Sorrento

Sorrento:  Hello again from lovely Sorrento. Again, the weather was simply perfect - clear blue skies, 75 degrees and no wind. We met Shirley and Martin downstairs for our usual late breakfast. They were leaving this afternoon, so while they packed their bags after breakfast, DT and I went out to buy postcards and to rent a car for the drive back to Rome tomorrow.

Our view this morning - another cruise ship (Ocean Majesty) arrived overnight


The Grand Royal Hotel pool

Yes, I know we could take the awful local train to Naples, drag our suitcases up two flights of stairs and fight-off the beggars, bums and holligans to reach a Euro-Star train to Rome... where we could change to the local subway and catch a train to the airport. But I had vowed to never (ever ever ever) get on the Circumvesuviana train again and My Dear Husband had agreed to my demand... even though he did try to talk me into the three-train ordeal one more time ... but he knew it was hopeless and rented a one-day car at about double the price of the train tickets to make me happy. In the end, he was happy too. We could drive at our own pace, not have to change trains, drag luggage and arrive to Rome in air conditioned splendor. Done.

Shirley and Martin at our hotel

After checking-out, Martin and Shirley brought their bags to our room and the four of us headed out to explore Sorrento. We had been here four days and hadn't spent much time in town - we were busy discovering the neighboring attractions. DT and I agree that Sorrento is the prettiest city we have visited so far on this trip. It is so clean, so well-kept, so graffiti-free - and there are trees and plants and lawns everywhere! The endless vistas over the sea help quite a bit too!

We strolled along alleys so narrow, even a car cannot pass. We shopped, we laughed and we enjoyed the friendly people of Sorrento. Finally we decided on a spot for lunch - a little cafe strangely titled the "Holiday Inn". The Holiday Inn specializes in fresh seafood and pasta. We ordered up a bunch of both and a few carafes of the house wine. We were on a quiet side street - a perfect people-watching spot. Boy, were we surprised to discover the best people watching was at the next table! An English tourist actually sat down at a table and ordered (and dined) without wearing a shirt! Can you even imagine? The other patrons stared. The restaurant staff were quite flustered too - but the waiters were too polite to ask the guy to put on a shirt. We had quite a bit of fun laughing at "Naked Man" during our lunch. We had great service at the Holiday Inn and even saw our waiter later in town and he gave us a "prego". Four days and we are starting to be like locals.

I finally had some pasta - carbonara without bacon


Martin had a great tuna salad


DT had penne with tomatoes and capers


Shirley chose fish with stewed tomatoes

I found something special for Lisa in a boutique. I had passed this a gorgeous handbag earlier in the day, and finally decided to go inside and inquire. It was perfect! I asked the shop owner if the item was made in Italy and she said "Yes, everything in this store is made in Italy". Then she said (in broken English) she wanted shoppers walking in front of her store to know that all her items were made in Italy and she asked me if I would write this message in correct English. (I guess she thought I was fluent in English?) She brought a piece of paper and I used my pen to write "Every item in this shop is made in Italy". She pinched my cheek and thanked me again and again and somehow explained she was going to type this message on her computer and make a sign for her window. She was so happy you would have thought I had given her the winning lotto numbers! The items in her boutique were superb and I think this message will lure more tourists into her store.

While we were out shopping this morning, Martin (at 6' 4", possibly the tallest English man ever and obviously the most handsome) looked for shoes. The shops in Sorrento are filled with fabulous handmade Italian leather shoes at around $40-$50 per pair! Martin needed a size larger than the shop owner kept in his store - so he told Martin he would go down to his warehouse and get larger sizes and Martin could come back later. While we were eating lunch, we actually saw the shop keeper trudging up the hill with a few pair of giant shoes! So, after lunch we went back and Martin bought two pair. The shop was owned by an Italian family and three generations were working in the store - but Martin was assisted by a young girl from the Ukraine who kept telling him "Playz, jew seet dowwn" as she brought him the few pair of giant loafers to try.

As we left the shoe shop and headed back to our hotel, I felt someone tap my shoulder and turned around to find the lady from the "Made in Italy" boutique. She handed me my pen that I had forgotten in her shop. Unbelievable.

Sorrento street scene: scooter, miniature car and bicycle

On the way back to the hotel after our shopping, we found a nice little cafe under the trees on the sea wall and had a perfect  Caffe Americano - a shot of espresso with an equal amount of hot water. Topped off with a little gelato, it made for a nice end to our afternoon.

Back at the hotel, Shirley had a swim and we sat on the patio overlooking the ocean and watched the activity in the small port below - ferries coming and going and the tenders carrying passengers to and from the cruise ship. We watched a man swim with his German Shepherd in the sea for over one hour - the dog obsessed with chasing after a Frisbee. We watched a group of men in a boat remove their scuba gear - get completely naked - and slip back into their street clothes! Not shy, these guys, since they performed this feat in front of a resort hotel.

Finally, it was time for Martin and Shirley to head back to Naples to catch their flight to London. They went up to our room to get ready, then later waved down to us and posed for this photo.

And so, we said goodbye to our great friends. We had a fun-filled four days and really packed-in a lot of sight-seeing and laughed a lot. DT and I are truly blessed to have so many good friends.

Suddenly, we were alone. We sat out on our deck, watching the sun set and reminisced about our great trip and which other parts of the world we wish to explore. (We were also thinking about next weekends football game and the weekend after in Las Vegas for a Jimmy Buffett concert.)

Our last night in Italy
 
Sunset view from the Grand Royal Hotel in Sorrento

Well, there was only one thing to do - go out and have another great Italian meal! We dressed for dinner and found a lovely little cafe that advertised "Good Service with a Smile". Well, we had pretty good service, but no one, except the bus boy smiled. No matter, the bus boy was so incredibly handsome, no woman in the restaurant even looked at her food. When the non-smiling head waiter took our order, he actually sat down at an empty chair at our table. Just resting his tired feet? Who knows, but it was weird. But, our food was good and they had my favorite wine for mere pennies a glass! Is Italy a great country, or what?

Insalata Caprese (number 21) for the road

 
Beef steak and a veal cutlet

Side note: DT watched the local news this evening and learned (okay, the news anchor was speaking Italian, so he thinks this is what happened) people had started burning the huge garbage piles near Naples. Some one in Naples must be reading my website?!?!

Pedometer: Only 12,516 steps (5.3 miles). Barely moved today. Gelato of the Day: Chocolate Chip. Light and creamy.