A first time for everything

Here I sit in the Air France lounge at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Yes - I opted to upgrade to Business Class. It's a huge splurge but here I am. The flight from Naples was on time. I was not exactly "with it" having got up at 2 am to shower and prepare for our ride to the Naples airport, an hour away. I had two companions in the mini-van cum limousine. All the way down the mountain from our hotel to Sorrento, the road twisted and turned and not a single oncoming car was seen. 

Once in Sorrento (I think) the only other vehicles we saw were tiny little garbage trucks. The roads are narrow and meeting an oncoming bus or semi, is harrowing. I suppose that's the reason why they have tiny little trucks, not much larger than those available for little kids to drive around. The vehicles do graduate in size, but most personal cars are similarly sized. I've never seen so many Smart cars or litte wee Fiats. If I lived here I wouldn't even dare to drive one of those. The drivers are nuts. The speed limit on the toll roads is 130 kph. But I digress... 

Our perfect vacation is in its final hours. And I must say, they are pleasant hours in this lounge. But let me get back to the days I missed. 

On Tuesday we travelled to and along the Amalfi coast. The houses in Positano are about as stacked as in Cinque Terre, but more expensive. The winding road that leads into the town has almost no shoulder. Actually, what passes for the shoulder of the road is a long parking lot. Folks working in Positano park along these access roads, finding that the fines are less than they'd pay to actually park in the town. Sophia Loren's home is in Positano, poised on a piece of land high above the sea. I don't recall exacly what that part of the Mediterranean is called.

Along the road, despite the twists and turns there were a few viewpoints. Those are always accompanied by a shop or truck set up to sell fruits and vegetables. Many of our tour group sampled the freshly squeezed citrus juices in your own chosen combination. 

Next stop was Amalfi, equally stunning and equally hilly. We made a "personal time" stop here where we had the opportunity to shop (I bought a bucket hat, an apron, a placemat and a Christmas decoration), eschewing the designer shops for more affordable sources. And of course, there was the inevitable Gelato while waiting for our boat to the next place - Maoiri. 

We've had several boat rides and the views were always stunning. There was considerable walking, with just under 10K steps as it was a slow day for walking - too many bus and boat rides. 

Our final day, another day of absolutely perfect weather, was spent on the Isle of Capri. Our bus delivered us to the port of Sorrento where we met our guide, Vincenzo. And once more we attached that nastly little listening device to our ears. It is necessary of course, to hear the guide. You can tell the tourists, if you haven't yet figured out how to do that, by the listening devices hanging by lanyards around their necks. 

We boarded the ferry for a 30-minute ride to Capri. The ferry sped over the expanse of water much faster than I'd imagined. I've got to stop imagining things in advance because they don't turn out to always fit my image. Anyway, the group reassembled on the dock at Capri and the tour began in earnest. 

 We visited all three levels- first the marina level, then the town of Capri itself, then a bus ride up the mountainside with impossible twists and turns, and a visit to Anacapri. The views there are amazing. I'm not sure how I previously pictured Capri, but it certainly wasn't this mountainous in my imagination. 

Anacapri is high up, but some of us took the chairlift to the very top and enjoyed even more amazing views. 

 We met at our rendez-vous point just after noon and got a shuttle bus down to Capri itself where we had another short tour. The final portion was along the narrow streets, clinging to the right hand side because, although it looked like it should be just for pedestrians, in fact, we had to watch for vehicles of all descriptions - most of them quite small. It's not hard to ignore designer shops unless you are looking for €850 plain sneakers, adorned with the appropriate logo. Everywhere we visited there were designers shops. None of us shopped in them. 

 Lunch was alfresco and consisted of beer and pizza, and the final gelato of the vacation. We were then herded onto a tour boat for a ride aroun the island. The cliffs are quite breathtaking as are the caves and coves, and some terrifyingly located homes and hotels. 

When we disembarked from that tour we had to move very quickly to catch the ferry. Our tickets were timed so there were no further opportunities for browsing. 

The return trip was much like the one that took us to Capri in the morning. We were met by yet another hired mini-bus for the now-familiar twisting ride to our hotel The meals were OK, depending on your choices. I didn't always make good ones. I'm not fond of al dente rice as found in the salmon risotto. The desserts looked OK but were always disappointing. We have had some amazing meals, mostly at lunch time for "tasting" opportunities. Only the Bristol Hotel (our first hotel after arriving) was the salad bar fantasic, and the food was served hot. Nothing there disappointed. The remaining hotel meals were usually barely warm. But we were well fed at the various tasting stops. I will miss the breakfast croissants, but alas the time has come for small meals with lots of veggies. 

All of the photos were inserted without any editing. I will try to enhance some of them, at some unknown time in the future.

Once home, I'll post some "Musings about Italy."

Details later

Hello all I will complete the review of the Amalfi Coast and Capri once I get home, or shortly thereafter. I'm just about travelled out and looking forward to the journey home. Your tired-of-wandering genealogist

Hurray for Pompeii

We set out this morning from Hotel Adoro on the outskirts of Rome and enjoyed some morning traffic. I was glad we were not going into the city. It's a zoo in the centre of Rome. It's not yet high tourist season and the throngs of people meant you couldn't really get near some of the things you wanted to see. Of course it was a long weekend and maybe the locals were entertaining guests by showing them around.

Our first stop, with another new driver, was in the small village of Francolise (I hope I got that right) where we visited the guest area of a privately owned farm. We began with a guided tasting of olive oil. Who knew that just a drop could hold so much flavour - to say nothing of that startling burn in the throat. That same oil, from olives harvested last Fall, was used in all of the accompanying dishes.

Starters!!!

I only ate half of this - pasta with zucchini and peccorino cheese

Local specialty - lemon cake. Yummy,

This was our dining room

This was the setting

Needless to say, we were no longer hungry after that lunch. I thought I'd never need to eat again. And that held true until dinner time.

After that lunch we needed some exercise, but there was a 90 minute bus ride before we got to stretch our legs and watch our balance on our tour of Pompeii. My right hip has become bothersome after all of our walking. Today's tour was a couple of hours and my total up to this minute is 9,035 steps. A slow day. I was more than a little grateful to have brought along one walking pole. One was enough. We had few stairs/steps as most of the way was on gentle slopes that wound through an incredible place. The original Pompeiians were clever sorts, with running water, fast food options, brothels with beds made of stone. We were assured that the beds were covered with comfy straw and pillows and such for the occupants. 

I can't relate the history with any accuracy so I won't even try. Here are a few photos.

Once we'd paraded through the deep past, we again boarded our large coach to travel some very narrow, hilly, twisting roads that seemed more like trails. I don't know the altitude of our current hotel but we are far up in the hills near Sorrento. I have to give full credit for nerves of steel and full control of a very large vehicle to the talented drivers who've been chauffeuring us around. I must say that our few days with Giacomo provided the best eye candy. He was a charming young man who spoke very good English and looked like one might imagine a handsome Italian male model. 

We had an OK dinner here at the Grand Hotel Hermitage. I have a lovely room with a balcony and an amazing view of the coast around Sorrento. I think I can even see Mt Vesuvius which, happily, does not seem on the verge of a new eruption. 

Tomorrow we explore the Amalfi Coast so it won't be a taxing day when it comes to walking. We do have some free time to explore the area. I believe our Limoncello tasting happens in the morning. Hmm - more day drinking. But it comes with the opportunity to buy some home made Limoncello at a good price. Bring it on.

Good Night

No - not a jinx. We got in!!

Our intrepid tour guide, Francesca, never gives up. She found that the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museum, are open for free on the last Sunday of the month. And this happens to be the last Sunday in April. Yay. Five of our group, including me, opted to take our chance of getting in by lining up. We departed the hotel at 7:45 and arrived near the end of the lineup as it was then, about 20 minutes later. There were thousands of people ahead of us, but no sooner had we joined the hopeful throng, that more and more folks were lined up behind us. I can't begin to estimate the total number of hopeful visitors who endured the lines.

Initially we thought that the corner of the street just ahead of us, about 60 yards, was the final turn before the main entrance. In fact, we had three more corners to turn before the gate was in sight. Not to be deterred we waited - and were rewarded for our patience.

In the courtyard of the museum

During the week, admission means taking a paid tour of the Vatican Museum before being admitted to the Sistine Chapel. None of us were interested in the museum, so we got to skip that tour today. But all of us were astounded at the size of the museum. It seemed to extend as far as the eye could see every time we turned another corner.

It is said that if you stand in front of each statue and each painting or, map above, you would not leave the museum for seven years. That's a lot of looking. Believe me there's a lot to look at. 

Once in the Sistine Chapel, no photos are allowed. Every nook and cranny harbours a painting. It's a wonder to behold and we all decided it had been worth the effort and waiting. I logged 6000+ steps in this endeavour.

When we got outside again, Francesca called our driver again and we were delivered to the door of the restaurant where we were eventually joined by the rest of our group. They'd had a three-hour walking tour of the Colosseum, and other historical locations. We had bruschetta (of course) and a pasta whose name I don't recall but it was a huge serving and the sauce made with peccorino cheese was tasty indeed. The meal was topped off with the lightest imaginable chocolate mousse. I think they used clouds in the recipe.

Subsequently, three of us didn't think we could manage another two hour walking tour, and took a cab back to the hotel where I've enjoyed a nap and general lounging. My feet are grateful. Here are a couple of views the driver included en route.

An arch for which I have no name

No visit to Rome is complete without seeing the Colosseum

Yet another view of Castel Sant'Angelo 

Am I jinxed?

Ignore the title for now. 

Today we had an early start with a new driver and new bus. We headed into the centre of Rome, more specifically St Peter's square. There we joined the lineup to enter St Peter's Basilica and were only in line for a little over an hour before we got in. We were moving, slowly, but moving and finally got to the metal detector which we all passed. The basilica is huge and beautiful. There was a mass or other ceremony happening behind the main altar but I never found out what it was.

This was my second visit. The first was in 1971 where we had to return a second day to gain admission. Crowds? Nope. Our dresses were too short. We returned the next morning wearing long pants and in we walked. No lineups. There were lots of people inside but there was no waiting anywhere. I don't really remember what it looked like and in those days you rationed the photos you took, so I have nothing to compare. Today, I took tons of photos. And I lit a candle for a cousin. It was not an actual candle and the transaction required a credit card and a charge of €3. Then I flipped a switch to turn on a candle. I have no real way to know which candle I ignited, but I'm sure that the intention was good enough. 

Here are a few of the pictures I took inside and outside. To see a larger view, click on a photo.

St Peter's Square in Rome under a clear blue sky

In the upper centre of the picture you can see the chimney,
atop the beige gable, where white smoke indicates the election of a new pope.
Obviously there was no smoke today as Pope Leo is well established now.

A view of the main altar, that is likely on hundreds of thousands
 of smart phones and other cameras.

A Swiss Guard on duty

Our group reunited outside after visiting the interior of the basilica. This guy was just outside the exit and I couldn't resist taking his photo.

Following our visit, we followed our guide's flag for about 15 minutes to an area that was more or less behind the square and enjoyed a wonderful lunch. We had chosen either pizza or caprese salad the previous evening to speed up service at the restaurant. I had select the salad thinking this would be a light lunch for a change. And here are our three courses. 

Bruschetta for starters - that's my plate and not for sharing

Caprese Salad with roasted peppers, eggplant, zucchinin on mixed greens

This was followed by a small cup of chocolate and vanilla gelato. What an amazing meal.

From here we walked to meet the bus driver and were driven to a drop off point for our visit to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. Somehow, someone in "the office" had booked the tickets for the wrong day. No amount of pleading or attempts to rearrange the visit were successful. This was my second visit to Rome and the second time that errors meant I never got to see the Sistine Chapel. 

As compensation we boarded the bus again and went for a short stroll in Trestevere - along with thousands of others. It's a maze of restaurants and narrow streets and shops.

We rested briefly in the shade of a fountain that I didn't take a photo of.

Then we re-boarded our bus for an early return to the hotel. After about an hour's rest we assembled outside on the patio for drinks, compliments of the tour company, for missing the Sistine Chapel. Yes, there was disappointment, but there's nothing that can be done. Tomorrow is Sunday and it's closed. Monday we depart for Pompeii. No use crying over this missed visit.

We had a nice small dinner at the hotel and are enjoying an early night. Tomorrow we'll be walked off our feet. Today I only took about 11K steps. My feet are swollen and begging for relief, but tomorrow won't be that day.