9-15 & 16 More of Ortona

 We have three more days at this apartment.  Airbnb places can be so weird.  We have been traveling for many years - but my criteria remains basically the same.  I want comfort.  A good bed or two.  A large table to spread out with our computers and stuff,  a really comfortable sofa with foot rests.  And enough stuff in the kitchen to make meals for several days.  And of course a decent size shower - preferably not a bathtub with European shower head and no curtain or a tiny tiny circle shower where you can not wash the bottom half of your body.  

No Airbnb is perfect for everyone - but could I find just one that is perfect for us?  This place is very spacious.  The bathrooms are pretty good - except no trashcans and no place to hang up towels.  I love the blue and grey paint scheme.  There is one very uncomfortable sofa.  Otherwise no place to put your stuff.  Michael sets up his stuff in the kitchen.  I have a lovely desk in my bedroom to do all my accounting and photography.  So we are never together.  There is a very large deck in this apt.  Today we were able to enjoy about 30 minutes together - reading outside.  It was lovely while it lasted. 

But I need to stop complaining and move on to yesterday and today.  We slept late - as both of us are having a hard time with the hard beds and pillows.  We tend to sleep until 7 - 8am.  then shower and have breakfast.  It is still cold and grey out - so I want to work on accounting or photos.  Around 11am to 12 noon the sun comes out and everything looks welcoming.  Even though the weather forecast says it is going to be super windy and cloudy with rain.

It's time to head out and do something.  Michael appreciates not having to drive - so the car has been parked for several days.  We head for the old town and walk around.  Then walk further to the "real" town.  Where every one actually lives and works.  

This is the central walking street.  Lots of restaurants and cafes here.  When you reach the end you are in the "real" town.

Part of the real town

In the 15th we head back to the promenade. and walk by the harbor.

We head back into the old town.

And finally find the theater - it had evaded me so far.

The statue facing the Theater.  Michael though the women all looked scared.  

Stained glass windows in the theatre.

Then we walk back along the harbor.

You see these fountains along the way.  Now I think mostly used to water pets.

We have passed several of these - It sounds like they should have sandwiches and coffee - but mostly it is cold drinks.

I have mentioned WWII before.  This city seems to owe a lot to the native Americans from Canada.  But across Italy are many monuments to different countries including the U.S.A who helped liberate them from the Germans.  Ortona was heavily bombed by WWII.  There is not a lot left of the original architecture.    So whenever I see something that looks really old I try to photograph it.  

Walking back to the Theatre from a different angle, I notice the figures on top.

We are back down by the castle.

Then on a side street we see this building.

It seems to be a Catholic library.

We take another side street up - one we had not taken before.  We thought we would end up in the main - Republic square - instead we end up in Piazza St. Thomas.

We are on the other side of the church - in the Piazza St. Thomas - which is a big parking lot!  We read the information on the church - it was destroyed in WWII and has been completely rebuild..

You can still enter the church - even though the outside is completely covered by scaffolding.

They claim they have the body of St. Thomas buried here.  

Inside things are quite beautiful.

We end the day on Monday, with a stop at a cafe.  I have not had an aperol spritz in Italy yet.. We have not had Italian pastry's yet.  We satisfy both needs in one go.