Gallipoli

A swift update, since I am sitting by the pool of the campsite in Gallipoli and I am getting munched by mozzies as I sort out photos, gobble down supper and use electricity as much as I can. I have my camera battery and my laptop plugged in to charge.

I finally have some internet. I bought a data bundle in Naples, and have been struggling to get it to work ever since. I have been back to the man who sold me the package. I have spent hours on the phone listening to Italian voice recordings about my bundle, my hours, my credit etc. Everything except how to make the damned thing work. I have asked tourist information people to listen to the Italian messages and then to ask consultants to speak English to me. I have bought more credit. I have spent a couple of hours trying to work out the settings on my own. It has been thoroughly frustrating. I reached desperation stakes. After a week of hassling, N and I stopped in a small one horse town because he saw a Wind (my network) dealer in the town. Although I was sure that the town was too small for anyone to be able to help, we discovered a fantastic lady who spoke English and understood the Wind package and understood computer settings. She finally got the thing to work. I could not stop the outpourings of delight. I was so delighted I could have kissed her. I nearly did. N got a strange look on his face. I was not sure if he was about to drag me away or encourage me.

Today we drove along the coastal road from Ciolo to Gallipoli. It is very pretty and dotted with small Italian towns. Italy is remarkably badly sign posted (worse than Kimberley.) We have been lost a lot. An awful lot. 

We have checked into a fairly nice campsite for the evening. 20 Euros for both of us and the car and the tent. In Europe they charge for each person to camp. Then they charge extra for your tent. And extra for your car. Bizarre, huh? At this place electricity is included (they usually charge extra for that too) and so is hot water. Score!
The only drawback so far is our rather elderly neighbour, who sports a nasty luminous orange swimming costume. An extremely small costume. It borders on being a thong. He is 70 if he is a day. Horrors!

I have finished my tasty dinner of bottled bockwurst sausages and bottled asparagus and am going to go back to the tent to watch a movie on N’s computer.
Today we didn’t do anything much exciting but we did go and sit on the beach. Where we managed to get into trouble. The campsite gave us a voucher for the use of 2 deck chairs and an umbrella. We duly went to the beach and helped ourselves, since no one rushed out to greet us. Turns out we took the beds instead of the deck chairs and you are supposed to pay extra for that. After much Italian hand-waving and hysteria we managed to sort it out and sat in our deckchairs, most chastised, watching a young Italian couple make out in front of us. The view was very pretty, though (not the couple!!!) and we relaxed for a while before coming back to camp for our delicious supper.  

I will leave you with a picture. Of the beach. Lucky you I decided against the picture I sneaked of the old man in his lumo orange cossie….