An Unforgettable Homestay in Torre Annunziata Italy

Mara, Franceso, Antonella, Martha, & Jim

In mid-May, my spouse Jim and I headed to Italy for a “homestay” (staying in the home of a local family to immerse oneself in the language and culture). We found a home in Torre Annunziata, a city between Naples and the Amalfi Coast, with our hosts Francesco and Antonella and Francesco’s mother, Mara. We stayed in Francesco and Mara’s home and spent the week improving our language comprehension and speaking. We had daily Italian lessons with Francesco and Antonella; tours to nearby cities and historic sites, and just hung out. Our homestay surpassed our expectations!

Our home

View of Vesuvius 

View of Torre Annunziata & Bay of Naples

We had a charming room with a balcony. From the balcony, we could see Vesuvius to the northeast and the Bay of Naples to the southeast.  Each morning we had a lovely breakfast of cereal, yoghurt, juice, biscotti with marmalade (fig was my favorite), and espresso prepared by Mara. I rarely drink coffee, but I looked forward to Mara’s espresso every morning.

       We usually had lunch and dinner at home, typically a local dish with one of the many Neapolitan breads in the region. Some of the delicious dishes were orecchiette with broccoli and sausage; zucchini frittata; rice salad with tomatoes, tuna, egg, and mozzarella; fruit salad with oranges and fennel; and pasta with tomatoes. Our wonderful meals (except for breakfast) were accompanied by a local wine and followed by limoncello and sometimes gelato venuto.  The conversations around the table, from stories about our lives to political discussions, inspired us to dig deep to communicate our experiences, observations, and thoughts. Mara’s friend Fabrizia visited one night, preparing a special meal of gnocchi with Sorrentino tomatoes and gave us a chance to try to keep up with lickety-split Italian. Jim entertained us all with his song “Chissà” [Who knows]—his observation of the fact that there is no tower (torre) in Torre Annuziata. 

Our Daily LessonsAfter breakfast, Antonella, Francesco, Jim, and I spent the next 2 ½ hours on our daily lesson.  The well-organized lessons were an excellent combination of independent work, one-on-one work with Francesco or Antonella (Jim and I changed partners each day), and group work. In addition to our reading printed materials, Francesco would do a short lecture on a grammar point, we did many practice exercises, we listened to Italian songs, and we watched short videos. The emphasis was always on our active engagement with Italian culture and language. Over the course of the week, we focused on articles, nouns, and verbs and were engaged in increasing our vocabulary, comprehension, and communication skills.

Antonella's Car

Tours

Sorrento

Each afternoon, we headed off for an adventure in Antonella's car. Over the course of the week, we visited the Amalfi coast and the coastal cities of Positano, Salerno, Sorrento; the Oplontis Ruins in Torre Annunziata (right next door to our apartment building),  Naples, and Pompeii. 

Positano

Pompeii

Oplontis Ruins

One lunch, we walked to L’Incrocio—just a block from our home—for traditional fritto and Neapolitan pizza (margarita pizza); another day, we had a picnic lunch of “frittata di pasta” on the steps of Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples, and another time, we lunched at Casa Mia, a “farmer’s kitchen.” At Casa Mia, we ate antipasto with eggplant, zucchini, and potato; little meatballs; pasta; and then sausages and a pork chop. Deliziosi! 

Our thanks to Antonella, Francesco, and Mara

Our last evening in Torre Annuziata we gave our thanks to Antonella, Francesco, and Mara—in Italian, of course:"Che un'esperienza indimenticabile! Il Homestay ha ecceduto le nostre aspettative. Ogni aspetto era eccelente: la nostra camera di letto, il balcone con la vista, i pasti, le escursioni,  i regali, le lezioni, e le conversazioni.

[What an unforgettable experience! The homestay exceeded our expectations.  Each aspect was excellent: our bedroom, the balcony with the view, the meals, the excursions, the gifts, the lessons, and the conversations.”]

Who knows? Lyrics by Jim Lucas
On the seventh floor (or the sixth floor),
Near the mountain, near the sea.
Where the breeze comes through the windoor,
And I borrow the P.C.

Chorus
It is Torre Annunziata

But, is there a tower in the city?

Where is the tower of Annuziata

Who knows, who knows?

There are riches and there are ruins,
In this place that is south of Rome,
We are enjoying all our 'doins'
You have made us feel at home.

Chorus

Chissà
Sul il settimo piano (il sesto piano),
in vicino la montagna, in vicino il mare
Dove il venticielo va fra la portestra
E prendo in prestito un P.C.

Coro

C'e Torre Annunziata.
Ma, c'e una torre nella città?
Dov'è la torre dell'Annunziata?
Chissà, chissà?

Ci sono ricchezze e ci sono i scavi
In questo luogo a sud di Roma
Ci divertiamo tutte le nostre attività
Con voi sentiamo a casa

Coro