Oh Stephano

In Lake Bolsena and everywhere in Italy, there is no such thing as "budget accommodation" A small room basic room costs $100 or more a night, Air bnbs are higher, hostels/ dorms with 12 beds are $50 a night-I repeat 'No budget accommodation-forget it. 

I went on a local website and I found this room with a view of Lake Bolsena-it was a family guesthouse with amazing reviews staying with a really nice family....it was perfect and there was a space available in a 2 person shared room (2 beds). I am a near expert on finding budget accommodation so I figured I could get lucky have no one in that second bed and have the room to myself-and that is exactly...what....happened:)

There was another girl who stayed there too but in the other room and a nice guy from Spain who stayed in HIS own room for one night. 

It was a beautiful room with the most comfortable bed, snacks/tea and a nice kitchen/outdoor bbq with the family living upstairs- Stephano, wife, and son. Stephano and wife were so kind, full of life, and welcoming. All their reviews were 100 percent true and I was so happy to be in such a peaceful place with the incredible weather. 

I extended my 2 night stay to 4 or 5...it was so relaxing and the constant moving gets to be exhausting. 

When I met Stephano, he was really kind asking about my life in USA and what I like about Italy. It was a short conversation, but very warm, kind, and uplifting to my spirit .

The second night, I am sitting inside the lovely room just resting at 10pm and I hear music....I look outside the window and Stephano is outside playing the electric guitar. He saw me peeking my head outside and initiated I come outside. 

I figured this was a great time to socialize with him and the family thinking his son would maybe come downstairs or the other guy staying in the guesthouse....

It ended up just being him and I sitting outside together.....

I said, "What about everyone else?" 

He said, "This is my time of peace wine, guitar, and spending time with guests." 

"this is the Italian life-the good life." 

He was playing BB King...Pink Floyd....The Doors...we were just totally musically connecting with some great jams...and I was singing.

Again, the simple travel moments that I live for.....

He gave me a bottle of wine from their family winery and we shared that together. 

It was so refreshing having these conversations about life experiences, expectations, how to live in the present etc. He shared a lot about his real life in the office by day and working in the fields for olive oil on weekends.  I was going to take the train next day, but it was Sunday and only a few trains were scheduled. 

"You should stay one more day and I can drive you on my way to work, but only if you want to Prischilla. It is really wonderful getting to know you." 

There was some vibe going on and he was staring into my eyes and smiling saying, "I'm really special" as I sat there with my glasses, hair in a bun, and black fleece jacket. I didn't feel special at all, but he was very charming and spoke so eloquently.  That was my green light to go to sleep as he was married. His wife was lovely and I respected both of them very much. I had a great conversation with her too, but in small doses. 

On Monday, he ended up dropping me off at the train to go back to Rome and we had more great conversation over espresso and this incredible croissant. He was friends with everyone in town and he was just that person that made you smile and feel good-it was a very special quality.  

He said, "I must come back and visit and he was very sad to see me leave." I watched him drive away and I smiled to myself....

When you are traveling and you are about to leave a place and you meet someone great like Stephano- it reminds you of the beautiful people that come your way... you want to keep traveling, and it reminds you that one day....A single Stephano will come your way and it won't just be you alone....It will be a companion and a partner to share your travel world and experiences with....bello!  LA DOLCE VITA! CIAO

Jesus Where is the luggage?

Spending sometime outside Rome, I visited a lovely city and name 

Montefiascone. With the weather being so nice, the plan was to visit Lake Bolsena and spend some time there. 

The bus dropped me off and I was going to take a taxi (yes I used the word taxi as all I ever talk about is walking or the bus lol).  

The bus dropped me off in front of a church " Basilica D S Flaviano" (XI-XV Centuries). 

Church description: 

"This romanesque chruch was built in 1932 on the remains for the earlier church of St. Maria. Given its special location at the intersection of FOUR Roman roads, the foundation of the church is based on the church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. 

The legendary character of Defuk, who died after having drunk too much muscatel wine(Est! Est! Est!) and his tomb is inside the chapel." 

From the description, you can imagine how incredible this church was inside. I planned to stop inside for just a few minutes and i left my luggage behind a van on the street. I repeat, I left my suitcase behind a van on the street IN ROME.

Yes there was a lot of theft in Rome, but this was a small city and a lovely one. I decided to take a risk and it was not a smart one for sure.

The problem was the church. The church was so incredibly stunning and I was in such "Aww" that I was in there for at least 15 minutes. I was so mesmerized, as this was ranking as one of my favorite churches in Italy-, I totally forgot about my suitcase. 

Now when you are carrying this massive suitcase from bus to bus to bus to foot to foot to bus....you just get to a point where you are like, "Whatever, I don't even care." And it was 6 months of traveling and I was at that point. 

After my visit, I went outside down the hill and near the van...and "GONE." 

The big black suitcase disappeared and since I was the one who made that decision, I was like, "Oh well that was a dumb move." 

I decided to contact the police to inform them in case they see it and maybe file a report, but I had a feeling that would not go anywhere with no insurance and me leaving it behind. 

Long story short, the police come and they comment on me leaving the bag there and I say, "Yes, I know I know..no good." There were no staff on site at the church and they had no interest in even looking for it. We just looked inside the church and around the entrance doors.  They told me to just go file a report at the police station, which I did and then I stopped at a wine bar in the center to take a break and make a plan.

In honor of the church, I had to try the Est, Est, Est! and it was phenomenal, great atmosphere, and again in Italy (they give you like 3 or 4 snacks with your glass of wine), which is pretty much a meal. I was thinking to myself of what items I had in there of value and things that I really can't replace(which was honestly not much because I was veryyyyy low budget with new shopping). 

After I had one full glass, I was feeling refreshed and I thought to myself, I should not just give up on my suitcase-maybe if I walk back down that street I will find it or someone who has some information-highly doubtful. 

I walked past the church and I didn't see it...I saw a couple walking up the side cobblestone and I figured I would follow them up to the square and take a taxi. 

I had my head down walking uphill with my black Swiss army backpack and there it was! 

My suitcase was in front of the side entrance to the church at the top of the stairs. I gave my suitcase a big hug and said, "I'm sorry suitcase... I won't do that again...and of course................Thank you Jesus:) 

Meet Mr. Italy

Meet Mr. Pasquel 

This man was just an absolute bundle of joy. I met him on my cultural exchange website in Naples (why is it always men perhaps because I am a man in a different universe lol Men are so easy going, fun, cool, chill, no emotional bs and drama and guess what? It is genetic and frenetic because my best friend and my mother are exactly the same as me. 

Anways, Mr. P was just a wonderful person. He worked in IT security partially remote and partially in the office. He lived his life to the absolute fullest with travels all around the world. He loved to collect the most unique antiques, magnets, records, and paintings from all over. I gave him a small Indian elephant, which he put on his shelf filled with his travel memorabilia. 

Pasquel was like Santa Claus, very jolly, overweight in the cutest way, very adorable face, and lovely eyes. He was very passionate about traveling and would talk about going to Patagonia, wanting to visit Mt Everest, his upcoming trip to Serbia, and his love for Brazil.. He had the best music taste ever and he had Alexa play some great tunes.. 

Unfortunately, he spoke very quickly and Alexa had difficulty following his commands lol. I would say something and she would respond right away....perhaps her preference was women not men;)

While Pasquel seemed like he had it all-this truly proud Italian who loved wine, great food, music, and riding his vespa all around town-he had a very bad health condition that made me worry about him very much. 

When I went to his house for dinner, he prepared caprese salad and sausage and peppers for dinner. It was delicious and I was enjoying our conversation. I mentioned that everyone must visit India at least one time in their life. He said that he would love to, but he is afraid to visit Asia after what happened in China... 

He took a trip to China for work and he ate some chicken for dinner and he was rushed to the hospital just an hour or so later...He had gotten the bird flu and it had negatively impacted his heart. The details are foggy, but he had to have a stint put into his heart and he was on life support. It changed his whole body chemistry and he has had problems with his heart, his liver...his kidneys...his intestine. 

While I was there, he went to the doctor and the doctor informed him that he had Stage 3 kidney disease meaning only a small percentage-I think he said only "10 percent" of his kidneys were functioning. 

Basically, his doctor told him he needed to change his whole diet and for an Italian....the diet change was devastating. He had to eat no dairy, no meat, no wine, and no sugar....for an Italian that is an absolutely painful diet. He took such pride in his culinary tastes and cooking great dishes-I was very sad for him and worried because after he received this news....no cheese for him was the worst he said...

I loved meeting this wonderful man and hearing his great stories from across the globe I hope he stays healthy and he gets to one day travel to India...I told him to never give up on your travel dreams and just be very safe and cautious everywhere you go...and clearly avoid China...what a traumatic experience and my heart goes out to him Mr. Italian P.! 

What Wonder

Back to Naples.....

I headed to the Napoli Cathedral. It truly took my breath away with its astounding beauty. I seem to just walk right into everything on this trip… I do not know if it is just a brilliant design by the city or it is just the natural timing that I luckily have….but I was able to see the beautiful nativity scenes and wood carvings…the talented locals you can see in their shops working on a new piece-painting or building…there were houses and all kinds of figurines….many red hot peppers….

Had some amazing Pistachio and Fiore gelato…smaller portion for me because I am a tourist of course….

Went to a nice art gallery

Went to Domenico church

Went to Chise church…

Went to the church for mass that looks like an expensive building outside

Went to Sapori grocery store and bought pistaccio cheese, truffle cheese, caviar, salami, and prosciutto and eggplant Milanese…

It is just better to eat from the grocery store and eat from the locals at home....big expensive restaurants are overrated and not preferred to eat in alone, especially with Italians-no thanks. Like my friend said, they would probably be laughing about me back in the kitchen.  They are a bit intimidating at this point- restaurants, cafes, and overall service type atmospheres- they make me feel a bit nervous because I am so extroverted and I just have to be quite, reserved, and order.  I do not know what their mood or attitude will be towards me so I just become shy now. 

 The magic of the churches

 The churches were like God, “Today is the day, I’m going to give you peace and you are going to connect with me.” The paintings, the stained glass, the sculpture-the various depictions of Mary and Jesus…I felt much more connected to these churches than in Rome…it was like I was taken to the moments of Jesus suffering…the pain, the struggle, the suffering depicted in every intimate way…it was a very divine experience from one church to the next… not one positive or memorable interaction other than the lady who asked her friends to move over so I could sit down at mass…that was really the extent of it….

It felt like I was stuck from one tourist street to a next with many people….it was nice seeing each and every church along the way… My host jokes that it is Pizza, bar/café, and church just going down the streets. There were some antiques, art, and Africans selling sunglasses and fake purses on every corner…

It feels like when you walk around people are just always shouting and the rest of Europe is not like that at all…even in Spain they are alive, warm hearted, and they are loud, but not like Italians. Everyone knows everyone and you always hear a Ciao bella on every corner…It is really nice the sense of community, but is there community so close they can’t let tourists into the equation…it is an interesting concept to think about….too much community…is there such a thing?

Italian people believe in auspicious behavior…There should be 12 people sitting at the table or 14, not 13 because of the Last Supper. There were 12. Black cats are bad luck…no umbrellas in the house…don’t try and give yourself luck or buy luck for yourself. Give it as a gift to someone else. Keeping it is bad luck for yourself.

Amalfi Coast

We drove down the coast to Amalfi where the sun continued to peak its way through the sky and driving down the coast was spectacular because it just felt like we were the only ones on the road. Amalfi definitely had its charm, but I think there are a million places just as beautiful…Shhh don’t tell Francisco.

We walked along the main area with our umbrellas and we shared a couple espressos and some pastries at this traditional local place outside the tourist trap. He is very funny in such a quiet, unexpected way. He talked about his favorite foods in India, the 2 week wedding he attended, his education in Amalfi coast attending school….He has such a quiet humor where he is telling a story and that ends up being hilarious, but you do not even expect it. It was splendid just laughing with him and listening to his stories at the hotel with people who “blew up the bathroom” or behaved in silly ways. I forgot about how bad my knees were hurting and just soaked in the Amalfi dusk...the stars so bright and the cliffs had such definition in the dark. A beautiful place to photograph and a mysterious place as well.

We got back and he said, “Are you hungry?” He made exactly what I was hoping for, which was Carbonara pasta. It was presented like it was coming from a restaurant and he put in such effort with the presentation and setting the table…it was really cute…

He told me all about Positano and how it used to be exclusive 20 years ago and now it is just commercial. Successful businessmen from America come and they have so much money but sometime you would never know it. The American who wore the same shirt with the ice cream stains and at Chocolate ice cream for breakfast every morning-The guy who is running Wallstreet.

Another Italian American going to the bar fridge to take a glass of milk every night. The traditional Italian servers that just know the menu and don’t speak English. If you ask any questions outside of the menu, they get very confused and it is too complex.  He tries to teach them about Gluten free and lactose free-sheep milk…

They don’t want to learn, but they do want the tips of course. He said just tip the bellboy 20 euros before you go into any hotel and they will always remember you. The staff then brags that  “room number 43 gave me 20 euros” and they make public announcements and are so happy….

His stories are really entertaining and funny. He is just not at allll my type…We sat together on the couch watching the second episode of the Vatican girl….He had been working on renovating a new house during the days and barely had any sleep the past week.

He fell asleep in about 15 minutes. I decided after the second episode that maybe this was not the best show for me to watch in Italy during Holy week…..

Path of Gods Praiano

 The weather was absolutely beautiful every single day. It was so beautiful I actually thought it would be okay to see some clouds or rain for a day-who even thinks that when they are traveling? People who consistently get beautiful weather:) 

It rained one day in Positano and the other day was cloudy and partial rain so that day I decided to take my hike while Francisco went to the gym.

Now when it comes to hiking there are few things:

1.             I don’t give up on hikes-when I start them I am on a mission to finish them

2.             I do not like to take bus/car rides up or down. I like the whole hike start to finish-it is a whole spiritual and physical accomplishment

3.             The timing of the hike might be additional time if it is not clearly marked because I could potentially get lost(sense of direction not my biggest strength).

4.             I don’t like hiking in groups. I enjoy hiking alone so if I do get lost- I am asking other hikers for directions or I am just trying to find my way.

We had waited for the rain to stop and clear up before we proceeded with this hiking plan. Eventually around 1pm he dropped me off at one of the entry points. He gave m specific instructions on where it begins and where it ends.

I said, “ So you are saying I can’t get lost.”

He said, “No, you will find the church at the top. I have never heard anyone getting lost up there.”

Well, I took his word for it and followed his directions for the “Path of the Gods” located in the small town of Priano, which I absolutely adored-the smaller the cities in Italy-the better.

Now it is great when it is a busy trail and there are people there to maybe ask a question if you have one….in this case there as not one person on this trail. The weather was not great, there were not any tourists on the hike, and it was incredibly steep.  It was steep and it was all uneven rock going all the way up.

 When I say all the way up, I mean just walking on rocks straight up with no breaks in between in levels. I never complain about hikes as I love them so much, but this was not good for the knees that was for sure.

For a Holy time, it was an absolutely divine hike because I was alone and the clouds were beautiful as it just rained and there was still overcast with bits of sun. I saw sheep and donkeys that were just adorable…I was just up in the mountains staring down at the earth so high up and closer to God where I really wanted to be….

When I hit the private property and stared around looking at the sheep, I realized I might have been too high up as I had sheep staring at me like, “Did you not follow the trail? It is the other way.”

Unfortunately, I did not make it to the church so I must have missed a turn and just went all the way up to someone’s private farm on the top.

It started raining and I began to head down the rocks…the broken rocks….that were so steep going all the way up… that I had pain in both my knees. I don’t think I ever went so slow down a hill trying to not jump.

Francisco showed up right on time and he was asking me, “ How did you like the church?”

I said, “Umm…well… I didn’t really get to the church.”

He said, “You got tired and stopped.”

I said, “No the opposite I think I went way past the church and to a farm.”

He was laughing hysterically, “You Americans can’t get anywhere without Google maps.”

Priscilla,  I shrugged my shoulders, “No comment."

Do I recommend the hike? Absolutely

Do I recommend hiking alone in the middle of a storm with unmarked signs or roads? No 

     "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." 

PRIS and Positano

It turned out that a portion of my Holy week was going to be in Sorrento, Positano, Praiano, Atrani, and Amalfi.

As previously mentioned, this was not the plan, but if someone had to spend Easter on the Amalfi coast I guess that person was me-what a difficult life I must lead haha.

I had rented a room for my time in Sorrento and Salerno, but when I stayed in Positano that was at my friend’s place. His name was Francisco and he was an absolute gem of a person. One of the funniest Italian guys I know and so sincere, kind, caring and amazing.

Unfortunately, it is very sad that he was only my friend because he was a great guy-so great that I had to question, “ Is there something wrong with you Priscilla?”

When I took the bus into town, he picked me up in his Tesla and then we had a short drive to his place. I thought to myself, “Wow that was nice and fast.”

He said, “That’s not it, we have a long way to go.”

 

“Go where,” I said.

He said, “Go down.”

 

He took my oversized suitcase and attached it to a metal carrier that delivery drivers use to move packages and there we went on a hike way down the hill. He pulled it down and then he lifted it with both his hands and carried it down a thousand stairs(not an exaggeration) and yes(he was kind of showing off a bit).

There was a golden lab barking(that was his parents house) and below was his house. His family owned a hotel and restaurant in Positano. His family knew Positano before anyone even knew Positano was a city in Italy. They loved their business and they loved their family(Italians living near to one another-very common).

This was not your ordinary beachside place. It was a vacation spot that people dream of with the perfect view, the lemon/orange trees, the cute dog, the happy Italian mom cooking homemeade food, the pizza oven, the AI espresso machine, the peace and stillness of the ocean, the sun and moon bright in the sky when the sun would set-this was just so beautiful and so special….especially for a Holy week…..

Ok this was a slightly spoiled portion of the Holy week, but having him as a company was very uplifting for my mood because laughter is good for the heart and the soul. Thank you Francisco. Angel!