Happy St. Stephan’s Day (aka Boxing Day)

Joe is the same. Able to get himself up and to the bathroom, pretty good appetite, drinking juice and water, but no energy to go out. I have not once returned to the room to find him awake. I decided not to tempt fate for the last two days here, so I gave up on the idea of us taking a cab out to a spot along the coast.

I set out alone, basically on a beach promenade walk to Boccanasse, which used to be a fishing village and is now a place for ice cream and strolling. I was told not to miss the Gelateria Amadeo, so I dutifully complied and got a cup of my favorite, pistacchio. It was very nice to see so many people out and about enjoying the day. There is a lot of construction going on, and it looks like they are trying to improve the pedestrian amenities along the entire promenade. Lots of old palazzos and beautiful apartment buildings. At one critical juncture on the way back, I had to leave the water and loop up and around a huge construction project. This took me past the hospital where Joe could have gone. As I watched ambulances arriving, worried families congregating, and dedicated responders rushing to and fro, I was very thankful that we had avoided that option.

My afternoon walk was back to the old port- This time I turned off google maps and just wandered through the incredible maze of tiny streets and alleys. Every now and then I would arrive at a spot described by the hotel staff as a “critical area,” which meant that I would turn around and get back into more bustling territory. It’s not a huge area, so you’re never far from streets with cars. As I passed the main square, I saw that the Christmas market had been totally dismantled and a group of men was already busy working to put together the stage for the New Year’s Eve extravaganza.

Joe wanted a hamburger again, so I found my way to another highly rated hamburgueria. We are surely not breaking the bank with our food expenses!Read more