To Italy!

Saturday, November 25, 2023
Via Plinio, 58, Campania, Italy
I am seated in Pompeii, Italy, in a tiny hotel called Villa Flora. It’s dark outside, and remarkably cold 7 C (46F) - I had not expected that, and so close to the Mediterranean Sea.
But inside the room it’s warm. There is a small kitchen and Sisi just cooked ´pasta di mare.’
In the supermarket, 10 minutes walk from the hotel, a lady explained in detail how she cooks her favorite pasta. Definitely Italian. They care more about food than a north European ever will. And it sure shows in their restaurants.
But Sisi also has something with food and the pasta is excellent.
Now I am satisfied and tired and after this writing I will sleep.
We left this morning in stormy weather - cold, bouts of heavy rain with hail, and a minute later a pale sun and blue in the sky. But by the time Hans dropped us at Schiphol airport, the rain poured down again. It reminded me of northern Norway when we went fishing in October in the Westfjord. Every half hour the weather was different.
Our flight was delayed. So when we arrived in Munich our transfer time was reduced from 50 minutes to 15 minutes before takeoff. Snow whirled outside the windows.
In the plane we met a young couple - she was easy to recognize: very tall with blue hair. Also going to Naples. They took off like Olympians the moment we got out of the plane. Despite our advanced age we gave it our best and arrived at the gate 2 minutes late. But this plane was also delayed.
After catching our breath we could check in, but it turned out that they airline had assumed that we would be late. In their kindness they had cancelled our flight and rebooked us over Rome. The blue haired girl and her boyfriend as well.
Talking, more talking, and finally the good news : we were rebooked straight for Napoli.
Naples was already dark with a beautiful full moon welcoming us. We found a bus to bring us to the central station, and on board two nice girls helped us reach the station, where one helped us get the tickets to Pompeii Scavi. 
We are no longer in Holland here. Buildings are damaged, full of graffiti, there is trash in the streets. In my mind every girl is Lina from the books of Elena Ferante. The mafia is still very active here.
The train rattles and shakes, unlike the Dutch trains that slide noiselessly.
Pompeii feels like a village. Trees are visible in the night, the road where we walk is empty. It’s only 10 minutes walk to the hotel.
Egypt may be a present of the Nile, but Pompeii is a gift of the excavations. Every restaurant and hotel and campground refers to it. 
It all looks very romantic now. Many small lights in the distance and on the mountain sides.
Curious what it will look like tomorrow.

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