Here is my contribution to this week’s Fun Photo Challenge from Cee
The Earl having post operative exercise time in the hall of an Italian Hospital
Typical hallway in a cathedral in Salerno, Italy
A hallway of one of the ruins of Pompeii Italy
Most entrance halls had pools such as this one – Pompeii Italy
Apologies for skipping a day or two of Nablopomo. It’s been a busy few days in the the lives of The Earl and his Lady and internet has also been tricky.
14 September
The Earl managed quite a good walk down the Corsa Vittoria Emanuel and had his daily gelato but was exhausted when he got back and had to rest.
Lady Helen popped into an archeological museum and then took a very long walk along the sea front. It was a beautiful day and there were quite a few people swimming at the harbour and at the beach.
15 September
For the first time since The Earl took ill they had to wait to see the doctor. Fillipo collected them at 1:30 and they were 15 minutes early for the appointment at 2. The receptionist said she was sorry but the doctor was operating. Please would they wait. No problem but it was 2 hours before he appeared! It had been an emergency and the poor man looked tired. But The Earl took strain too. But it was worth it – Dr P and his colleague who had operated on The Earl checked him thoroughly – electrocardiograph, blood pressure ultrasound everything. All was fine. The all clear was given to fly home on 18 September
It was 5 o’clock by the time they left the hospital and Filippo took them to his favourite coffee shop and insisted they try a pastry or two.
Delicious Italian Pastries
The Earl had a cappuccino and L.H. her usual Americano. Filippo could not get his head around this adding boiling water to ones espresso idea. She tried to explain that it gave her time to savour a longer drink. He asked her to pour some of her Americano into his glass – not a good experience for him. He turned up his nose in horror.
His Expression tells it all!
After this he took them for a drive up to the castle so that The Earl could see the view – but it was closed. Anyway the view from the road was great. But all the activity of the day was a bit much for The Earl so he had a long rest when they returned to Montestella. L.H. wanted to get him a take away for supper but he insisted on going to Pinocchio’s on The Lungomare at 8. Good wine, excellent service and wonderful food. L.H. had Octopus salad and The Earl had pork cutlets served with a vegetable platter and there was plenty of Italian bread on the side too.
The Earl outside Pinocchio’s
16 september
L.H. went to Salerno Centrale and booked their tickets to Roma Termini. She wanted to leave at 9:50 but the ticket man said if she left at 9:15 they could get the tickets at a discount so she went for that option. He also booked their connecting train to the airport.
She then emailed SalaBlu and organised wheelchair assistance at Salerno and Roma Termini. She got an immediate response. They would see them onto the train and help with the luggage and meet the train in Rome and provide help to the connecting train to the airport. They had already organised wheelchair support at the airport. Although the station was only a short walk from the hotel, she organised for a taxi to take them with their luggage. The less stress for The Earl the better.
It was overcast in Salerno that day and it rained a little. The Earl did not feel like doing much so they just took a short walk and sat down at a pavement cafe to have some lunch. L.H. had a glass of wine -she really needed the alcohol – but The Earl only drank water. Coffee was also an essential nutrient for stressed out, abused, care-giving wives.
She knew he didn’t mean to be abusive – he was in pain, homesick and worried that he would never recover. Her mind reading skills had improved but they were still not good enough for the invalid. So she took the abuse and drank!😂
Her Ladyship let alcohol help her cope!
The Earl was grumpy
Before coming to Italy Lady Helen had had her nails done with acrylic overlays. They lasted very well but it was now time for a fill or even a fresh set to be done. She searched the Internet for a nail bar In Salerno – nada! All she got were reports that in Italy they don’t do acrylic and even gel was rare. And there was no mention of a nail Salon anywhere in Salerno. Reception were no help either. She considered removing the overlays herself but could not find the acetone needed to help do the job.
Then after visiting the medical museum she wandered down a narrow alley and peeped inside a window where she spied a nail technician in action. O Joy – she popped in – “Mia unghie?” she said and showed the young girl her deteriorating nails.
Deteriorating Nails
“Si – tre” – she pointed to her watch. “Venticinque Euro.” Three o’clock? That soon? Indeed she would be there. €25 would be worth it.
She returned at the appointed hour and only then did she notice the grubby towel and nail ovens covered in dust. The technician grabbed her hand and attacked the acrylics with the buffer then used a mini sanding machine till she winced when it got too hot. The girl giggled and was only slightly more careful. Then she started the gelling and to set it one had to place ones nails in a mini oven to bake. Lady Helen had had this done a few times and never had it been a traumatic experience but after a minute she pulled her fingers out and yelled “Caldo!”(Hot) The girl giggled again and indicated that she should put her fingers back in. Lady Helen tentatively obeyed and it seemed to have cooled but this went on a few times during the session. L.H. knew that a fancier salon would have been three times more expensive so she endured the slightly rougher treatment and hoped for the best. The end result was perfect so the tiny bit of rough treatment was worth it.
Nails after
While all this was going on an ugly/cute little dog parked himself at her feet right next to her camera and guarded it throughout the treatment. The Italians love their dogs and many take them to work. Even at their hotel there was a dog at reception.
The nail bar was also a parruchierre (hairdresser) – not very modern but it was quite busy so couldn’t be that bad. The sound system pounded out Italian rock and everybody was very laid back. You’ve gotta love the Italians.
She came upon a promising salon
It looked okay
The technician turned out to be not that bad!
The guard dog!
It was also a hair salon
While she was exploring she also found a little hole in the wall establishment which had rotisserie chickens. She told the singnor that she’d return to get one after the nail session – he indicated that he would be closed but she could come after 5. Of course – not open during siesta time! She did return and he had her hicken waiting for her!
So dinner was delicious pollo and insalata with plenty of olives and buffalo mozzarella
a glass of vino di Bianca for L.H. and a cold birra for The Earl.
The delicious stay-in meal.
And the Good news – SoS International rang to tell her that their hotel accommodation would be fully covered by their insurance and they would also pay the penalty on The Earl’s changed air ticket – but not on hers! “I fail to understand their logic,”she said to The Earl. “Do they expect me let you fly alone so I can catch the original flight with the Gooselinis? Go figure!” But she wasn’t too annoyed. It could have been worse.
The next few days were difficult. The Earl’s expectations of himself were too high. He expected that he would be well enough to sightsee and take ferry trips and perhaps even make the long train trip to Diamante after a few days. But he was still in pain and tired easily and this made him demanding and grumpy. Even brief walks exhausted him. And so he spent a lot of his day sleeping or watching Italian Television. Lady Helen offered to download Netflix movies for him but he refused to watch them. The pictures were enough, he said, listening required too much concentration.
The Earl was not an easy patient and Her Ladyship had little talent with nursing the sick and the old. Give her a hyperactive class of unruly children and she would cope with a smile on her face and happily come back for more. But with her ailing husband she had to exercise extreme patience. She would, therefore, see to his needs and then at least twice a day take to the streets of Salerno for long, stress relieving walks. She soon knew the city intimately and she never tired of The Lungomare
Family fishing outing in the harbour
Perfect place for paddlers
Not many people swim on the beach due to pollution – signs warn one not to swim
There were not many birds in the city but the gulls were beautiful and not shy to take advantage of free titbits from anyone who cared to feed them.
Walking the narrow streets of the Old City gave Lady Helen great delight as she admired the amazing wall art.
The Earl did make an effort to get out a little every day but at an extremely slow pace and only very short distances. His favourite thing to do was to stop and have a gelato.
The Earl was keen to get well as quickly as possible but the pain was debilitating and he tired quickly. L.H. warned him to pace himself and not to overdo things. “Rest is what’s needed,”she said, “With plenty of rest you will heal.”
Hotel Monesella served a good breakfast and on the first morning there they went down t 9 to see what was on offer. They were happy with the typical continental fare of cheeses, cold meats, muffins, pane, pastries, croissants and coffee. But there was also what the Italians thought was an English breakfast – scramble eggs and tiny Vienna sausages. But the eggs were cold and not very nice at all! They decided to stick to the Continental!
Boredom set in half way through the morning and so they took a very slow stroll to a church not very far away. It was quite an effort for The Earl and they had to stop a few times on the way. Lady Helen wanted to go back but he insisted on continuing and they enjoyed the spirituality of the beautiful San Giorgio church which dated back to the
ninth century.
St Giorgio is a beautiful Baroque church and has many frescoes by Fendinando Sanfelice
The Earl had a good rest in the afternoon the at half past six, Filippo called for them at the hotel and they went to the Lungomare for supper. The Earl made the walk without a hiccup. But on the way back he had another dizzy spell and they had to stop and sit at a pavement cafe until he recovered and then they made their slow way home.
They had to find a place that served chicken wraps as that is what The Earl was craving.
Thank you for your kindness Filippo
While the three friends sat and enjoyed their meal and conversation a flower seller appeared. Filippo kindly two beautiful roses and presented them to Lady Helen.
What a lovely gesture and what a perfect evening though L.H. was a little concerned that the excursion had exhausted The Earl. She was worried about the dizzy spells and planned to call the doctor about them the next day.
Lady Helen woke up early on 8 September so she could get to The Earl early to prepare him for his discharge from hospital. When she arrived he was not in a very good mood. He was worried about being leaving the hospital and having to cope without all the excellent medical care. During his stay he had swung from complaining that the staff were all idiots who had no idea what they were doing to singing their praises and claiming that they were the most wonderful people in the world and bidding the doctors to please convey on his heartfelt thanks to all them all.
The Earl tended to overthink everything and worried about the finer details so L.H. spent the morning chasing the staff to do his bidding. “When are they going to take the stitches out? When are they going to change the dressings? What about my medication? Why aren’t they here to sort everything out,” He fussed and worried
You would have sworn that he was the only patient ever to have been in this situation and that these doctors, nurses and therapists had never prepared a patient for discharge before. But his wife humoured him and in her best/worst Italian asked the right questions and got the right answers. The medication was sorted, the therapy exercises explained, the stitches removed and the dressings were changed all in good time.
The Stitches were removed
Although L.H. put on a brave face and reassured The Earl that all would be well she had her own doubts about how well she would cope without the professionals close by. He still had post operative pain, got tired easily and had dizzy spells. All this was to be expected but when one was far from home it was that much harder to deal with. And what would they have done without their guardian angel Filippo. He appeared at just the right time to help them check out and had his car waiting to transport them to their new lodgings. And so it was Arrivederci to the staff and San Leonardo which had been their sanctuary for almost three weeks. The ride through the Salerno traffic was hair-raising and because their hotel was on a pedestrian walkway Filippo had to park illegally and then helped them drag their luggage to Hotel Montestella.
Check in was friendly and they went up to settle into their room which was clean and comfortable with a nice enough bathroom and a view of the pedestrian street below.
View of Corso Vittorio Emanuele
The Earl was feeling a bit breathless and dizzy so lay down immediately while L.H. unpacked and then went out to get lunch. She took time out to have a chicken salad and a coffee and brought The Earl back his favourite take out – a chicken wrap.
After a rest and some food, The Earl felt well enough to find a barber and have a shave and haircut. What a lovely experience that was. It was just around the corner and the barbershop was classic – just like those from years gone by.
A Proper Barber Shop
Real leather reclining chairs
There was already somebody being attended to and when he realised that they were not Italian he spoke to them in perfect English. He knew all about San Leonardo and told them about its excellent cardio reputation. He knew the doctors and professors and said that Dr P was second in command there so they’d had the best that Italy could offer. Of course The Earl and L.H. has suspected that right from the start!
Then it was The Earl’s turn and what an excellent pampering he received.
The barber could not speak English but turned to L.H. and said something in rapid Italian – She did not catch what he was saying but thought he must be asking about what The Earl wanted and she told him to trim his beard a little shorter. He shook his head and took out his phone and dialed and she heard the word caffe. It dawned on her that he’d asked if they’d wanted coffee. She was right because a few minutes later a rather delicious looking young man arrived with a tray of real Italian style coffee. He ceremoniously handed them each a glass of water and then a tiny cup of espresso. What a delight.
The Earl told the barber that this had been his best experience so far in Italy. Flattered, the barber beamed from ear to ear.
Back in their room The Earl rested again and then at a about 5 L.H. went out intending to check out where the nearest restaurants were. Their hotel only offered breakfast. She thought it would be best to buy something from a deli and got some salami, ham, artichokes, baked aubergine, mushrooms and olives. But when she returned The Earl said, “No – I haven’t had a meal out for weeks. I want to go to a restaurant.”
“That would mean a walk to the Lungomare,”she said as she packed the provisions into the tiny bar fridge. “There are only bars and pavement cafes on the corso.”
The Lungomare was not far and the rain had stopped so he thought he could manage. They chose the closest pizza place and as it was only 7 o’clock it was not busy. The Earl had his first beer for 3 weeks and L.H. had a good glass of white wine. Her pizza was a Cicillian with tomato, cheese, aubergine and basil and his a Napolitano with tomato, anchovies and capers. Both were excellent.
That first day away from the hospital was a huge step forward. L.H. was confident that her husband was well on his way to recovery. It would just take time. He would see Dr P on the 12th and depending on how he was then, they would decide whether or not to take the train to Diamante.
Family and friends were far away and yet because of the internet The Earl and Lady Helen still felt cared for because of the constant flow of messages by email, on Facebook and Whatsapp. Lady Helen was grateful for the instant contact she had with friends and family because of the miracle of modern technology. She had calls from her darling aunt in Australia, her best friend since childhood in England, her closest friend in South Africa, her beloved sister and brothers in Cape Town and England and as well as from a friend she hadn’t seen for years from Tenerife to mention but a few. How could she not cope with all the positive vibes been sent into the ether from all the Facebook messages from almost everyone she knew. A niece in Spain offered to do whatever she could. A nephew on a yacht anchored in the bay at Salerno messaged to say he wished he could come ashore to give her hug but unfortunately was on duty and moving off the next day – but it was the thought that counted! And of course there were the messages and calls from the kids and grandkids that really cheered the old man up.
At the end of each day since checking into San Leonardo’s Hospital Hotel Lady Helen was exhausted and content to return to her single room and enjoy her simple supper, chat online to one friend or another, write a daily email to close friends and family and then drop into bed. Yes she spoke to the other guests – all Italian – but the conversation was stilted. Then one evening while waiting to ask the receptionist for some change to put into the coffee machine, she realised that her Italian neighbour was checking in someone from Ireland. Her neighbour’s father was in the cardiac ward and his girlfriend had just arrived to share a room with Paula. L.H. was delighted to make contact with another English speaker and the two soon became friends.
4 September 2016
As The Earl was so much better there was very little L.H. needed to actually do for him. So she started going to the hospital a tad later. She went to the cafe for breakfast the day after she met Patricia and got a take away coffee for The Earl and stayed with him until lunch time. Then she went to the canteen for her own lunch. Patricia was there and joined her at her table. She told her about her partner, Mimo who was on the 6th floor after a triple bypass and would be coming down to rehab on Monday or Tuesday. He and The Earl would meet – he spoke English so The Earl would have someone to talk to other than Her Ladyship. Mimo’s daughter with whom she was sharing a room had gone to Naples for the day. It was great having somebody to chat to in English! After lunch they went to visit their respective partners.
At about 4 L.H. decided she needed some air so left The Earl and went in search of Arechie’s sea front. She’d asked about a beach but the nurses didn’t seem to think there was one. But there must at least be a harbour because she could see boats from the hospital window. Well she followed her nose and crossed over several streets until she came to the Arechie’s soccer stadium, crossed another busy road in front of that and then saw some people with beach towels and picnic hampers who must have been coming from some sort of swimming area. She said, “Buon Giorno, Dove spiaggia?” Good Day – where is the beach?”
“Marina Ingresso ci, ” They pointed down the road in the opposite direction to where she was heading. So she made her way there and passed through a gate and after crossing a car park and following a walkway next to the road she came upon a rather lovely little beach. It had lounges and umbrellas and a little gelateria where you could sit and order refreshments if you wished. Okay so the sand was black – but it was a beach at last! She then took a walk down the promenade and took photos of the boats. There was a river next to the marina too.
The Marina Beach
The River
Lots and lots of yachts
It took her about 15 minutes to walk to this place and it was another 15 back and even at 5 o’clock it was hot. So she had a shower when she got back and then went back to see The Earl. He wanted a gelato but the cafe was closed so she got him a Kitkat from the dispensing machine instead. Very naughty for a man with a heart complaint!
She met Patricia going up in the lift and the latter suggested they go for a drink after visiting. There was a tiny bar very close to the hospital and when they got there at about quarter to nine they were the only two patrons. It was after all a Sunday. L.H. was surprised it was open at all. It seems that they don’t have laws against serving alcohol on Sundays or after certain hours – but often places are just closed on Sundays.
The lovely thing about having a glass of wine in such a place is that you get complimentary snacks too – and it’s all you need if you’ve had a main meal at lunchtime.
They had a rather nice Italian sausage – almost like salami but with a nice chili bite to it, some cheese and bread with Avo and some other spread. All rather delicious.
It was really lovely to have this “girls’ night out” with a very interesting Irish lass. After two glasses of wine each and learning a great deal about each other they made their way back to their spartan rooms!
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
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.
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.
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!
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
Diary of an Adventurous Retiree 