DAY 14

Friday 4th July 2008 6:52am Sorrento

It is hazy and hot again this morning. I am standing at the window of our hotel room in Sorrento: the Parco del Sole. Below the bus has just arrived to load our luggage. The water fountain has not yet been turned on. I can hear a rooster crowing and the traffic of course. People from our group are wandering around in the courtyard waiting for breakfast. There is a strong smell of smoke in the air.

4/7/08 7:35am Sorrento

So yesterday we traveled by jetfoil across the Bay of Naples to arrive at a very busy Isle of Capri. It is a stunning place perched on the hillside. We joined the crowd waiting for the funicular. It is the same type of little train that we traveled up Pilatus Kulm in Switzerland. This one on Capri is famous for being the origin of the song “Funiculi Funicular”. It barely coped with the demand from the day-trippers. You can walk up the steep paths to the town or travel by car, bus or taxi. We walked with our guide Vincenzo who lives in Sorrento but has a family home in Capri. He learnt his English in Australia, has a Swedish mother, and was born in Capri. So his accent was a cross between Italian, Aussie, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He did say “I’ll be back.”

We wandered with him through the town to the lookouts and gardens to take some amazing photos. It was all so colourful and beautiful. Lunch was spent at a typically beautiful sidewalk café in the small town square with Trevor and Jacqui. We had beer and toasted sandwiches and watched the glamorous people walk by in the heat.

After lunch we met up with Vincenzo again and hopped aboard a mini bus to travel to a higher point on the island. This was one of those hairy rides that wind up the Cliffside dodging other vehicles and rocky outcrops while coming within inches of a sheer drop to the sea below. At the top we followed Vincenzo along a peaceful path dotted with souvenir shops full of locally produced painted porcelain, Limoncello in elaborate bottles, T shirts, and lovely white cotton shirts and dresses. After taking a few photos of the town below we went into an old villa built and owned by a Swedish doctor Axel Munthe. It was white stone with old dark wooden furniture and mosaic marble floors. There was a beautiful and cool garden surrounding the villa and a small chapel that looks like it is still used. We bought a gelato ice cream and wandered back to meet the mini bus. I had lemon and Michael had pistachio.

Some of the others in the group had chosen to ride a chairlift up to the highest point on the island. There are orange and lemon trees everywhere abundant with huge fruit.

We took our lives in our hands once again for the entertaining trip back down to the port. Vincenzo calls it the “Mama Mia Road”! We sipped lemon Granites while we waited for the boar to take us to Sorrento.

4/7/08 8:10am Sorrento

We are leaving Sorrento on the bus traveling along high stone walled narrow streets, past abundant vegetable gardens and groves of citrus trees and grape vines. The views back to Sorrento in the morning light are amazing as we wind along the narrow cliff hugging coastal road. Photos don’t do justice to this place. Even in the morning haze this scenery is so unique and dazzling. I’d definitely love to spend more time here.

Yesterday Deborah met us at the port of Sorrento and two mini buses drove us up the steep cliffs to the town. Our hotel was a further ten minutes in the bus. The grounds of the Parco del Sole are beautiful with palm trees, citrus trees, flowers, lawns, fountains and a lovely big deep swimming pool surrounded by deck chairs and a bar. Many of us made a bee-line for the pool after our sweaty traipsing around Capri. We gathered in the pool comparing rooms and complaining about bathrooms!! Dinner in the restaurant was a formal affair with very attentive waiters in cream jackets and bow ties. We had white wine with past in tomato sauce, then chicken with tomatoes and mushrooms and salad, then chocolate cake and fruit for dessert. The coffee was thick black and mild flavoured.

After dinner we wanted to see a little of Sorrento since we would be leaving early in the morning, but the town centre was a fair walk down the hill. There was a courtesy bus operating from the hotel, but instead we wandered in the other direction and quickly stumbled upon Tony’s Bar. This proved to be a gem of a place. It is an impromptu shack set up in a car park near a church. It is an outdoor setting, on an uneven raised floor covered with green matting, bamboo style chairs and tables with umbrellas above. The Italian waiters were so friendly and warm and they obviously enjoyed playing loud music, often changing to try to find something the customers will enjoy and sing along to. Sitting there next to the busy road full of mopeds and small cars in the warm Summer night, drinking Bellinis, listening to Dean Martin sing “That’s Amore” with handsome Italian waiters wanting to talk to you was another beautiful moment imprinted into my memory. Our friend Trevor quickly formed a happy friendship with Tony swapping happy banter. While we sat there a little traffic accident occurred right in front of us between a moped and a small car. There was barely a scratch on the car’s rear bumper, but the female driver wanted to make a big deal of it, providing us with a little amusement.

Our early start to Pompeii dragged us away from Tony’s Bar and back to the hotel for some sleep.

4/7/08 11:05am Pompeii

We are leaving Pompeii now after a very interesting tour of the ruins of old Pompeii. Carmine was our local Italian guide who expertly showed us through the city ruins. We saw an amphitheatre, the main avenue, a small house, a big house, a shop, a bath house, frescoes, mosaic floors, the red-light district, a brothel complete with stone beds and frescoes of sex acts above the doorways to the rooms, artwork still well preserved, the main market square with Vesuvius looming quietly in the distance. Vesuvius last erupted in 1944. Pompeii was destroyed in 79AD. It was a hot walk under bright clear blue skies. Back at the gateway and souvenir stalls we bought a cup of cold fresh orange juice.

4/7/08 12:33pm

We are traveling the same route on the motorway to Rome from Naples. It is a clear day today and the towns and hills are clearly visible, unlike yesterday when we traveled this route. Was it just yesterday? Time flies on this trip and we see so many beautiful and interesting sights that it is difficult to remember one day to the next.

4/7/08 2:08pm

For lunch we ate pasta, salad, and a bread roll with Coca Cola at a motorway eatery as usual. O said “Happy American Independence Day” to Maxine and David who seemed delighted I had thought of it.

We are traveling inland through the hills toward Assisi. The haze has thickened again and it felt about 38°C outside. Clouds are gathering over the hills. Hay bales and olive trees cover fields and the electrical wires criss-cross much of the landscape.

4/7/08 5:08pm

Umbria is known as the green heart of Italy says Deborah. Before arriving in Assisi we stopped at the church where Saint Francis of Assisi built his little chapel, worshipped and died. The huge Saint Mary’s church is now built over that little chapel that remains intact inside the large church. A thunderstorm and rain met us as we made our way to the church. As we entered a large procession of monks in purple robes walked out the other door. Some were carrying a coffin. More monks in brown robes were also in attendance at this large religious funeral.

We filed into the little chapel which is brightly adorned with paintings. We followed the hallways to the rose garden. It a glass cloister there is a statue of Saint Francis and two live white doves reside there. We saw them sitting on top of a pillar blinking at us. The rain stopped as we came out of the church and the hot humidity steamed up from the rain puddles.