Well, folks, we have an announcement! Frank and I have decided to elope while we are here in Italy – place and time is our secret!

We thought it would be so romantic to duck into a little church somewhere and tie the knot. But we learned it is not that easy. To get married in Italy, you must have a document called the Nulla Osta. It basically confirms that you are legally able to wed. It turns out that most people who want to marry in Italy start this process months in advance because it involves getting recently certified copies of your birth certificates and going to the Italian Consulate in your country with several witnesses who can attest that you are single.

How to Obtain a Nulla Osta WHILE in Italy?

But – we are already here, so what to do? We contacted a local wedding consultant who said, “No problem – you just need to go to Naples.” Puzzled, we asked what would happen in Naples. Apparently, in Naples, you can go to the US Consulate and show just your passports in order to register for marriage. Then you have to go to the Italian court to have it all documented and obtain the Nulla Osta. Of course, this also involves a little money being passed around (we think maybe under the table, which is why we figure we can only do this in Naples).

Trenitalia to Napoli

So – we are on the train on our way to Naples. We have an appointment with a man they simply call “Mr. Bruno” (Bruno being his first name). We are to meet him in a park with our money and go with him to the US Consulate and Italian Court. We feel like this is legit because we have received official appointments from the US State Department to meet with the US Consulate. (However, it will probably be a bit of an adventure!)

Assuming this is not a sting operation and we end up either deported or in jail, by Friday we should have our Nulla Osta and will be free to marry. We are in Italy for a few more months, so we have lots of good options for times and places. So stay tuned . . .

Postscript:

We are in Naples!  We had a fun afternoon sightseeing before our meetings at the US Consulate and Italian court tomorrow.

We had heard all kinds of warnings of the dangers of Naples, so were a bit nervous when we got off the train, holding our bags close by our sides. But we easily grabbed a taxi and are now at our beautiful hotel on the water with a view of Mount Vesuvius and Capri. Brings back good memories of our sail last year in the Bay of Naples.

We even got brave and struck out on our own to explore a little. Then got a little nervous again so grabbed the Hop On Hop Off Bus, which was a perfect way to see the city and get our bearings. We went all over. After, we even got savvy enough to duck into a famous local cafe, Gambrinus, which was very elegant. They have been open since 1860 and have served all kinds of celebrities, including Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, and Luciano Pavarotti.

We are excited about our adventures tomorrow – we will update you after!