Hello, Sorrento (or, this post could also be called “The dogs of Sorrento”)
Sorry for the dumb rhyming titles. I just can’t resist.
To begin where I left off, we arrived in Sorrento following our soaking wet (but not at all wild) adventure in Pompeii. Jeff joked that we’d be walking the “only 4 kilometers” to our bed and breakfast. “It’s not that far,” he said. Deadpan as usual. I kind of rolled my eyes and contemplated a cab. But, Jeff — a man who can tell an innocent fib with a masterful poker face — didn’t let me down. Or should I say Pasquale did not let us down. Our bed and breakfast host, with a quintessential Italian name, picked us up by the train station in Sorrento and drove us up (and I mean up) the narrow, winding road to our bed and breakfast.
Villa Monica B&B — by far my favorite B&B yet. An actual house with several rooms, a shared living/play area, full kitchen, and a view you can’t beat.
Seriously. This is our view.
Pasquale recommended we eat that evening at a restaurant up the hill — a place where only the locals go because tourists don’t like to trek that far up the hill. And the cabs in this town are ridiculously expensive — even criminal, according to Pasquale. The food was outstanding — best calamari of my life. We arrived at around 7:30 and were the only ones in the restaurant. According to our host, Italians eat late. And low and behold, the place really started to fill up as we were leaving.
I don’t have a pic of the restaurant, but here I am with the man who recommended it. Pasquale, himself.
The following day, we stuffed ourselves on the B&B’s breakfast, which included homemade croissants, and then opted to spend the sunshiny day in town (well, after we discovered the bus line to Amalfi was WAY too long). Here are some photos from the day.
The lemons here are the size of your head and are literally everywhere.
The lemons are used to make Limoncello. A recipe here. I’m actually making some right now.
Random building, Sorrento.
Wouldn’t be Italy without some scooters.
A very pretty, but random, building, Sorrento.
Mmmm…pig.
This about sums it up — Jeff dutifully planning, Allison relaxing and enjoying her coffee. (Also, I love that the book includes Italian, French and German. I think I know more Italian than German just from … well, caring really.)
Jeff and a random Roman wall. There are lots of these … everywhere. Those Romans were pretty busy.
Pretty church and blue skies.
What a perfect day for a wedding!
I stared at this dog for a long time, waiting to see his chest move for fear he was dead. He was alive, but just snoozing on a very touristy street full of t-shirt, leather and limoncello shops. Later, we saw him eating out of an open box of half-eaten pizza.
I absolutely fell in love with this dog, who waited patiently for her owner at the entrance of a supermarket. Good girl! She sort of looks like Breezy … and she let me pet her. In love.
And just one more cutie. Can’t resist European dogs.
Look at this water. Don’t you just want to dive in?! Also, not much in the way of “beaches” in Sorrento. More docks where you can rent a chair, sort of like sitting poolside. The water is as clear as pool water, that’s for sure.
Awww, and a pretty standard “self” portrait.
We had a great day in sunny Sorrento. I find people in Italy to be extremely friendly, but in Sorrento, they are just over the top. And almost everyone speaks English (and German and French and …) and is more than willing to serve you, sell to you, and guide you. It feels a little less “authentic” in some ways than, say, Naples, because it is certainly more of a resort town. However, definitely worth the visit.
Our one souvenir purchase was Limonoro-brand Limoncello — the best. In fact, I am drinking some right now, and it’s inspired me to learn how to make it.
From Sorrento, we moved onto the Amalfi Coast for a day trip — to the towns of Amalfi and Positano. Will blog about that later.
Ciao for now.
Pompeii. Hey.
Finally. Almost a month later, I bring you some photos and commentary from our next Italia stop — Pompeii.
From Naples, we stuffed ourselves like sardines onto the Circumvesuviana commuter train to Sorrento. It was one of those situations when you think there’s absolutely NOT room left for even one toy poodle, but then two big Americans manage to contort their bodies to squeeze on board — complete with two pieces of luggage. It was not pretty. I have not been so crowded since the womb.
We initially planned to just get to Sorrento, unpack our belongings, and then map out our next three days visiting Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. But once we found ourselves surrounded by four severely obnoxious backpacking (American) tourists, who dropped the f-bomb like a standard article, we opted to get off early in Pompeii, which is about halfway between Naples and Sorrento, despite the downpour. I also failed to mention the creeper who kept touching me and my belongings. That pushed me over the edge. Well, at least out the door. Here are some photos from the day.
Pompeii in the rain.
When Vesuvius erupted, people’s bodies were covered in ash, eventually leaving hollowed out fossils. These were later filled in with cement (or something like it) to show the exact position people died in. Creepy, but also cool.
I am so mature.
Every day, the Romans would flood the streets to clean them, leaving these rocks so people could cross without wetting their feet. Came in handy for us as well.
A street in Pompeii. On the right you can see what looks like a counter. This was actually a fast-food joint. People would go out to eat because homes were too small to cook in. Kind of neat. Thanks, Rick Steves, for the fun facts!
Completely drenched, we opted for some grossly overpriced pizza and vino to get in from the cold. My toes were numb. The wine helped a little.
I almost forgot. Part of the basilica, which was actually the Roman courthouse. This later became the basic footprint for many later Roman churches. (I think that’s me standing in the picture, covering myself and my soaked purse with Jeff’s raincoat. What a good husband.)
That’s it for Pompeii. I think this could typically be a wonderful day trip, but we only stayed inside the remains for 90 minutes, max. The rain was literally falling sideways, making the whole experience slightly less appealing. All in all, though, extremely cool. I always marvel at “wicked old” stuff, finding it completely fascinating to imagine how people lived thousands of years ago. We even managed to find what I think was an old toilet, making the trip complete. 🙂
From there, we headed off to Sorrento, where we’d soon meet the coolest bed and breakfast owner ever. Stay tuned.
As a little travel tip — Rick Steves provides wonderful free audiocasts of many of these tourist attractions. We listened to his Pompeii podcast later since managing the rain, umbrellas and camera was enough. But I highly recommend it.
The narrow roads of Napoli. And some x-rated art.
I bet it was the narrow roads part of the headline that captured your attention, eh?
By now you’ve probably figured out that I’m in Italy, again, but this time with the hubs.
We started our weeklong tour Sunday with an early flight to Naples. Arrived at a darling bed and breakfast — which actually serves breakfast, unlike the B&Bs in Copenhagen — finally by 11 or so in the morning.
Our host served us delicious (and densely strong) coffee.
Like the coffee, the city is a little gritty and intense. I love it.
It doesn’t try or pretend to be something it isn’t, and I certainly wouldn’t call it “touristy.” The food is cheap and delicious (3 Euro for a medium pizza, 1 Euro per glass vino). The roads are narrow, bustling and a bit dangerous. Red lights are hardly a suggestion. If there appears to be room or time for a car, scooter or bus, just go. Same goes for people. There is very little English among the locals. The streets are littered with garbage, and many of the monuments with graffiti, yet it is beautiful. Every day life, and the people, are where it’s at.
Here are just a few quick snaps from our day in Naples.
(Unfortunately, I cannot figure out captions on the iPad WordPress app).
More to come, but I hope you enjoy the sampling of pictures. I end with Jeff tapping his watch, because as he did yesterday — hurrying me along from the statue of Dante to the Archeological museum, where we saw the pornographic Pompeiian art — he will certainly do again as we near time for dinner.
Ciao ciao now from Sorrento.
A piece of Pisa pizza
Now that I’ve come up with this rad headline, I am disappointed that I didn’t take a picture of my lunch. It was one of the thinnest thin-crust pizzas I’ve had, with roasted eggplant, peppers, onions, and big gobs of melted mozzarella. Mmmmm. I will never get sick of Italian food!
The restaurant was right by the train station, Stazione Pisa Centrale, which I managed to find on my own. Jeff, this is proof that I am capable of navigating — even if I prefer to feign incompetence when you’re around. It’s just easier that way.
Pisa Central Station (I actually took this on the way back to the station in the event you're paying attention to the clock. In which case, you're also very detail-oriented.)
Lindsay left early Monday morning to fly from Florence, to Munich, to Newark, to Albany (sounds miserable doesn’t it?). I slept in and left on a 9:28 train to Pisa, where I’ve never been and coincidentally from where my exceptionally cheap flight left later in the day (I actually wrote this in notepad on the plane, as I jammed to my neighbor’s tunes).
The train was easy and the ride was just about an hour long, but there was little in the way of actual instruction on how to get to the Pisa-bound train from the main Firenze station. I bought the ticket to Pisa, but the boards did not list a platform for the city. Turns out, the final destination was another town (don’t remember the name), so a tip here is to just search by departure time. I’m almost positive that no two trains leave at the exact same moment. At least that’s what I gathered from the Trenitalia employee who was speaking only in Italian to me, while pointing at his watch and looking frustrated. Dumb tourist moment.
Once in Pisa, I quickly found the baggage drop at the train station, where I deposited my luggage for 3 Euros (I’ve discovered most stations either have lockers or some version of a storage system, which makes quick stops easy — even when carrying a boatload of crap). Seemed secure, but I made sure to hold onto everything most valuable — including my new leather jacket, which I was certainly grateful for on that particular windy day. (No wonder the tower is leaning.)
The 6-Euro map of the city I purchased proved to be a waste given the hurricane-strength gusts that made it almost impossible to open and read. Fortunately, the main attraction is easy to find — basically, walk straight out of the station for about 15 minutes, then over a bridge and to the left at the Roman-looking wall. This will bring you straight to the leaning tower and the city’s duomo, or cathedral.
Here are some shots of the walk and the main attraction.
Building on the way to the tower. Notice, the sky is somewhat ominous.
The road to the tower.
There is amazing stuff to see EVERYWHERE in Italy. Just a random clock/bell tower.
The bridge you must pass over.
I guess this is Mr. Pisa, himself. And some randomly placed artwork.
Just like these windows.
Since I couldn't use my map, and my new "European" phone wouldn't connect to data, this was my first clue that I was headed in the right direction. Field trip!
The random Roman wall I referenced. Turn left here and you'll see the tower.
There it is! Truly breathtaking. And it looks so oddly placed, kind of like someone cut it out and just pasted it there.
Another shot.
The absolutely impressive cathedral behind the tower.
Proof I was there. Believe it or not, this was the best self portrait I captured. At least you can see further evidence that it was, in fact, windy.
Another random Pisa shot.
And another church just nestled in the buildings on my way back to the train station, right before my delicious Pisa pizza.
That concludes the day in Pisa. From here, I managed one more successful train ride to the Pisa airport (about 5 minutes) and was back home by 8 p.m. What a day!
More on Lindsay’s and my last day in Florence later. Can you just feel the suspense?
Florence day 2, part 2: baby lamb, Boboli, paper
Following Saturday’s market, we had a jam-packed day that went something like this (unfortunately, I don’t remember the EXACT order).
We walked and did a little more shopping with our hosts. The whole city feels like a big outdoor market on the weekends, with stands selling everything “Italiano” — olive oil, truffles (my new obsession), aperitivo, vino, and lots of leather (belts, jackets, purses, gloves). I bought a delish truffle “relish.” I want to put it on everything — bread, pasta, my finger.
Here's the crew...walking.
A neat shot from our walk. A carousel in front of this old archway on our way to lunch.
Then, for lunch.
This was the wine Dan picked. It was super yummy. Remember it.
After some seriously delicious pizza and vino, we had to re-energize with coffee. Here's Lindsay and her tiny little macchiato. This is unlike anything you get at Starbucks.
We continued strolling, stopping at a few paper stores. Florence is known for stationary and marbled paper — something I did NOT know until Lindsay, my paper-obsessed travel buddy, informed me of this interesting piece of trivia.
Here's a woman actually creating marbled paper. This was later in the day, but the demo fits better here in my story.
Then, onto leather jackets. In 2010, I regretted not purchasing one. I had just started my business and was a lot more careful with my spending. Fortunately, el presidente and Terese were regulars at this particular store, and we got their discount. It was almost too good of a deal to pass up (we’re talking, they knocked off like 160 euros). Jeff agreed I made the right choice: “You couldn’t have afforded NOT to buy that jacket.” My thoughts exactly.
Here are Lindsay, Terese, and I sporting our purchases later in the day. I sort of talked Lindsay into getting one (Terese helped), but she was clearly pleased she had caved. She will look soooo cool going to concerts in this authentic Italian leather, undoubtedly impress her new beau, and just look far more sophisticated and trendy than any of her U.S. colleagues and friends (especially in central NY).
Here we are with Terese. She's wearing a previously purchased jacket, too.
I was a little upset when I found out my jacket was made of baby lamb. Don’t hate me, animal-loving friends. The lamb was already dead and probably organic. And he’s really soft. (Sorry). A tip for those of you considering a jacket — don’t ask what it’s made of.
After we dropped our goods off, we continued on to more touristy sight-seeing things.
The basilica of San Lorenzo, the oldest church in Florence and where the famous Medici family is buried.
Same church, San Lorenzo, different view.
The inside courtyard was also very beautiful, with an orange tree planted in the middle.
San Lorenzo courtyard area. Orange tree. Go 'Cuse.
From here, some more museums and then on to the Boboli gardens behind the famous Pitti Palace, an excessively opulent home to the Medici family (we went inside on Sunday, so hang tight).
I realize I didn’t take many pics from the inside of the gardens, but the views of the city and of Tuscany are amazing. Here are just a few photos.
View from Boboli Gardens.
Tourist shot!
A view of olive trees from the back end of the Boboli gardens.
Not sure what to say about this one.
This somewhat concluded our day. We had a fab dinner later that evening at Ristorante la Giostra, where there’s a human menu recited from the owner who models his style after Jack Sparrow.
More to come, but for today, I am outta time. More on the inside of the Pitti Palace and my day trip to Pisa tomorrow!
Ciao.
Firenze day 2, part 1: A whole pig
The markets in Florence are amazing. Don’t expect a full-size grocery store in an Italian city. Instead, you have specialty shops and stands and markets. Local cheese, fresh pasta, ripe fruits and veggies, and Italian honey.
Saturday morning, the four of us ventured first to the big open-air market (if that’s what you call it), which also had an indoor portion that I think you can shop in most of the week. Here are some shots from Mercato di Sant’Ambrogi.
I’m a huge fan of the colors.
Fresh produce. And squash blossoms (I think), which they cook on the Food Network all the time but don't sell in the U.S., at least anywhere I can find.
Love this woman's expression.
Here's an entire pig, which gets roasted and then sold off by the body part you happen to crave. This stand also sold the most delicious Gouda cheese, which was more like butter than anything else. So good.
That’s all for the market. I broke my promise about the leather jackets and Boboli Gardens. Stay tuned til tomorrow for Firenze day 2, part 2.
Arrivederci!
FIR-EN-ZE, Day 1
Now that you’ve heard about the journey, let’s talk destination.
Lindsay has friends with an amazing guest house in Florence, just in the shadows of the famous Duomo (Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore). The Duomo might be one of the most magnificent structures I’ve ever seen. When Jeff and I visited in 2010, we spent hours just circling it at night, vino in hands, constantly awestruck.
Duomo and tower.
The Florence Duomo.
The door of the Bapistry immediately next to the Duomo. Depicts scenes from the Bible.
Clock inside Duomo -- tells time by hours until sunset.
The inside of the Duomo is actually quite plain (yet incredibly beautiful), except this magnificent ceiling, which has been created on the inside of the dome, itself.
Terese, our hip hostess with the mostest, took us to numerous sites on Friday — the day we arrived. One of our first stops was “the David” and other key attractions at the Academia Gallery. We happened to run into a professional tour guide and personal friend of our hosts. Using his language skills, he got us into the museum quickly (Terese’s pass helped too) and spent at least an hour providing an in-depth art history lesson.
(An aside: Tour guides in Italy are unionized and licensed, and there are heavy fines for performing this job without the right papers. Police will actually stop and ticket. Crazy!)
Some tidbits about the Biblical David. Michelangelo (“M”) sculpted him at around the age of 25 (sometime between 1501 and 1504), and in his interpretation, he catches the moment David sees the Goliath — sling in hand and ready to attack. Other famous artists before “M” had sculpted David, post-battle, with the head of the slain enemy. “M” was the first to capture the expression and emotion immediately prior to attack.
Here's a picture of the 15-year-old David. He CLEARLY does not looks his age. (This pic was taken on my first trip to Italy just moments before I was scolded for using a camera).
We also learned from our guide that David is not just marble, but he is actually politics. His left-facing stature is a warning to the Medici family: stay in Rome.
A fun fact! Michelangelo was actually gay. Are you surprised? Look at the bod on this sculpture. He also lived until the ripe age of 89, more than double the life expectancy of his time.
I am constantly amazed at how prolific these artists of the Renaissance were. M has about 48 known sculptures, plus paintings, plus architectural design work. He did have assistants/employees, though. They helped him on the sculpting side by chiseling away chunks of marble and getting pieces down to the basic shapes, but the man, himself, always did the fine finishing work — creating the muscle tone, smoothing away the rough edges, etc.
Travel/sightseeing tip — The Academia Museum is the only place (or one of the only places) where you can see the unfinished works of Michelangelo, which helps demonstrate the process of the carving and sculpting. As you face the David and walk through the gallery of M’s work, one of the sculptures on the left has Michelangelo’s signature — a sketch of his face — which he used to mark his marble. I didn’t dare take a picture this time around.
Anyway … enough with the writing. Here are a few more shots from our first day in Florence.
Lindsay making music on this water-filled bowl thingy. The Academia Gallery also has a large instrument exhibit, including some of the first pianos ever made.
It was rainy when we arrived but turned into a great weekend. Here are Lindsay and Terese, right around the Ponte Vecchio bridge. I love all the umbrellas in the background. Warning though -- people here are dangerous with umbrellas (and just in general) and abide by no commonly accepted rules of order. Very UN-German.
A famous sculpture, the Rape of the Sabine Woman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rape_of_the_Sabine_Women). This is a huge deal in the art world because of the elaborate sculpting work, especially the imprint made on the woman's lower cheek. This is also one of the first sculptures created with the intent of being viewed from all angles.
In the evening, we enjoyed dinner at one of our hosts’ favorite restaurants, and Terese’s husband (we’ll call him “el presidente,” or just Dan) joined us for dinner. I had lasagna, of course, because it’s my favorite meal on the planet. It was truly the bomb. (I’ll try to get the name of the restaurants and post later).
Stay tuned for day 2 photos and notes tomorrow, featuring tips on purchasing leather jackets, a photo tour of the Boboli Gardens, a great indoor/outdoor food market, and more.
A European Adventure 