The day started off pretty rough for me. I stayed up really late reading Harry Potter and I had to get up at 6:45 to catch my train. Just before leaving the flat, Nicole asked me where the red umbrella was so that these people that neither one of us knows could use it while they are in town for a few days. This just happened to be the umbrella I was taking with me to Gricignano, I needed it to match my Easter outfit, a concept I don’t think she understands. I mean that to say she doesn’t get how important Easter is to me or how hard I have always tried to make sure everything I have on that day matches. Whatev. Not the point. So I left with my turquoise umbrella instead, the brand new one I had just purchased for a whopping $12. Trust me, I never would have spent so much on it in the states but things are pricier here and I needed an umbrella. The rain wasn’t that bad, thank God, as I was wheeling my suitcase down the narrow streets. That is, until I got about two blocks from being inside and a huge gush of wind swept by, turning my umbrella inside out. I must admit, I have always wanted that to happen to me, just cause it looks cool, but I would have preferred it on a day when I wasn’t trying to get somewhere. I closed the umbrella to turn it right again and then, BAM! I was hit again. Needless to say I walked in the rain for the remainer of the two blocks.
When I got to the train station I had no idea what number my train was or where I was going so I looked on a board and then headed in a general direction of where it said some train going to Napoli was. I figured there was a good chance my train would be over there.
I always ask questions when I don’t know something and the language barrier hasn’t stopped me from doing that so I walked up to a man and asked if the train was going to Aversa. He had no idea so he turns to this very handsome man with salt and pepper hair and a face like it was chiseled from marble (not stone). He said he didn’t know either and pointed me in the direction of someone who might. He then walked with me to this all-knowing person and asked him for me if it was the right train. It was not. The salt and pepper man of my dreams then walked me to a board that had the updated arrivals and platforms and departure times. He said to just wait and look and go to whatever number shows up next to the train I was supposed to be taking. I thanked him and he walked away.
I stood there looking up at that board for a good 5 minutes and nothing had changed, at least not for my train. It was just as I started to worry that the beautiful number 7 appeared. Grazie Dio!
In the midst of me turning around to head toward my train, the original man whom I had asked if I was going the right way was standing right in front of me. He asked me if I found the right train. I smiled and said yes. Then the salt and pepper man approached. He said with a smile, “You’re number is here, seven” in Italian, of course. I thanked them both, smiling. As I walked away I couldn’t help but keep looking in their direction instead of my own, saying “Grazie mille.” I must say that immediately after saying it I felt like I had the whole Audrey Hepburn sound in my Italian accent as she had in Roman Holiday.
I don’t know what it is about the Italians but they have a quality about them that is matched and rivaled by no other. They have to be, by far, the nicest group of people I’ve ever encountered. Generally speaking, I usually one stereotype when its funny and I’m never quite serious about it. But in this case I really do mean to group all Italians together because they are so nice. That’s not to say there are not a few bad apples in the bunch but every group has their oddballs. All other things aside (i.e. the mafia, communists, etc) the majority of encounters I have had have proven them to be… nice, helpful, and genuine. I’m still keeping my eye out for the bad ones. You know what they say, “Prepare for the worst, live for the best”… or something like that.
I got to Aversa around noon. Jeff, Christian, and Sophie came to pick me up. When we got home the girls asked me if I would go with them to rent a movie. Titi handed me the keys to her car. Was she serious? She was going to let me drive? This would be my first time driving in a foreign country. Her car was so big and I was afraid of scratching it but everything went smoothly. We picked up some candy, tried to rent a movie, and went home. After dinner that night we went to Campania to get gelato at that amazing place.
Sunday
We woke up and went to Easter mass. It occurred to me during mass that this was the first time that I was going to a church other than Guardia Angels for Easter mass. Last year I couldn’t make it home so I had a three-way call with my mom and my best friend, Jeff, and the three of us conducted Easter mass. We each took bread and wine, gave it thanks, and ate/drank it, accepting it as Jesus. But this year was different. I was in another country, a different time zone. I did like the sermon, priest was cool, he had a New England accent. We went back to the casa and took pictures.
This is their family.
And this is me with the kids.
This is me with Lourdes.
And this is the kids taking a funny picture.
After we were done taking pictures, Vicky and I made a bunny cake, which was followed by playing games. We played Taboo, 1313 Dead End Drive, Apples for Apples, Twister, and then we had a dance party. For dinner we had oven baked ham with a side of rice and beans. When everyone had gone to sleep I called my family to tell them Happy Easter. When I finished with them I called my Uncle Stevie and my Uncle Rich to wish them Happy Easter as well. then I called Jeff, Jesse, Matt, Tran, and Lauren. I stayed up on the phone until about 4 AM because Lauren wouldn’t let me get off. I paid for it the next day.
Monday
I was so tired today I thought I was going to die. I watched the Passion of the Christ movie and cried a little. I read some Harry Potter; I wanted to be done with it before going back to Rome, no such luck. I was taking a late train back to Rome so I was able to have dinner with them. We had leftover ham with a green bean casserole and mashed potatoes. It was a perfect last meal. We headed to the train station and I was off. On the trip back to Roma, I had the pleasure of picking the car full of hott Carabinieri men. Grazie Dio.
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