Today Miss M and I planned to take the train into Sorrento while Paul picked up a few things at IKEA and waited back in Pico for our couch to arrive. 

At 8:30a we began the journey: Paul drove us to a train/bus station just outside of Naples. After navigating the large, modern station, we boarded a 10:20a bus to Naples Centrale where we would then hop on the train to Sorrento. 

At 11am we were wandering around Naples Centrale and learned the trains to Sorrento were cancelled for today and tomorrow. Not wanting to endure a 2 hour bus ride there and a 2 hour bus ride back to Naples at the end of the day, plus another 90 minutes back to Pico, we aborted our plan. We quickly hopped on a different train north along the coast to the Formia-Gaeta station arriving there by 12:30pm. 

While we were taking buses and trains, Paul picked up the items we needed from IKEA and met us at a coffee shop near the station. By 2p we were back in Pico.

While Paul got to work assembling a dresser for the second bedroom, I began my work day, rescheduling my vacation day to Monday instead. 

A short while later, three men arrived with the couch and within minutes it was in place. Easy peasy! Before leaving, Tomasso made sure to ask Paul about the pain he has in his knees when he squats and jumps. Paul’s athletic training expertise is now being shared across multiple continents. 

After relaxing on the couch for a bit, we decided to take a 15 minute drive to the Festa della Montagna (Festival of the Mountain) which is advertised locally as “Three Days of Nature, Traditions, and Flavors from the Aurunci Mountains.”

We drove up, up, up the mountain, and our little Fiat Pandina did a fair amount of off-roading, following signs to the festival passing a very large wild boar (cinghiale.) Finally we saw lighting in the distance, parked the car and we’re directed to walk a very steep hill without a path where we had to hold on to a tree bark railing held together by rope otherwise we would go sliding down the hill in our sandals. 

When we reached the top, it was like we stumbled upon the Watertown church Greek festival. Tons of picnic tables, two dozen staff in festival tshirts, huge tents where they were grilling all sorts of meats, a ticket taker for your food, banners with sponsors of the festival, including Senza Nome pizzeria, an insurance company, an agritourismo, and a wedding florist from Pico.

Well, we arrived at 8:30 PM, we were obviously early. There were only 50 people and a sign about something starting at 11:00, but we didn’t understand what it said. (Translated it later and it said “crazy little things.)

For €23, we enjoyed french fries, two delicious sausage sandwiches, a very large porchetta sandwich, a glass of wine, a beer and a bottle of water.

While we saw a few tables of people playing cards and chitchatting, we were the only ones eating. We sat near the entertainment: three accordion players, someone on the tambourine smoking a cigarette, and someone else playing an instrument that resembled a beige clarinet. 

When we left at 9:30, cars were pouring in and we saw a woman who works at the Pico town hall who has been very helpful to Paul over the past two years.

After winding our way back down the mountain, we went to the center of town for some gelato and then called it a night. 

If we had gone to Sorrento for the day, we likely we would not have made it to the mountain festival, so sometimes the best plans are the ones you don’t truly plan for.