The food was delicious.  The mussels were "right off the boat" fresh.  The calamari was tender and succulent.  It may have been a regional thing, but a majority of the pastas available were of the "noodle" variety.  Spaghetti, linguini, and lasagna dominated the menus.  Penne pasta (the ridged tube) pasta was also available, but I didn't see any stuffed pasta, such as ravioli, or shapes such as macaroni.

The people were considerate and friendly.  When I went to Korea, by and large, the people seemed interested in selling you something.  Shop-keepers would come out into the street to try and entice you into their shop.  In Gaeta, if you went into a shop and asked a question, they were polite and tried to answer as best they could, but it never centered around "this is the best shop on town" or "I can give you a good bargain" like I experienced in Korea.

I've grouped my photos into four groups: The Hotel where I stayed, the trip we took to Montecassino (the first monastery of the Benedictine order of monks), pictures of the city and of a church in the city, and the sights on Monte Orlando.

We stayed at the Grand Hotel Il Ninfeo.  The brochure describes it as "located on a magic bay surrounded by trees and rocks: it is gently caressed by a blue sea and golden sand.  Rooms are furnished with modern comforts (colour TV, air conditioned, fridge, long-distance call telephones).  The Restaurant which overlooks the blue bay, can accommodate 160 guests: it offers refined food and local gastronomic specialties.  A well furnished bar, located in the hall that opens on a wonderful terrace, is the ideal meeting place for a suitable aperitif.  Main distances from hotel: Naples, 100 km, Rome 120 km, Formia Railway Station is 10 kilometers.  Ferry-boats and hydrofoils to and from Pontine island, Ischia and Capri are available in the Formia port (10 km)."  All of that is true and more.  The location was gorgeous, the rooms were well appointed, the restaurant food was very well prepared (if a little expensive) and the hotel staff were very helpful and cordial.  

I felt as though I were in the very presence of God as I walked through the museum at Montecassino.  "The Montecassino monastery was founded by St. Benedict about 529 A.D. on the remnants of a pre-existing Roman fortification of the municipium Casinum.  The heathen cult was still practised on this mountain site in the temple of Apollo and in a nearby grove to which a sacrifice area was adjoining.

Montecassino became famous for the prodigious life and the Sepulchre of its founder.  Through the ages, the abbey was looked upon as a place of holiness, culture and art for which it became renowned on a world-wide level" (from the guide book).  The Abbey was destryoed four times.  In 577 by the Longobards of Zotone, by the Saracens in 883, by an earthquake in 1349 and on February 15, 1944, during the final stage of World War II.

Fearing I would run out of pictures, I didn't take a lot of pictures of the town of Gaeta itself.  I did get some shots from the mountain.  There was a cathedral dedicated to St. Francis that I did get some pictures of.  It was closed and in disrepair, but it was still beautiful.  The town is a quaint and peaceful as it looks from far away.  If Kristen and I ever get a chance to vacation abroad, we're going back to Gaeta.

I was by myself my last day in Italy.  I could have driven up to Rome or taken the train, but being alone in a city that large didn't exactly make me quiver with excitement.  Instead, I spent my final Italian morning climbing to the top of Monte Orlando.  The city signs in Gaeta all have a picture of a hill with a building on top of it.  This building is a mausoleum and the hill is Monte Orlando.  It's a bit of a hike but the view of the city and the sights that await the traveler make the journey worth the trip.  On my way to the top, I found a statue of Mary overlooking Gaeta, a ring of gun emplacements left from World War II, a piece of the wall that used to encircle the city overlooking the coast, and finally; the mausoleum itself.  Massive and simple, it dominates your view as you complete your trip to the top of the hill.  On the way down, I passed through another monastery.  Where Montecassino was on the top of the mountain, this monastery seemed more dedicated to the sea.  In the side of the hill, a grotto was claimed by the monks.  This grotto used to be the home of pirates, but after they were defeated, the monks took it over and built steps which descend right to the waters edge.