Exploring Gaeta and Meeting Friends, Old and New

The next morning we awakened to a gorgeous day. The view from our balcony over the Tyrrhenian Sea, accentuating our hotel at the foot of Monte Orlando was breathtaking. The sky cast a beautiful blue hue over the water. God had prepared the perfect day for us and humanity to enjoy. Quickly preparing ourselves for a busy day of touring the city and after having a light breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we met Vito in the lobby and left to explore.

First stop…liquid refreshment, a cappuccino. After indulging on an Italian staple, we drove around the beautiful bay watching the boats sailing the harbor and fishermen preparing their gear for their livelihood.

After a while of driving we took to our feet, a common practice and a healthy necessity for Italians. Scaling the steep alleyways and steps through Old Gaeta, we came to rest at Cappella delle Sepolture "Terra Santa" (translated: Burial Chapel “Holy Land”). The view of the sea from this vantage point was spectacular.

We then meandered through narrow sidewalks gazing at the structures of stone and small religious shrines embedded within them every now and then. A woman hearing us speaking English stopped us (she was also an English-speaker) and chatted a while with us. We discovered that she had dual-citizenship and was an author who wrote about Gaeta and was active in the preservation of the old city and we quickly became friends.

We then returned to base camp where I was reunited with my friends from my previous trip, Gianluca Bronco and his wife Pamela Costibile. It was good to see them again and I'm glad that Greg got the opportunity to meet them. We were invited to dine with them later in our visit and I looked forward to that immensely.

Before we knew it, the day was ending and I was able to get a spectacular “sunset over the sea” shot. Tomorrow would bring further adventures.