NZ we're back

Arrived in Auckland, had a few Betty moments.......
We drove the car out of the car park and someone walked behind us. Mum said, "If you back over a pedestrian you wouldn't have a leg to stand on"....
We then went to a supermarket in town and a lot of the people were, well, odd.
Got back in the car and said to mum, "Weren't they a strange lot". 
Mum said "Were they in a group, or were they spasmodic?"
We had many lunches in a wonderful restaurant Soul. One day mum ordered a Turkish pie. We asked if she like it and she was a bit reticent. She said "I loved the pie but I couldn't taste the turkey".
We then talked about the food in Italy and said that the pasta was quite strong and a not at all soft. Mum said "Oh isn't that crazy, we always have to cook ours al dente"....
We then had coffee at the naval base over in Davenport mum shared with us "Isn't amazing how Navel Bases have such lovely waterviews!"

Dead and not quite buried

Walking, walking, walking, it's a long walk to Museo di Capodimonte. Walked passed a funeral parlor where they were sweeping what looked like the leftover ashes into the street. Two spits up was a shrine to the same guy. Maybe he should have ordered the complete meal?

No wonder they're called ruins

Visited Pompeii, Hot, dusty, hot, dusty, found an AutoGrill (pretty funny) in the middle of something really old and consumed by ash and had a toasted sandwich and a beer. Mark reckons we could just get a fold out thingy of the town, before, after, maybe a little bit thingy in between. Yet again had a problem finding Mount Vesuvius. Back to Naples and lunch.

Driving!

....it's totally bonkers. We drove back from Amalfi. Mark had to reverse in to a wall around a corner to let a very big and wide bus get through. Not especially relaxing. Mind you Pad and I were very helpful. The streets in Naples don't feel any wider than aisle 9 in Coles. Our Lady of the Dash Board, gives us great advice, 'Do a U-Turn in 50 meters'. She's never been to Naples. Anyway, the drivers, Mark and Pad, are doing pretty well. So far no dings and no casualties. Touch wood. How any visitor can drive around here without a GPS is beyond me. Mind you I've really missed having a mallot. Just a quick thwack, how good would that feel? I mean, to hit Mark. Our car is now parked in a garage. We're leaving tomorrow, on to Rome!

Just blendin in

Had lunch, quelle surprise, went to the loo, came out and sauntered back to the table. A lovely English couple came up to me and ordered a drink. I said they could have what ever they wanted. Kept on sauntering and sat down.

Snug as a bug

We returned to our haven. Pad went out, a little while later he yells up at me from the square. 'Mum, the lock's stuffed' He was locked out and we were locked in. Not ideal. I rang the hotelier, who had to break in from the basement. He apologized for the 'terrible tragedy, and your son is locked out!' I said 'We didn't care, he'll be fine'. Didn't see the need to mention that he'd just nicked out for a beer. They couldn't fix it so, miracle of miracles they removed the lock and gummed it up with masking tape. Didn't we feel safe! Pad got back in and the family was reunited!

Ferry nice

Sorrento for lunch We took the ferry to Sorrento from Naples. Don't you find that people who are waiting at terminals all have the same look? The moosh that looks like they've just smelled their grandma's fart. There was one really annoying kid on the boat, Mark said 'lucky they've taken lots of photos, they will have something to remember when I push her off the boat'. Sorrento is absolutely beautiful. We took a cab from the pier to the town, should have cost about 3eu. There was a lift that only cost 1eu. Because we are genius' we took a cab. The driver suggested some dodgy restaurant probably owned by a toothless family member, we declined and the fare went up to 15eu for a three minute trip. Thank god we are not negotiating for the Greek economy. The restaurant Un Bufalito was extraordinary. Buffalo mozzarella is the specialty around there. Never fancied milking a buffalo myself, but you know those crazy Amalfians. When you put your fork into the mozzarella ball it just oozes milk, that sounds gross, but it was fabby. The owner was great character. Two fiancées, one Australian, one American. Married the American, studied in Parsons, Has a art gallery, a specialty food produce shop and a fine restaurant. Bit of a renaissance man. Back on the ferry, forgot to say that Pad had a couple of dips in the Bay of Naples. Home off to sleep after a couple of vinos and then tomorrow. Ciao

Ostuni, ( that bit wasn't in the brochure )

Well, after driving through Sorrento and Positano, just a tad wonderful, we arrived in Pascarosa, Ostuni. Temperature in the car 18deg, outside 38deg. You know when you have that sinking feeling? 10 days here, Oops, We drove down a dirt track, and Mark said, 'oh good, the stone walls just got narrower'. We had to pull in the rear vision mirrors. Arrived at the Trullo, no one was very excited, but we kept on saying how wonderful it was, and decided to check out the local hotspots. We dropped Pad at the pool next door, where he met the Albanian football player who was employed as the lifesaver! The pool was only chest deep. We drove on to Ostuni, couldn't find the ancient white city, mind you we went to Pisa once and couldn't find the leaning tower. At this stage we are being really polite, finally Mark said 'We're staying in Rumplestiltskin's house and the town next door is a shit hole'. It was like being in Nimmitabel but we couldn't speak the language. We changed our ten days to three and had a ball. Instead of it being a prison, it was a trampoline. We had dinner at the local b&b, which was delicious. Following day we drove to Lecce and had an amazing lunch, on the way back we went to the beach and paddled in the Adriatic. Last day lunch in Prolignone, on the sea, with freshly caught fish. Back home to the Trullo which was cool and sweet. One plus about that hideous heat, your washing dries really quickly. Straight back to Naples. Just arrived, not that flash on a Sunday arvo, but we are hopeful and the pizza is yummy. Ciao.

Next stop Naples

Arriving in Rome is hilarious. No immigration forms to fill in. Picked up our bags, got sniffed by one mangey dog and straight in to the country. Italians look so groovy. Pad reckons they're a cross between The French and the Spanish. Totally up themselves and weirdly exotic. Naples is nuts. We had just checked in and in five minutes outside our room in the square below we saw a fight, a demonstration and a funeral. Lunch was at a crazy restaurant recommended by the blokes from Il Perugino,our favourite local Italian. The walking instructions on google maps started with 10 pages of directions beginning with 'walk in a north easterly direction for 35m .......' No clue! Got in a cab, gave the driver the address and he drove us for 200m. Right there. The city is exciting, beautiful and ugly, lots of fun, with a wonderfully seedy feel. Just like Mickey Rourke before he went Mankey. Pad tried to park the car in the garage suggested by the hotel, arrived back 20 mins later, with car, I think he'd sweated his body weight. Got totally lost, gave up and parked the car out the front of the hotel in the middle of the piazza. It's still here this morning. Fingers crossed. Ostuni here we come. Ciao

Off to Italy

A couple of weeks away, three of us, Mark, me and Pad,nearly organised, sort of. Managed to book the dog into the wrong minder. I had two Sally dog lookerafterers in my email. Spoke to the wrong one for two weeks, turned up to the other very confused Sally. I realsed what I'd done at about 4pm and was meant to drop him off at 5pm for a 19 day visit. Thought I was going to vomit. Did a lot of begging, very doggy of me and Jerry is fine with the right Sally. Mark and Pad appeared dressed for the flight in exactly the same outfit. Down to the shoes. It looked I was a carer for father and son special people I managed to bring only one earring, will look like a pirate for the trip. Sent a last minute email to the b&b in Naples got a funny reply thanking me for my 'collaboration', very Italian I thought. Flight just about to take off before a major storm hits Sydney. I promise you they are telling you to tie up your dog. The last time we flew and landed in a storm the pilot missed the runway. In transit now, Rome tomorrow am. Ciao

Bette's struck again

Mum just announced to me that My Uncle Leo, never heard of him, was in military intelligence during the war.
Don't know whether I'm more gobsmacked that yet again I have another relative I've never heard of, or that one of mum's relatives was in intelligence.
Mum said "It's alright he's on Laurel's side" her mother, she ran the black market for butter in Bondi Junction during the 30's.
Then there's uncle Jim "a bugger of a man - but very intelligent, a train driver, Leo's father".
Mum's last comment was "Isn't it lovely reminiscing?" My response "It might be, but I've never heard of them before".
This was preceded by Mark showing mum a photo of a yummy meal he'd had at Royal Manly - otherwise known as "Fishos" mum's response "Was that before you'd eaten it?"