June 5
After starting the day with a delicious breakfast on our back patio (from which we could see the Med if we stood up and looked over the bushes), we checked out of our flat and headed to the interior of the island.
The drive to the base was under 2 hours but we got stuck on a road behind a herd of geep (sheep/goat cross breed). I’ve seen a lot of geep herds, but I’ve never seen one this large. There had to have been at least 150 of them. Since there was no way to get around them, it took about 10 minutes before they cleared the road, and we could get around them.
So, we finally got past the geep and back on to a major road. Since Gracie seemed to be on track, we didn’t expect any further difficulties. Well, she had a little trouble once we got close to the base. She kept telling us to turn down this tiny little road, then make a right where there was no road. After about 3 tries, we gave up and decided to go straight to the WWII museum in Catania that Peter wanted to see. Gracie got us there with no problem but then we couldn’t find any place to park. We decided to bail on the museum and head to the hotel where we thought we could get directions to the base.
We checked in without problem, but the desk clerk had no idea what base I was talking about, but he was kind enough to call the Navy Lodge for us. The clerk there told me what to put into the GPS to get there. Mind you, the driving in Catania makes driving in Palermo look like a picnic in the park but we really need to get to the base, so off we went.
This time we made it without difficulty, but the entire base is different from when I was last there 25 years ago, so it took a little while to find the laundromat. Once the clothes were in the washer, we took our stuff to the pack and wrap place to get ready for mailing. We had to leave it for several hours but that was okay because we still had to do laundry.
While waiting for clothes we walked to the Hospital where I was stationed from 1992-1994. In fact, I am a plank owner of the hospital, which means I was a member of the “ship” when it was first commissioned. On a ship, a plaque is placed onboard with all the names of the crew members who were assigned when it was first commissioned. I’m sure there’s a picture of the crew on commissioning day some place but we had no idea where to look. In the old days, a plank owner could request a deck plank from the ship when it was decommissioned which is where the name comes from. That practice ended many years ago but the name “plank owner” stuck.
I first arrived in July 1992 for the purpose of setting up the inpatient nursing department. At that time Sig only had a large clinic but the hospital was opening in 1993 so it was my job to get the 4 inpatient nursing areas (multiservice unit, labor and deliver, nursery and the operating rooms) ready to open. I worked on that for about 6 months before the hospital opened, and was commissioned, in early 1993.
I have to say that very little seemed familiar to me. Just like the rest of the base, much had changed since we opened the facility 26 years ago. First, it was much smaller than I remembered. I did, though, recognize my offices. I had two different jobs while I was there (first Inpatient Nursing Department Head and then Health Promotions Coordinator) and I had a different office for each one.
While Peter and I were hanging out in the hall in front of this office, the XO (Executive Officer; second in command) walked by and asked if we needed help. I told him who I was, and I just wanted to see my old duty station. He very kindly offered to take us to the multiservice nursing unit, which it turns out, was just around the corner. When he saw the nurse at the duty station he said, “we have a special guest; a plank owner of the hospital is here to visit.” How cool was that of him! Of course, I had to explain to the LTJG (same as 1st LT in Army) what a plank owner was but we had a very pleasant conversation.
She took us to meet the current Department Head, which is the job I started with. That LT (same as Captain in Army) was also gracious with her time, offering to give us a full tour. But she was clearly busy with a few of her staff, and we didn’t want to take up anymore of her time.
We talked with the LTJG (who said it was an honor to meet me; who’s crying; I’m not crying) a little longer than headed back to the laundromat to get our clothes into the dryer. After stopping at the exchange and commissary (can’t wait to get into to puffy Cheetos when we’re back in the car on Friday) we stopped for lunch. There is now a very nice complex that houses the gym, pool, movie theater, and a variety of other activities so we had a juicy American cheeseburger and fries for lunch.
Then it was back to the laundromat to get our clothes and to the post office to mail our boxes home. We were only on base for about 3 hours, but it was nice to see the place again even if I didn’t recognize much.
Since I was on a bit of a nostalgia kick, we decided to head to Aci Trezzi to find my old apartment. We have to drive back through Catania to get there and about 2/3 of the way there, Peter remarked that it was a long way to go every day. Yes, it was but I told him that I wanted to live with the Italians. He commented that the entire island was full of Italians and that I could probably have found something closer. While that’s true, I loved my apartment.
Anyway, I knew the street (Via Litteri) but couldn’t remember the house number. But I was sure I would recognize it when I saw it. Unfortunately, I didn’t. We got to the top of the road without anything looking the least bit familiar. So, we turned around and came back to the hotel. It was a little disappointing but at least I got to see the hospital.
That was our day. Tomorrow we planned to drive to Syracuse, which of course I was dreading because I would have had to drive back through Catania and into another big city. But the desk clerk mentioned a tour, and as much as I hate tours, it was better than driving so we signed up. The best part is that the bus will pick us up at the hotel, so I don’t have to move the car. So, we’ll follow a flag like lemmings, but I can suck it up for one day of not driving. We’ll let you know how it goes.
Buona note.