Camerota
We have overstayed in Camerota, but this little marina at the foot of the mountain about 90 miles north of Messina has a laundramat, a rarity in Italy, at only E3.50 a load.
My fun yesterday was trying to do our laundry. The 1st night we were here, we went exploring. At 9:00 in the morning, when the laundramat was supposed to open, I was at its door having pulled my little cartload of laundry up the mountain. Jerry asked me if he should come with me, but like the masochist I am I said I could handle it. Mistake number 1. When I finally arrived at the laundry, it was closed. Another lady was waiting. We greeted each other in my limited Italian and both shrugged our shoulders-the frustrated international language. Another lady came along and went to several houses calling for the laundry lady. No one came. We thanked her and shrugged our shoulders again.
An English lady on another boat that was leaving had told me there was a coin laundry up the mountain so I decided to try to find it. Her husband said to the left of the church so I headed toward the bell tower which I could see through the narrow lanes and arches on the mountain. I just kept pulling my little cart which seemed to be growing bigger and heavier. I don't know where the English gentleman was standing because there was no laundry on the street to the left of the church. I asked several people who had no idea what a laundramat was. Finally, a man said, "Come on" and he took off up the mountain with me practically running behind him. Dodging cars and motorcycles, we finally arrived at Lavo Lavo, a beautiful clean wonderful laundramat with a huge Speed Queen and several other washers and dryers.
Of course, I had no soap because I had been heading for the Lavandaria. I had passed a little supermarket, so I stashed my laundry behind the Speed Queen and headed back down the mountain. The neatest little guy in the Market had been in Venezuela for several years and wanted to visit in Spanish, but he also sold me Dash and something else like Downy. Back to the laundramat to figure out the Getterone which it took to run the machines. I thought I should go back to the boat to tell Jerry what had happened to me in case he thought someone had kidnapped me for an old harem, but it was too far down the mountain.
I finally got everything running and headed next door to look at the point to point which I thought was an internet. It turned out to be a fantastic market with lots of soap for sale. I bought 1 baquette, some ham, some cheese, some water and had breakfast in the laundramat.
Such is the exciting, fun life of the world traveling boater. Little things like a laundramat mean a lot in any language, and I can eat a lot of pasta and cozzes if I keep pulling my little cart up and down mountains.
I miss everyone- lots of love and kisses xoxox
Debbie's girls- Jerry and I did the Race for the Cure in Rome. Our thoughts were with all of you
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- June 11, 2004