We had not made firm plans for our time in Naples. We knew we wanted to see the ruins at Pompeii or perhaps those at Herculaneum, and we knew that we wanted to explore the Amalfi coast and perhaps tour the City of Naples, but we had no set plan. It turns out that this was probably for the best, as our hosts spoke no English and had no information for their guests (not even a map). Even though we had a very good Italian Auto Club road atlas, it did not include detailed maps for the local streets in this area. Since we had gotten completely lost trying to find their house, we knew that our first order of business was to find a map.

We set off on foot through the streets of San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, checking newsstands, bookstores, gas stations and travel agencies for a local map . We also kept an eye out for a laundromat, as it was definitely getting time to do our clothes. We seached for about an hour before deciding to change tactics. If we could find Wi-Fi then we might be able to locate a map online. We found a cell phone store and stopped to ask about free Wi-Fi. The sales people at the store could not help us, but someone overheard us and offered to help. The gentleman, Luca, was a local who now lives in Indonesia. (He was was home visiting his parents.) Luca took us to a cafe a few blocks away, where we had coffee and exchanged stories. Luca, whose English was quite good, is a wonderful person with a delightful personality. It was not too long before he had to go, so he checked with Raphael - who works at the café - to make sure it was okay for us to stay and use the Wi-Fi. (Oops we should have asked Luca about a map!)

Soon it was noon and we still had not found a map online. So, we resumed our search on foot. This time we broadened our search area and we eventually found another travel agency, but it was closed . What we discovered during our walk is that the San Sebastiano is really quite small. It seems that every 10-15 blocks there is a different village/neighborhood, each with their own commercial district (usually a market/produce stand, a pastry shop and a general store), a church, and even there own local government.

It was mid afternoon and time to take a break. As we made our way back to our room we found a nice overlook at the Piazza San Sebastiano. The Piazza provided great views of the City of Naples and the Bay of Naples below. We stopped at several sites along the way - including the chiesa in San Sebastiano, then returned to Valentia's house for a siesta.

Around 5:30 we went back to the travel agency that had been closed. Our persistence paid off - thanks to a very helpful proprietor, we were the proud owners of a local map! Mission accomplished we stopped back at the cafe with free Wi-Fi. Dinner tonight would be a beer and some wine, along with appertivo . We must have found the only place in Naples with free Wi-Fi, an English-speaking waiter and appertivos. We do lead charmed lives!

With evening approaching, we returned to the overlook to watch the sun set over Naples, the sea and the island of Ischia. As we walked back to the house we were bemoaning the fact that we had not taken a picture of Luca or exchanged contact info. Suddenly we heard "Michael, Michael" . . . it was Luca!! What a perfect way to end the day in San Sebastiano - sitting in an outdoor cafe, drinking Prosecco and chatting with Luca. We hope to run into him again some day, perhaps in New York or maybe even Bali. (We now have one more reason to visit Indonesia.)

Now that we have a map, we are ready to make our way to the Amalfi coast in the morning, then maybe Pompeii or Herculaneum the following day. Since we never found a laundromat, we'll need to make the clothes last a few more days.