Germany

Flying nonstop to Munich was a good decision for me. Munich is well organized and a good place to enter the European Union. The big plus for me was having a personal driver and tour guide for my days in Germany. Nicole is a great hostess and I always enjoy meeting her. We first met in 2017 and hiked 500 miles of the Appalachian Trail together and stayed in touch since.

Naples

Compared to Munich the Naples airport is chaotic. The good news about the Naples airport is the Italian food. Even Italian airport food is wonderful. You can walk to the rental car pickup in about 15 minutes and the airport hotel that I stayed at on my return was right next to the rental car pickup/drop off.

The Avis rep talked me into a Fiat Panda instead of a Fiat 500, saying the Panda was newer. The Panda is a four door versus the 500 two door. The Panda was a six speed manual hybrid. Driving a manual transmission comes right back. In fact, I looked for the clutch and shift in my truck for my first ride back. The Panda was a little under-powered on some of the climbs, not sure what the 500 would have been like. Gas mileage was fantastic. Italian drivers are everything you have heard. You have to be alert.

Anzi

I knew when I planned the trip that I had plenty of time. I did not want to be rushed during a once in a lifetime trip. That said, I could have shortened the trip by two days. Several of the sites I would have liked to visit were not open. Chiesa Santa Maria, the church at the top of the mountain was locked each time I checked. Chiesa di Sant’Antonio was only open by lucky timing. Salone Dell’Annunziata was never open. Il Presepe Poliscenico Stabile, a one-of-a-kind work, considered one of the greatest nativity scenes in Europe, is closed until December.

Business operating hours are not generally posted. Everything closes for riposo from about 1:30-4:00. The pizzeria was open from 8 pm until midnight. One night they did not open until 9:30.

I was fortunate to stay at Karlin’s house which had a kitchen. Spotlessly clean and comfortable. Nearby parking. There were a couple days of hard rain. The alleys and streets become impassable without wading through rushing water. The kitchen and nearby grocery came in handy.

Church bells sound on the hour and call you to mass. This reminded me of growing up in Freeland. I have tried to imagine what my ancestors lives were like. The houses are built of stone and close together. Usually only one small window. There would be no room for a garden. Did animals share the house? What kind of work did they do? I did not see olive trees. There are woods and fields below. I did see sheep grazing on the hillside.Salvatore told me that his father worked in the vineyards. Why did most of the men and many of the women leave for the United States and South America?

Google Translate worked well when I had an internet connection. Occasionally, I had to find a way to ask for a WiFi password since cell service is non-existent in some of the stone buildings. I found the people friendly but experienced significant language barriers.

The town hall visit was one of the high points. For years I have used snail mail and email to try and get a copy of my grandfather’s birth record. They found me someone who spoke some English and I managed to leave with a certified copy of his birth record!

The last day I was able to meet some potential distant relatives, Vincenzo and Salvatore Rubolino. One of my great-grandmothers was Maria Teresa Rubolino. The Rubolinos run an auto mechanic business and I left with a fleece pullover embroidered with their company logo. This is my most treasured memento of the trip.

Would I go back? In a second. I enjoy things that are a little off the tourist track. It is hard to describe the feeling of walking the streets and visiting the church where your grandfather was baptized and married over 120 years ago. The experience is much more authentic. Although I enjoyed Pompeii on my way back, it was crowded with tourists. Anzi is not for the unfit. Everything is uphill often with steps. I averaged the equivalent of climbing 40 flights of stairs each day. My ancestors would have thought of Hazleton as perfectly flat.