The Sultry South

Our trip to Southern Italy (to the fright of my parents who repeatedly reminded me to guard my purse) began last Friday with a 5:30 am train to Napoli (Naples). Not wanting to wake up too early, seeing as we usually attempt to sleep around 1 am due to the heat, Elizabeth and I arrived at the Santa Maria Novella Train Station 15 minutes before our departure. However, we could not find our bin (track) number on the board, after trying to board an incorrect train, Elizabeth asked me I was sure I had the right station (as Florence has two). I was sure, but checked to humor her…..our tickets were from Campo Di Marto Train Station….we raced to a taxi and sprinted up the track at a little past 5:30, praying we’d see the train. We didn’t.

Ugg. What do we do?

We looked at the board and it said 50’ RIT (tren in ritardo, train is late)!!! So we happily waited for our late train and then rode it for 4 hours to Napoli, a city which looks scary just from inside the train station. I could not believe the amount of tagging and graffiti. We then boarded the local train which reminded me of a sticky roller coaster ride with its greasy seats, poor air circulation, and sketchy people. We met two cute older ladies from New Orleans and I thought to myself, I’d like to be their ages, still touring the world, fearlessly. We hopped out at the Pompeii stop and began our journey back in time to 63 AD when Mt. Vesuvius erupted.

First of all, Pompeii is huge and hot. I found it interesting that the waters used to come up to its walls, since there was no water in sight, as we passed remnants of an ancient dock. Below is a picture of the forum on of the main areas of government (Lucy feel free to correct me when ever you feel the urge).

This picture is a plaster casting of a human who appears to be either praying or covering his mouth from the ash. He is in a pottery stand as you can see the many clay jars.

One of Elizabeth’s favorite sites was the bakery and mill below. They would hook up mules to the gray mills on the right and they would turn the pedestal to make flour and on the left is the brick oven. Sadly I don’t think pizza as we know it had been invented…although they did have bread with tomatoes as simple street food.

We then continued on to Sorrento, our home for the next two nights. Elizabeth and I joked we were on our honeymoon weekend together since the entire weekend/town was so cute. After 30 minutes of searching for our hotel, we found Franco’s restaurant and his family. Franco immediately offered us coffee or anything we wanted. He was such a nice man. His wife and grandson in stroller walked up the three blocks to our room as Elizabeth and I followed in awe of her ability to quickly push the boy and the stroller. Our room was fantastic-in blues and lemon yellows of course and with AC! We immediately showered and crashed for a couple hours before dinner.

We woke up starved and made our way to Franco’s restaurant. The streets of Sorrento are nothing like Florence. Besides that Sorrento is a beach town primarily visited by Brits in the summer for the last 150 years, it is way cleaner and brighter. (I didn’t receive a single cat call…and it’s not because we didn’t look good b/c we did…no I take that back Elizabeth saw someone remove his sunglasses and check us out, like they do in the movies…oye. But no verbal remarks). Elizabeth ordered fried shrimp and squid and I got pasta arbbiata (spicy!). Elizabeth thoroughly enjoyed eating the shrimp eats. We capped the night with gelato (she got chocolate and forest berries and I got lemon and lemon-vanilla) and sad next to the merry go round before returning to our room to sleep the best sleep ever.

On Saturday, we ventured to Capri (and it’s not said like the pants or the song, it’s CA-pri, I had a lot fun with this—ask Elizabeth). We took a 25 minute ferry over to the little island that once was the summer retreat for Augustus Ceaser. Upon arrival we took another speed boat to see the Blue Grotto (like the big boat below with the smaller row boats hitching a ride).

It was quite the ordeal. Next we loaded into a small row boat which our guide, Marco, guided through a small opening in the limestone (aka by pulling on a chain on the side while Elizabeth laid on top of me, with Marco flat on top of her) into the blue water cave. My picture doesn’t do it justice. Inside the guides all sang this Italian song and I wondered if Walt Disney had been here to get the idea for pirates of the Caribbean. It was a hoot.

Returning to the dock, we took a cable car up to Capri Town and then a bus up to Anacapri, where we ate lunch at Ristorante Columbo. It was an amazingly cute spot: terrace with hanging grape vines all around with views down to the dock. Here we had some our our best foods. We began with the antipasti chef’s sampler, seen below.

Then Elizabeth ordered the gnocchi al Sorrento (tomatoes and bufallo cheese (B. cheese is from southern Italy) and I had pesto pasta. Both were homemade pastas and delicious!

Then we took a chair lift (are you counting the types of transport so far? Foot, hydrofoil/ferry, speed boat, row boat, cable car, bus, chair lift…that’s 7) to Monte Solaro, at the very top of Capri island. It was like soaring California at Disneyland, but real. We enjoyed smells of lemon groves and sights of farms and the distant harbors and other islands.

At the top, we could see from every direction. Truly paradise. Check out the rock formation behind me in this picture.

That night we had the BEST pizza (according to Elizabeth, I think the one we had in Florence was better, but it’s pretty close) at a little restaurant that took me forever to find because tired and hungry, I had flipped the map in my head so that instead of walking towards the water, I walked inland…long story short Elizabeth was about to kill me if we didn’t find water for her parched tongue soon. Although we did stop at a pastry shop off the beaten path that she claims made the best cannoli ever. So with every downside, there is an upside. Following dinner, Elizabeth had some sandals handmade for her (they are adorable) and I had more gelato.

Our final day was spent in Positano, where “stairs are as steep as ladders” however we did not run into any of them. John Steinbeck stayed here for a year in the fifties and he is right when he says it is “a dream place that isn’t quite real when you’re there becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” Here is a view from where the bus dropped us off of Positano’s main beach and dock.

We took a small boat with a red smiling fish to Spiaggia di Laurita (Laura’s beach) where it is lower key and more locals spend their Sunday. Check out the driver and patron…it’s the basic mentality in Positano in a photo.

And here is a photograph of the dog that jumped aboard and while he lied down the entire ride, he jumped up when we got close, in anticipation of arrival. We then docked at the most unsafe looking dock I’ve ever seen of random plywood and tires. Elizabeth and secured our sun chairs and quickly (I gradually entered) the sea. Wow. It was so clear, warm and refreshing.

We then had a great meal at Da Alfado’s steps from our chairs. Elizabeth ordered their signature dish: squid and potatoes—good choice. I couldn’t believe it was Italian, but it was. North and Southern Italy are so different…even more so that California is split. I guess its mostly because Italy is recently unified and before was a bunch of city states. I love how passionate everyone is about the region they call home.

Sadly we said our goodbyes to Positano (but not before having the BEST granita) and made our way back to Naples where we had an hour, but sadly did not have such a memorable pizza (even though this is where Pizza was “born”). We got back to Florence around midnight and crashed.

Sadly, I’m counting the days not the weeks until I return to California. However, Elizabeth and I specifically left Northern Italy-Verona, Milan and the Lake district-for a future return trip. ☺ Sadly Alyssa had to return home last Saturday to attend to some family matters and I’m missing her. Especially when I get home from class or this morning when my mind got the best of me and I thought I was being robbed. Hope things are going okay hun and you’re in my prayers.

I just got back from drawing the David and am now cramming in a few more bikes until my final project is due on Thursday. We have our farwell dinner tonight from API which should be delicious. Tomorrow we're checking out a chocolateria and then Thursday Elizabeth and I are searching for bistecca fluorine, a signature of our city. Friday we plan to spend our last day in a near by currently undecided town.

It has all gone so fast. I’ve made some great friends. Wait, I don’t want to do this wrap up thing now. I’m getting out there and soaking up the last bit.

Ciao
Jacqueline

PS I've been here four weeks and still haven't been into the Duomo...ekks (I just saw David yesterday...he's still looking good)

**So it turns out my computer will no longer let me post pictures, sorry I'll try again later**