Split Mountain

This morning we awoke to a mostly cloudy morning, but there were peaks of a half-moon through the clouds. This reminded me of our March 10 planned trip to E Spunta la Luna restaurant (the rising of the moon) in Campodimele.

Sleep eluded me for the most part last night. I am having trouble adjusting to the time difference and severe jet lag. So I was up early to go to the hotel lobby to upload photos, the only place in the hotel with a good internet connection.

Breakfast at Hotel Serapo is good, but breakfast in Italy is nothing like what it is in the United States.  Prosciutto, cheeses, pastries with honey, toast, cereal, milk, juice, fresh fruit, and espresso are the standards for a full breakfast. No sausage or bacon, no eggs, no grits, and no potatoes. And the portions that most people eat are very small. Maybe this is why I have yet to see anyone who is what I consider to be fat. My understanding is that much of what we like for breakfast is not even appetizing to Italians.

After breakfast, Mark and I showered and waited for Vito to pick us up. When he came, he brought Rosetta with him as she was returning home to Naples. Massimo was going to take her there in his van. It gave us an opportunity to embrace her one last time, to say Ciao, and to wish her the best. It provided a great photo opportunity for us to be with her as well.

Of course, to start the day required a trip to Tapas Bar for an espresso and some conversation with some new friends. And it gave us an opportunity to withdraw some Euros for the first time from the ATM. ATM’s are located at the post office where most government business is conducted, and they are not plentiful in Gaeta. It is not unusual for a line of 10-15 people to be standing waiting to do their banking. And since crime is plentiful throughout a large part of Italy, Vito advised us to cover the keyboard with our hand to prevent PIN number theft. But we needed to make the withdrawal since we were getting ready to travel to Naples the next day. And I wanted to have cash to be able to purchase souvenirs and gifts.

Our first sightseeing stop was the top of Monte Orlando. The weather had cleared considerably and the sky was a bright blue. The panoramic view of Serapo Beach and the city was fantastic in the light of day. You could see for miles the beauty that I had seen in photographs prior to coming here to see with my own eyes. The water from the sea was a bright blue such that I have never seen. The color from the buildings in the city was a beautiful contrast to the sea and sky of blue. I commented to both Mark and Vito that this was paradise! And I had fallen in love with this beautiful place and wanted to share it with Susan. I quickly took a photo with my cell phone and texted it to her (knowing she was still asleep) so she could witness the beauty as close to real-time as possible.

Monte Orlando (Orlando Mountain) is where Montagna Spaccata (Split Mountain), the most visited site in Gaeta, is located. The Church of Annunziata where Vito and Wilma were married, Santuario SS Trinita, and The Crucifix Chapel sits on top of the mountain. And it is houses the entrance to Grotta del Turco (Turk’s Grotto). We were a bit early for the gift shop to open, but only by a few minutes, so we peaked into the church for a quick self-tour and some photographs. This was one place I was interested in for specific religious gifts for some family members. The selection was overwhelming, but my goal was to find some handmade nativity sets. Success! And I was able to purchase a few postcards, something else I vowed to do at each location we visited.

The legend of Montagna Spaccata is that when Jesus was crucified on the cross, the earthquake that rocked to world at the time of His death caused the mountain to split. Below the split in the mountain is where the sea crashes against the rocks where the split occurred. And yes, we climbed down (and back up) the hundreds of steps to sea level to witness this miracle from the bottom.

 At the top of the mountain is an observation deck (with a lighthouse) between to split in the mountain. The landscape is beautiful and the awesome wonder of the legend makes it more exciting. And of course, there were great photo opportunities. I was very moved by the rosary and cross that were attached to the railing overlooking the sea between the mountains.

Following the climb back up to the top of the mountain, we rested a bit longer at the observation deck before getting into the car to go to our next stop, San Francesco church. This church is old, but not medieval even though it is on the edge of old Gaeta. And it sits high on the mountain overlooking to Gulf of Gaeta. A magnificent sight, its front steps go down into the city and there is a statue of Mary holding a cross overlooking the harbor. The ornate carvings of stone and marble, and the fuchsia/cream color makes for a beautiful church. Unfortunately, due to renovations on the interior of the church there was not an opportunity to see the inside which I suspected was just as visually appealing as the outside.

Looking down once again on the rooftops of the buildings and houses presented another colorful contrast against the blue water from the gulf. The statue that stands guard over the city made for some great photos for both of us to snap and the shutters from our cameras were both active. Getting there meant driving the narrow streets of old Gaeta, a series of S turns winding around the buildings with room for only one vehicle at a time. Meeting another meant backing up into spaces that were wide enough, though rare to find.

When we left, we proceeded down through old Gaeta to go to purchase train tickets. Vito took us to a travel agency called Kilroy Travel where we meet the owner, a friend of Vito’s, Antonio Montella. He spoke minimal English, so Vito arranged for us to purchase our train tickets for 3/5 and 3/7 from Formia train station (next to Gaeta) to Naples and then the return trip. Antonio was a very nice man and apparently well connected in Gaeta. He told us he would make arrangements for us to tour San Francesco church and the two castles in Gaeta the following Saturday, both places he had never been in himself and places not open to the general public for tours. His only request was that if we took outstanding photographs that he would love to have copies to use for his advertising. I welcomed the offer and made sure he would accept a friend request on Facebook to preview the photos he wanted for higher quality shots to e-mail to him.

Lunch was at Vito’s apartment with Wilma and Giulia. We spent a good part of the afternoon (siesta time) visiting there and resting before Vito took us back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. When we arrived we were able to witness and capture a fantastic sunset over the ocean.

In the evening, Vito, Wilma, and Giulia picked us up to take us to Gianluca and Pamela’s apartment for dinner. The apartment was very well decorated with fine furnishings. Most of the buildings we saw in Italy had either porcelain tile or marble floor. Their floors were marble and the apartment was very spacious.

The dinner table was set and we ate in the typical Italian fashion with five courses. Now forgive me for not knowing everything I was eating; I just ate “as an Italian would” as I had intended to. There was a tiella (a thin, filled pie) for the antipasto (just something to nibble on), the primo (a pasta dish), the secondo (our main course) which also had vegetables (the contorno), and the dolce (dessert). In Italy, oftentimes there is a salad following the secondo which supposedly aides in digestion. And of course we had a red wine with the meal. Everything was delicious! One notable moment occurred when a dried, hot red pepper was placed before us (rather than a pepper shaker) for seasoning. The idea is to use a knife to scrape-off the pepper onto the food. Too much and you would need lots of water to cool your mouth. I took a bite of it not really knowing what to do at first, and yes, I needed copious amounts of water. I am glad I did not ingest the whole thing at once.

The company and the visit with everyone was great. Gianluca, Pamela, and Federica do not speak English, but with Vito’s help we were able to communicate and become great friends. They are warm people who have become great friends to my cousin and his wife. And their daughters are one month apart in age, so I trust they will grow up and be great friends as well. The evening regrettably ended with our goodbyes and thanks for their hospitality before heading back to the hotel to retire for the night.