Today is our last day in Pico before we start the next leg of our vacation.

Paul and I spent time packing, Maria came by to confirm she will pick me up at 4 PM to walk me to her daughter in laws home so I don’t get lost, and Paul drove to a larger market to try and buy more espresso pods (they don’t have the brand that works with our machine at the local market and inexplicably the larger market was closed.) 

Around 10:30 we drove to Frosinone to pick up D’s phone but unfortunately, they could not fix it. Since it was still in pieces, we were told to return at 3:30 to pick it up reassembled. With several hours to kill, we found a shop that sold exclusively espresso pods, so we stocked up on the size that fits our machine. They offered us an espresso to drink, of course.

We then drove to the historic center of Frosinone to find the Santa Maria Assuntta church. We climbed, in the sun, to the top of the historic center since we weren’t sure if we were allowed to drive or if it was a ZTL area and didn’t want to risk a ticket.

D googled where to go for lunch, and we ended up at Old Wild West — a themed restaurant exactly as you’d picture it. We ate at one in 2018 and were happy to have burgers and onion rings for a change, even though everything tasted very salty. Being Old Wild West in Italy, we ended the meal with espressos (our third of the day.)

After a quick pit stop at Orizzonte to pick up some additional things for the house (a new stock pot to boil water, a bedside lamp, citronella for the terrace, etc) we headed back to the cell phone store to pick up D’s phone. Unfortunately, the phone isn’t reassembled yet, and they told us to come back by 7pm. Argh! D will need to use my phone on the next leg of the trip, so we have a way to reach him when he’s with the rest of the athletes, he has a way to communicate with teammates, etc. 

Paul drove me back to Pico for my nail appointment. Instead of trying to find a local nail salon that knew how to safely remove dipped nails, Federica hooked me up with Maria’s daughter-in-law, Ilaria, who has been doing nails for 20 years but no longer works at a salon. Maria walked me to Ilaria’s home at the base of the castle for a perfect manicure. Her house was beautiful — a complete gut renovation five years ago — and being at the top of the Borgo they had sweeping views of the entire valley.

While I was at my appointment, Paul went on a few errands. He successfully located Italian hydrogen peroxide to have in the house, went to Frosinone to pick up D’s reassembled phone (they didn’t charge us since they couldn’t fix it), and went back to Orrizonte to exchange the lamp as it was damaged. It’s just been one of those days. 

For dinner, we drove five minutes from Pico as the sun set over the mountains to Profumo di Caffe just into neighboring Pontecorvo. On the main road, and located next to the Agip gas station, it had a cute outdoor area decorated with strong lights. There were several families eating dinner and around 10:30pm, Mimo and Tiziana from Piuma Nera Bar arrived for dinner as well. The restaurant started us with tomato bruschetta, D had spaghetti carbonara, Paul had a pizza with zucchini flowers, yellow tomato sauce, pancetta and cheese, and my pizza was fiore di latte cheese, mortadella, pistachio pieces and basil. We had a choice of crust (high or low), Aperol Spritzes, and watched the parade of cheeseburgers, gorgeous appetizers, and desserts get served to the tables around us. It all looked delicious and we will be back. 

During dinner, we reminisced about the highs and lows of the trip. For D, his “highs” were visiting Naples, Florence, and meeting all the Pico townspeople. His “low” was the same as one of mine: the bugs. We’ve had some wonderful meals, but the gnats and mosquitoes have really put a damper on things. It’s been the worst for D, with his back and arms being attacked. Paul had all highs and no real lows, as things have gone better than he expected with the house, and he has appreciated all the friendly and kind people we’ve met in the town. And for me, while the entire trip has been a high, a low for me was that Miss M was not with us. For me, something was missing, and I wish our whole family could have been together for this experience.

As we drove back to Pico for the final time this trip, we were stuck behind a truck carrying bales of hay. Paul adeptly passed the hay truck, as many drivers had done to us over the past two weeks. Throughout the trip, we’ve commented on how crazy the drivers are, and how Paul’s crazy driving fits right in here. Carlo was impressed that Paul drove in Naples and said next time to take the train. Driving here is not for the faint of heart. But Paul knows the road so well at this point. He knows where there is a straightway and it’s safe to pass, even though the road is generally windy and it’s pitch black outside. During the nighttime drives, D keeps his eyes peeled for chingale and stray cats or dogs, while I sit in the back seat with a shielded view of the road and panic only slightly. We’ve all made progress on this trip, enjoying it in our own way, and are ready for the next adventure.