Day 2

Day 2

Slept well on the plane!!!!  A first.  We arrived in Rome via Frankfort and met Karl and Cherie, who had been waiting for us for 7 hours!  Good Sports!  We rented our car and were off on our long-awaited, exciting adventure.

On the way from Rome to Naples, we decided were were hungry and stopped at a roadside Auto-grille. While driving up, we wondered about the mafia-looking men lounging in front who pointed at us as we drove by looking for a parking spot.  This was our first European meal of the trip and we were eager to taste that food!  It was okay.  This was just an Italian version of a gas station with a food mart.  The drama happened after we finished eating.  Karl and Martin went back to the car first and when Cherie and I finished up and went out to meet them, we wondered why they were both leaning against the trunk facing us.  Something was up!  

We had been robbed!

Everything not in the large suitcases was taken.  Cherie's purse, Karl's backpack, Martin's briefcase.  Gone were the cameras, passport, driver's license, money, laptop, iPad, iPod, etc.  AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!  We ran back into the store where NO ONE spoke English.  How do you mime to the store manager what just happened?  Well, he figured it out and called the police.  Do any of them speak English?  Of course not.  But we are able to describe somewhat the events previous.  It took hours.  They tell us, in very few words, to stop at the police station in the morning and search the ditches for our possibly discarded debris as we continue on our way down the freeway.