Our Visit with Melissa

We were very lucky to have one of my best friends, Melissa, visit us last week. It was great to catch up with her and show her around our little corner of Italy. We stuck pretty close to home, enjoying the local archaelogical sites and of course, the Italian markets, cafes, and ristoranti! No shortage of good food in our area so long as you like classic Italian fare. I think Melissa found it all delicious, especially the gelato. With her business sense, she was suggesting Ben and I start a gelateria when we move back home...so long as we live nearby!

Luke loved playing with Melissa and she was a natural with him, thanks to plenty of experience with her own adorable boys. It was good to have another mom in the house to help Ben and I out with Luke. Luke loved her headband, as you can see above!

We visited the Cuma Archaeological Park, the Flavian Amphitheater, and the Catacombs of San Gennaro, patron saint of Naples. This was our first visit to the catacombs, too, so it was a treat to see such an amazing historical site and the remaining early Christian art. Remarkable to think of the early Christrians worshipping in secret underground churches and building complex systems to bury and protect the bones of the believers. No photography was allowed inside, but the funerary art was typical of early Christian, almost Byzantine-style portraits with all hands outstretched in prayer. Very beautiful in style and color.

Our special dinner out was at Abraxas, our favorite ristorante, where we had wonderful bean soups, the 8-course antipasti, perfectly cooked meats, and the best panna cotta I've had anywhere. Ben was a prince walking around the parking lot with a fussy Luke between each course. There's no such thing as a regular dinner out with a busy one-year old! He was pretty good, though, and we enjoyed our big night out.

It was great reminiscing about old time with Melissa, and we talked about the 10 year high school reunion on the horizon this fall. Can't believe we've been out of school so long or that Melissa and I have been friends for nearly 20 years! Here's to another 20 and then some!