Life's a Beach

Sea Glass

Wednesday, 4 July, 2010

Happy Birthday America!!  To celebrate we sang the Star-Spangled Banner at the beach today in Massa Lubrense--crazy Americans!

Going to the beach is about the only thing we did today.  We had already done everything else we had planned.  The sandy beach was too far away to drive to and the other beach we knew of would be difficult logistically--hard to park and to get to, so we went to the rocky beach here in our town.  We went to almost the end and found a concrete area with steps into the water.  I wore my suit under my clothes but did not go in because the bottom was all rocks--the children said, "it only hurts for awhile."  Sorry, that's not enough.  So I sat on the edge to watch them and read a book I had thought to throw into my backpack. They had a great time swimming, piling up rocks, and collecting sea glass.   I am writing this at night as I sit on our balcony, watching the sun slowly melt into the Mediterranean Sea.  

Joshua relaxing in the water

The weather is slightly cooler (yay!) and a bit less humid.  So the walk back up the hill wasn't as miserable as last time.  Despite sunscreen, all three children have sunburns on their backs--I have aloe vera gel duty coming up soon.  

Anneliese and Shelby in the water

It is our last night at our apartment.  We will miss the space--especially the rooftop terrace where we ate dinner every night watching the sun slowly sinking toward the sea.  We had three bedrooms which is very nice, especially for the children.  Also, hearing the church bell often is nice too.  However, I will not miss the rooster or the ants.  A day or so after we arrived, we noticed ants in our bathroom.  By the next day they were in our bedroom as well, coming in through the patio doors.  The next day, we arrived home after our day out to a line of them from the balcony to the hallway.  Then the next day they tried an alternate path and got to the kitchen.  Today, again, another alternate path.  We have been sweeping them, sometimes 10 times a day.  We sweep them out the balcony door and over the edge.  And as we turn around, they're crawling all over the floor again!  Aaaaaargh.  But tomorrow, they are someone else's problem (the people that own the place--we will mention it in our "comments.")  

Joshua's sea crab

There is only a faint pink glimmer on the  horizon now, but the computer screen is lit up, so I can stay in this comfortable space.  Next will come packing my bags for the trip to Rome tomorrow.  We will make a few sightseeing stops on the way to see some villas, then drop off the car in the outskirts of Rome, and take a train in as close as we can get to our apartment and hoof it the last few kilometers.  I have come up with a list of 4 "extras" in holiday rentals in the order of importance.  They are not essentials, such as a shower or a refrigerator, but important nonetheless.  They are access to wi-fi, air conditioning, a washing machine, and a dishwasher.  This place had the first one, and it was nice, made our lives easier.  

Joshua swimming and looking for treasures

We are watching the temperatures soar at home and, with only a week and a half left, thoughts turn to home and many comments start with, "When we get home..."  It is sad to not be able to be in the moment all of the time, but I think it is a way to keep in touch with where we are from, our "real life,"  and at this point in our journey, to begin thinking about it's eventual finale.  As for the temperatures, they can be gone when we arrive home!   We've had our share.   

Swimming girls with the sea in the distance