African food

Saturday was a long day, only partly by design. We left for Napoli about 10:45am, carrying a bunch of stuff to missionaries there: a carry-on suitcase to give to Anziano Haws, a big box of stuff for Sorella Zapata from her parents, and an envelope of pamphlets for the Sorelle in nearby Caserta. In addition, we had our own shoulder bags. There was a bunch of walking involved, well over 1km total between the walks to/from the train stations. Fortunately, the big box was able to fit on top of the suitcase, kinda, which meant it could be wheeled, but every few minutes it would slide off and we would have to stop, pick it up, and re-center it. It was great to finally get it all there and deliver it, so that we didn't have to carry it back! 

Class went really well, our biggest ever, with seven students. Probably that had to do with the fact that we were taking everyone out to an early dinner after class and that we were bringing external batteries for everyone. The new senior couple, the Rattos, have been assigned to Castellamare just south of Napoli. The plan is for them to teach the class when it resumes in September, so we had invited them to meet the group. They participated nicely in the lesson, which covered Luke 22-23. I think that almost everyone had at least one comment or question during the lesson, and we had a very nice discussion about the last supper, sacrament, trial and crucifixion of Jesus. The spirit was really strong, and we sang sacrament hymns for opening and closing, chosen by Peter. 

 

After class, Dee handed out the remaining Powerbanks (USB battery chargers for their phones), which are very popular with the guys, who live in refugee camps. We then walked back toward the station, with the African restaurant they had chosen being on the way, just off the main street a couple of blocks. It was literally a hole in the wall: no sign over the door, very small, with just two tables for us to sit at, along with other diners. The Rattos couldn't stay, as they had been in their apartment for under 24 hours and hadn't even had time yet for grocery shopping. They had to take the train back to Castellamare, almost an hour, just past Pompeii.

The food was not at all familiar, but it was good. It was slightly spicy, as I expected, but the guys wouldn't let me try anything really spicy, which I appreciated! Dee and I shared a big plate of white rice with beans, plantains, and some kind of meat (bones included). We also tried the "semola", which was some kind of dough ball that they dipped into a soup kind of mix and ate with their bare hands, without chewing. They call it "swallow". Dee really loved it all! For me, who can't really tolerate spicy food well, it was good but not something I hope to repeat soon. But the guys loved it! They kept saying "this is our food!" It was only 40€ for all nine of us to eat our fill. The hygiene there may not be the greatest (hard to tell), but it was a wonderful experience, and it seems that they greatly appreciated our effort to try something from their Nigerian culture.

 

 

 

We were done within an hour from leaving the chapel, which was a surprise. I had anticipated a longer meal, so I had booked the last train back to Rome, at 7:30pm. That meant we had a 3-hour wait. We went to customer service to see if we could catch an earlier train, but we had the cheapest fares, so the only way was to buy a new ticket for each of us, about 90€ at that point. So we hung out at a little cafe inside the station for a few hours, occasionally buying something to eat or drink so we wouldn't feel guilty about occupying a table and enjoying the AC, which was definitely needed with the 90+ degree temperatures outside. Part-way through the time there, I realized that, even though the last train was a fast (Freccia) train, it took two hours instead of one to get to Rome. Aargh. To make it worse, the train ran 15 minutes late, so we got back to the train station in Rome about 10pm, then walked to the Institute and drove home. Thus we were gone basically 12 hours, with lessons to teach the next morning. It was long and hot and tiring, but we were smiling at what a nice day it had been.

I get to teach Gospel Doctrine Sunday, in English! Rhenald is the usual teacher, but he's in my husband's Temple prep class right now. I used some of the Napoli and train time to study, and also got to knit for the first time in a few weeks. I confess I napped too.

I was able to wear my new orthotics all day. They feel better and better, and my other joints are also happier. I'm so glad I tried them. And I don't use the walking stick anymore. However, it's great for speeding me up. It lengthens my stride, so I'm keeping it for long tourist walks.

A couple of weeks ago, Elia gave us some Taralli. This is a donut-shaped cracker or salty cookie which is typical of Naples. They're made with almonds and pepper (and pork fat). They are so delicious and I'm totally willing to overlook the less healthy ingredient. So, when we went there with Wes and Alyssa, I bought some. The ones I got weren't as good as Elia's, but we're savoring them just the same.

When we go to Naples, we don't bring our computers because it's pretty sketchy there. So, that three-hour delay was less productive, but worth it for the peace of mind.