Breakfast fun and the great beach escape

Last week it seemed as if the rain would never stop. Well it has! Naples is finally becoming the summer inferno that all the locals have been warning me about, and it's only going to get hotter!

The room I sleep in (the breakfast room) is equipped with air conditioning. Unfortunately, that air conditioning will not be functioning for the whole of the summer due to construction work being done on the building. The dorms and private rooms, however, will not be affected by this problem and will maintain their air conditioning systems.

Yesterday, a young man staying in one of the dorms complained that the AC in his room wasn't cold enough, and he wanted to know if I could fix it. This was after I spent a night sweating away in my room (I can't leave the windows open because of the mosquitoes), so I couldn't help but point out to him that I didn't know how to work the controller since I didn't have one myself. I don't know ? was that passive aggressive of me?

Sometimes my patience is really tried here. The other morning at breakfast, two girls (I later learned that they are both studying to be doctors) at different times pointed at the glass pitcher of milk and asked, "What's that?"

Hmm, it's wet like milk, it's white like milk, it's next to the giant bowl of cereal. I'm going to make a wild guess and say it's milk! Of course, I did have the advantage of seeing the word "latte" printed on the carton I poured the mysterious liquid from, but they say you shouldn't believe everything you read.

I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt and believe that what they really wanted to know was weather it was regular milk or soy, but, with all the Mensa candidates I've come across here, I'm not really inclined.

Milk seems to be a confusing drink to many. Every morning I set out a cold pitcher of milk next to a thermos of milk. I can't tell you how many people have asked me what the difference is! Of course, the milk really isn't to blame.

Trying to fill her bottle, one guest pushed the sink's tap handle all the way to the left only to get scalding hot water. She then turned to me and asked, "Which direction is for cold?" Deduction, sweetheart, deduction.

OK, one more story, and then I promise I'm done venting! Last week was the Polish invasion.

This week is the Swedish invasion. A group of about 20 Swedish architecture students are staying at the hostel right now. Some arrived a day before their classmates so they could enjoy the city a bit on their own.