Whatchawearing
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Europeanvaction1979/day9
My father was in the USAF. We spent nearly nine years in Europe. We lived in Greece, Italy and England. Every few years my Grandparents would come to visit. When they did, we were off for a five week journey across Europe. My grandmother kept a journal of our travels. Recently while cleaning out a closet, my Mother came across the journals. The memories came flying back! I decided to share these journels with you. Each day I will post a chapter as she has written them. I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I did.
The first Journal was in 1979. We lived in Hellenikon Greece.
Brindisi Italy
Hotel Tenuta Monacelle
Homes in Brindisi
page 17
Day 9-Sunday April 3 1979
The wind was cool and brisk when we awoke. George was wheezing and coughing, as he had been for several days, but he seemed worse while we took down the tent and packed up the VW. Al suggested the base hospital for emergency treatment.
Several hours later it became apparent that the doctor was not satisfied with George's response to the drugs and ordered him admitted to the Di Summa Hospital in Brindisi for medical remedies.
Mike, the Italian ambulance driver, acted as interpreter when we arrived at the hospital. Di Summa is a large complex of old, multi-storied stone buildings. Painted a dull green, the halls were conspicuously empty and bore no resemblance to our modern medical institutions. We saw no visitors, no patients, no nurses' stations; in fact, no nurses!
The private room we requested was large having a narrow bed, a utility stand, sofa, a metal locker, wash basin as well as a desk and chair. The bath contained a toilet of some ancient vintage and what was supposed to be a shower. There was a pipe half way up one wall jutting out with a small plastic bag covering it, the purpose of which we never fathomed unless it was to catch a leak. On the floor sat a square of porcelain with a drain hole. Since there was no provision for a shower curtain and no towels, we could only assume the patients either did not bathe, or got water over the entire bathroom.
After George got settled in, we left promising to return in the morning. With our itinerary disrupted, we returned to the base where we set up the tent again, ate supper, took in a movie and dejectedly crawled into our sleeping bags not knowing what to expect, but praying George would be well enough to be released the next day.
