, “Mio Marito ha una camera privata. Posso andare”
My husband has a private room. I may go up.
He wagged his finger at her and shook his head. She smiled politely as he picked up the telephone and prattled away in rapid Italiano. Then he put it down and without a word waved her on. ” I told you so,” she said cheekily in English. He just glared at her and shrugged his shoulders. And that was the last time she had any trouble from the reception staff. They all greeted her politely and sometimes even asked how her husband was doing. And when she saw the cleaner she made sure to compliment him on his floors, “Pavements pulito!” Even he had the grace to smile.
“Come stai Mio Marito?” she would call to the nurses (How is my husband?)
“Bene!” would come the cheerful reply. (Well!)
Filippo visited every day being able to have a conversation with someone he could understand always cheered The Earl up. What a lovely guardian angel he was.

The Earl had a great view from his ward window

It was fun to watch the helicopters taking off and landing on the helipad

Once the staff understood that she would be allowed in the ward all day they became used to her. L.H. tried not to get in their way and they soon realised that she was more use than nuisance. The Earl was too sick and impatient to use his ITranslate App but L.H. had learned some Italian before leaving S.A. and used her app effectively. And so she served as an adequate interpreter between patient and nurse or therapist. All the doctors they met could speak English. None of the nurses could except for one who was actually Polish.
Each day a team of nurses and student doctors along with a teaching doctor would come to examine The Earl. At the first examination a nurse asked L.H. to leave but the doctor insisted she stay. Some of the procedures were unavoidably painful but they allowed L.H. to hold The Earl’s hand and he was very brave. The doctor always gave her feedback and asked her questions about how she thought her husband was coping. The care was in fact extremely good.
For the first few days L.H. had to do a lot of ‘nursing’ but after a while The Earl was able to walk down the passage on his own, sit at the table for his meals and get up with just a little bit of assistance.

Even in hospital, Italian food is good – too much for The Earl to manage in the beginning.

He remained on the sixth floor for five days and then was transferred down to the rehab ward where he would have intensive physiotherapy. More on that tomorrow.

It Happened in Italy – Coping in a foreign language

2016-11-17 | puppy1952

Although it had been nine days since the first ambulance ride through Salerno followed by another three days later which led to hospitalization and a double bypass operation, Lady Helen still found it hard to accept that her husband was really ill. The Earl seemed so well those few days before surgery but now he was weak and reliant upon her. She knew he w0uld get better and that he was receiving excellent care but it was just so hard to see the strong man that she always relied upon for so much being so vulnerable.

On the third morning he rang his wife and was almost in tears. “Why aren’t you here? They’re killing me!” L.H. marched over to the hospital with her boxing gloves on. She walked across the cleaner’s freshly mopped floors. He yelled some profanities at her but she didn’t care, “Bastardo i pavimenti ! Mio Marito ha male!” In other words – bugger the floors my husband’s in pain.

The nurses had “rukked”him into a sitting position which caused the pipes to pull and hurt his chest. He’d asked them to let him get up slowly on his own but clearly they had not had the patience to try to understood his words and followed their lifting training to get him into the position they wanted him to be.

L.H. told the nurses to please be gentle and to do things slowly. “Gentile e lentemente per favore!” (Gently and slowly please) The Earl was in a great deal of pain and said he wanted the doctor so she insisted they call him. They glared at her and told her in Italian that it was normal to have pain after surgery but she insisted, so one of them complied. The duty doctor was there within minutes! She didn’t think that would have happened in South Africa.

He spoke excellent English. She explained to him that The Earl wanted to get up on his own, at his own pace and would he please tell the staff to comply with his wishes. He, of course, tried to be diplomatic and said it was because they didn’t understand English and thought they were doing the right thing. “Yes, I know,”said L.H. “And we really appreciate everything. We probably wouldn’t have had better treatment in our own country, but he is very upset and if the nurses just let him do things at his own pace he would be more cooperative.” He examined The Earl and gave him more pain meds then spoke to the staff. They glared at L.H. unhappily and pussy footed around her for the rest of the morning. She in turn did not want to alienate them so thanked them for all they were doing for her husband. It was a while before they smiled at her again.
She left for half an hour and when she returned a nurse was busy taking the tubes out of The Earl’s chest. The nurse indicated that she stay out. She asked The Earl if he was okay and he gave the thumbs up. “It’s okay,” he said, “He is not hurting me.” Then a whole team arrived and had a party in the ward. They kissed each other in the continental way and greeted each other like long lost friends. This included the duty doctor. They shut the ‘grande porta rossa’ (big red door) and L.H. was not even allowed to peep in.

La grande porta rossa – Chiusa!

She was feeling a bit miffed when one of the operating doctors arrived. He was politeness personified and asked her how things were. “Mostly good,” she replied “But they won’t let me in and I don’t know what’s going on. The language is a problem.” She also told him about the earlier rough treatment. He chatted to her for a long time and was very reassuring. He said that The Earl would not be able to travel for at least a month. This meant they would not be able to go to Diamante to join their friends after he was discharged. They would have to spend the rest of their holiday close to the hospital in Salerno.
The surgeon then went into the ward and after a while L.H. was called in to answer some questions about medication, allergies and past illnesses etc.
After this The Earl settled down a bit and the nurses left them alone until lunch time. L.H. fed him a few spoons of soup – his first food since the operation. He then decided that he would sit up and with her help and not a bully nurse in sight, he got himself to sit with his legs over the side of the bed and he finished his soup on his own.

L.H. then went to have her own lunch and brought him back a gelato al limonate which he managed to eat half of. A sure sign that he was on the mend.

Feeling a little better

L.H. was only going to spend a day or two at the hospital hotel but it became clear that The Earl was not going to cope without her so she booked in for longer and in fact ended up staying for the duration of his time in the hospital. She would arrive after breakfast, stay till lunchtime, take a break for an hour or two and then return till after evening visiting time. The Captain and his Admiral visited at the allowed times and moved on to Diamante when their time in the Salerno accommodtion was up. The Earl would be in hospital for almost three weeks and then he and L.H. would stay in a hotel until Dr P gave the okay for him to fly.

It Happened in Italy – The Day After Surgery

2016-11-16 | puppy1952

Lady Helen slept fitfully and woke up early the day after the surgery. Dr P phoned her at 8 o’clock. The news was good. The operation was very successful and The Earl was still in recovery but would be moved to the sixth floor later that morning. She could come and see him at 11 o’clock. He then allowed her to speak to her husband.

“Hi my darling – bring me some chocolate gelato!” he pleaded. The doctor’s voice could be clearly heard in the background – “no, no! Lemon Gelato only!” A clear indication that her Earl was better.

She wondered if she would have any problem getting past the mafia at Ground Floor Reception as she had every other day since he’d been in San Leonardo.   So she prepared herself for battle and practised the Italian sentences for “Dr P says I can go up to the sixth floor to see my husband. Phone him if you don’t believe me”. At said time she approached the desk with a look that she hoped was intimidating. She prattled off her sentences. He eyed her suspiciously, picked up the phone and she heard him bark off the query to whoever was on the other end of the line. Then he pointed to a chair – ‘Sedersi li’ — sit there. —‘Dr P sara venire’ — Dr Panzo will come.
So she waited a minute or two and then the great man himself escorted her to the hallowed halls of ‘Piano Sei’. The Earl was in a semi-private ward and when he saw her he observed the  emotion on her face and said softly. “Please don’t cry!”
Dr P said – “Everything is going to be alright. Your husband is making a good recovery” But there he was with tubes coming out of his chest and in his neck and nose and looking so vulnerable.   But his colour was good so she knew she needn’t worry.

The Earl looking good after surgery

Gelato, though, was not an option! All he could do was have tiny sips of water. It was nil per mouth for the rest of the day. The staff were told very firmly that she could stay for a while and that The Earl would be moved later that afternoon to a private ward and once there she could come as often as she liked for as long as she liked. The staff did not look happy but didn’t dare contradict the Lord of the Ward.
She stayed for 40 minutes and then left The Earl to sleep.

She’d discovered the way the lunch vouchers worked and got an excellent lunch which included fish, vegetables and pasta for just five euros. She could have had pane (bread) too but it would have been just too much. The water was also included in the price.

He was not a happy chappy when she returned at 3:30. A bully nurse had hurt him when they moved him from the semi to the private room. They’d been rough with him when they put on his pajamas and he was full of anger and frustration. His chest hurt and he was coughing painfully. Of course to he who is full of tubes and not feeling great all these were major problems. LH. spoke to two of the staff in very poor Italian and told them that he was upset and to please be gentle and that one of them had hurt him. They looked surprised but certainly go the message. L.H. was sure they were all very kind and caring and just doing their job. He’d asked them in English to please let him sit up on his own but they hadn’t understood a word and probably thought he’d said please help me up. L.H. also suspected that The Earl was experiencing a bit of post operative depression. Nothing was right. She didn’t hold the water cup to his lips correctly, she didn’t straighten the bed properly, the tubes were definitely not working properly and she was please to call a nurse to sort it out. A wonderful male nurse came to to the rescue and spent ages trying to explain how everything worked and that put The Earl’s mind at rest. As a noble electrical expert he needed to know how things worked.

A rather dishy nurse.

Some things did cheer him up though. Chantal and Jeremy put a smile on his face with their hilarious Whatsap voice message. Princess Lolz’s favourite daughter message had him asking her to bring him over a roast leg of lamb. Granddaughter Shannon brought a twinkle to his eye when she sent a message from boarding school filled with hearts and loving get well words and he even joked with Tommy by replying to him with these words – Sorry I can’t fish with you at the moment – I left my finger lappies in Cape Town!
L.H. was exhausted after spending four hours with him even though he slept part of the time. She was relieved to get back to her room to have her solitary meal washed down with a yogurt tub of wine.

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.