We left Rome yesterday afternoon. We didn't have to leave the apartment until 4:30 pm, so we took our time getting packed. We were on the road for about 5 minutes when the rear passenger window quit working! With my Mom's help, we were able to push it up but it was still open about 1/2 inch. We stopped for lunch, got some gas and hit the road.
Thank heavens for the bike rack - we were sitting in line at a toll both when we were rear ended by an Italian. The front of his car was pretty banged up, but there was just a skid mark on the vertical bar of our bike rack. Luckily, we hadn't made it to the NEX at Naples and picked up Heather's new bike or it would have been crunched.
We pulled over and I called the military police at the navy base in Sicily where I work. Even if there's no damage, we are supposed to report all accidents. There's been horror stories of people not reporting accidents and being sued months later when the other motorist claims you hit them and it was your fault.
I was on the phone with the military police when an Italian highway patrolman stopped. He spoke very little English so we tried to tell him what had happened. Finally, I was able to speak with the Italian liaison officer from Sicily who spoke to the Italian police and the guy who hit us.
The Italian who hit us was getting upset because he thought we were going to try and file a claim and get money out of him. He kept waving his arms and cursing "f***ing Americans" (he was saying it in Italian, but I work with the Italian military so I understood. :-)
The Italian police officer was filling out a form for us. When he got to the bottom, he asked me to write on the form and describe the damage. I wrote "No" and he just looked at me funny. He asked, "No damage?" I told him that's right, there's no damage to my car. "No damage, no sheet!" The guy who hit us realized he wasn't going to jail and he wasn't go to have to pay out the nose to the money hungry Americans. Off we went...like a herd of turtles.
About ten minutes from the NEX Naples, we almost got rear-ended again! I saw him coming this time and moved forward about 2 meters...I think that saved us!
Arrived at the Naples base and had to get a pass for Mom. Did some shopping...I got a roof top carrier for the car, the boys got some new Bionicles (Legos) and Heather picked up her new bike. We got some other stuff for the bikes...tubes, a new pump, some fenders for my Trek to ride to work.
It was late when we finished, so we went to Applebees for dinner...but there was a one hour wait. So we migrated to the bowling alley and ate at the Irish Pub.
Got to Carney Park, moved into our cabins and got to bed around 11:00 pm.
Woke up around 8:30 this morning to pouring rain. Heather realized the car window was still open about an inch so she went out side and closed Tommy's Sea World poncho in the door to cover it up! Leather seats were the best investment ever...we'll probably never get another family car without leather...so easy to clean. Wiped up the water, got dressed and pigged out for breakfast at the golf course restaurant.
Headed back to the NEX at Naples to get the window fixed. Three hours later and $35 later we sitting at the bowling alley having lunch and getting ready to hit the road for Pompeii or Herculaneum...whichever Mom decides...
More tonight...maybe.
Ciao,
Bud
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