Amalfi to Sicily

Our stay in Sorrento was wonderful.  The first morning we woke up and decided to go to Pompeii.  We had a great set of roommates, and Pat and Brad gave us tips for getting into and around Pompeii, since they had been there only a couple days earlier.  Heading out from the hostel, we went looking for food first.  Sorrento has an amazing market street,  and before we knew it, much more time had gone by than intended.  But we did have a bag of excellent fruit to show for it.  I also may have sunglasses and a linen scarf now.  I am very happy with them though!

Finally we got ourselves back on the circumvesuvianna and made our way to Pompeii.  The boys had told us it can take hours to go through it, but I wasn't quite prepared for its size still.  Jen and I were there for four hours before we knew it!  I particularly liked how there were signs up explaining what you were seeing or what it meant for the culture.  Especially since we are to cheap to buy audio-guides and usually just fumble our way through sites.  We had a great time, even if it took us awhile to find the body casts, since we started from the wrong direction.  

Once we had our fill of Pompeii, we headed towards Naples to get our train station to Palermo. It had been such an issue while in Rome that we thought it was best to plan ahead.  But this time there were no such issues and we had a night train booked before we knew it.  

The next morning, we took it easy and just explored the local area.  The rest of our room had invited us to Capri with them, but we just couldn't justify the 35€ cost of the ferry.  Instead we wandered the shopping areas, walked down to the beach, and took a lot of pictures.  For the afternoon we went back to the hostel, which is really a hotel and has an outdoor pool, and decided to sit around.  Well, for those of you who know me, this only lasted so long.  After an hour or two, I was off to explore again.  I found another beach access, and bought  beer to sit and watch the sunset.  

When I got back to the hostel, everyone else was just arriving from Capri.  So we joined them sitting outside and talking most of the night.  It was so much fun!  We had Shelli from the states, Mark from NZ, Elie, Brad, and Pat from Australia, and Phil from Vancouver BC.   It was a great time!  Phil and Mark were leaving the next day, but the rest of us made plans to rent scooters the next day and head to the Amalfi coast.  Several of them had done it a couple days earlier and said it was amazing.  

Bright and early, we all headed out.  First to the grocery store to buy something for lunch, and then to the scooter rental.   Jen didn't feel comfortable trying to drive one, but I was really excited to do this.  Elie and Pat took me out for a couple minutes to get a feel first, before trying to take Jen as a passenger.  But as soon as Jen got on we knew it wasn't going to work.  I just didn't have enough experience.  So Elie offered to take Jen on his bike and we were off again!

Elie had been out a couple times, and had scoped out some good places.  So we went view point hopping, eating lunch along the way.  We found our way to Possitano, with the intent of finding a beach to lay on.  Here is where the misfortunes began.  Pat got a little too close to a car while parking and hit it, not with his bike, but with his knee.  His knee unfortunately left a rather large dent, I just saw the car move.  He had to go give the bikes information, and get everything squared away.  Then, after moving his bike to a better spot, we headed to the beach.  We all went swimming and lay out for a bit, before deciding to head on to Amalfi.  We ultimately wanted to hit a cove that we had to hike in to, but didn't know if we would have enough time in the day.  

Once we got back up to the bikes, we realized an unfortunate thing. Pat's bike wouldn't start now.  After trying for 45 minutes to get ahold of the rental company who would not answer their phones, we had to leave Pat and Brad behind.  They were going to ride back together to Sorrento and tell them where they left the bike.  Our troop  had shrunk to four.  But onward we went, enthusiastically for the next town.  

When we got to Amalfi, we quickly realized that there was not going to be enough time to go to the cove.  I had to return my bike by 8 that evening so I could catch our night train.  So we spent some time on the Amalfi beach too. ate some gelato, and went out on the break water.  Elie's shoulder was starting to hurt from having a passenger too, so we found Jen the bus back to Sorrento, and the group shrunk again.  

Shelli, Elie, and I were racing back to a particular location he had found for the sunset.  By this point I was feeling pretty comfortable, and was cruising around pretty easily.  Still not on par with the other two who ride dirt bikes and motorcycles, but I could keep pace with them.  We made it just in time too.  What a stunning sunset!  The isle of Capri was dead ahead with the sun setting just to the side.  Elie and Shelli found a point nearby where they were going to try and go first thing in the morning.  

Then we had to finish our trip back to Sorrento.  As we pulled up to the rental shop to drop off my scooter, Jen walked up, having just been dropped off by the bus.  She was heading to the port to take pictures of the boats all lit up, but I headed back to the hostel and grabbed some food on the way.  After a quick but delicious meal, we grabbed our packs, said our goodbyes, and headed for Napoli Centrale. 

Our night train was an interesting one.  We had two cabin mates, and they couldn't have been any more different.  Victoria was laid back and wonderful.  From Palermo herself, she gave me her email in case we had any questions after we arrived.  The other gal was a piece of work.  I saw her as we first got on the train, talking VERY loudly on her phone, and thought "I feel bad for whoever shares a room with her."  Well, JINX, she was in our room!  She must have booked last minute, because her bed wasn't set up.  So instead of going and finding the conductor, she plops herself down on my bed, and strikes up another phone call.  Then invites a friend in to sit and chat on my bed.  Did I mention we didn't even board the train until midnight?  Things were getting ridiculous.  Victoria finally went and got someone to set up the bed.  But the other gal stayed sitting on mine before finally realizing I was in my pajamas and asking, "Oh, did you want to go to bed now?" Uh no.  It's only nearing one in the morning.  So she finally goes up to her bunk.  But she had taken as many plugs as she needed in the room for all her devices, which means there wasn't even one left for me.  So I unplugged one of her devices and charged mine instead.  I needed my ipod for directions to our hostel, and wasn't about to be playing that game.  I replugged hers back in before she woke up, and I doubt she even noticed.   

The next morning she made a big deal waking up.  Her phone had been ringing since 5, and she'd almost kicked me in the face twice swinging her legs down over the edge.  Then she decided, instead of going to the bathroom, just to the side, to change in our tiny cabin.  This meant she shoved her butt straight into Jen's  and my faces, before patting it and making sure it looked good in her jeans.  I have to say though, I was not at all surprised by the giant tramp stamp she sported. Then she was asking me for my water, and taking up most my space again, because she didn't want to sit up on her bunk.  After primping herself up, she proceeded to pose and take pictures of herself for 5-10 minutes, with and without sunglasses, in varying ways.  I'm pretty sure I must have had the same look of dumbfounded disbelief that I saw Jen portraying.  She also sprayed two different types of perfume on herself, in this small room and we had to open all the doors immediately afterward.  And it wasn't just one squirt, it was 10 of each.  Makes me feel better about how I occasionally use two sprays!  Needless to say, I was not sad to see her go.

Once Jen and I had found our hostel, we had to decide what to do.  We wandered to a couple different restaurants before finding something that looked good.  I have never had the problem in an Italian restaurant before, of walking in and not recognizing a single thing on the menu.  It was crazy!  And I was afraid to blindly order, as seafood was so prominent here.  As were intestine kabobs, and spleen sandwiches.  Definitely the first time I have felt at a loss for food in Italy, and I am very excited to hit Firenze for food now.  

After killing half the day, we took a train to Cefalu.  We definitely didn't get enough time here, but we did enjoy wandering through the city as much as we could.  And we found a fantastic bakery.  The owner was the nicest guy.  Spoke no english, but we cobbled something together.  If you are there, I highly recommend going to Pietro Serio.  What a wonderful place!  The cannolis were delicious too. 

When we got back to the hostel, Miguel, another person staying there, wanted to cook pasta for everyone if we wanted.  It was delicious!  The hostel manager popped out the spumonte, and got me a local beer to try.  Everyone was very nice, and they gave us tips for the next day too, as we wanted to go to the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento.  Some of the best preserved Greek ruins outside of Greece, and since we didn't make it there, I figured this was next best.  

First thing in the morning though, we headed to the local flea market that occurs every Sunday morning.  While I found nothing that I would be able to carry home, it was fun to look around.  Then we tried to get ourselves south.  But the train we wanted to take wasn't running, so we had to try for the bus.  That turned in to a whole other hoopla, as we couldn't find the bus company that made that route.  Finally, after asking multiple people, we found the schedule, and to kill time waiting for the bus, had some gelato.  

Finally we got boarded, and headed for Agrigento.  Turns out we got really lucky.  As soon as we got in, we walked into the one place that was open to sell tickets to the ruins, and got our round trip tickets.  We directed someone else there afterward, but they had already closed.  Jen and I had barely made it in time to get our transfers.  So off we went to the ruins, which were more expensive than we had been told, but after spending the full day getting there we weren't backing out.  

They were pretty amazing too.  I couple in disrepair from earthquakes, but the Temple of Concordia was impressively intact.  We wandered around in the heat, before we were too tired and headed back.  This time we were able to catch the train.  Unfortunately, Jen broke it.  She thought she was hitting a button to flush the toilet, but instead, an alarm sounded, that they couldn't turn off for about 15-20 minutes.  Everyone on the train was looking around, trying to figure out what was going on.  Poor Jen's been having issues with things breaking on her. Ask her about them, they are some good stories, though hers to tell.

Catching up. Croatia through Rome.

Croatia was quite amazing.  We stayed at the Hobo Bear, and when we first walked up to it we were quite skeptical.  Looked like a dark entrance to an apartment complex, and it was pointing us down into the basement.  Turned out our concerns were completely unfounded.  Downstairs was a charming little main room, and as we checked in they offered us drinks (free perks are big deals in hostels).  We got settled in, and decided to just go get some food and call it an early night. 

Wandering a couple of streets that were recommended to us, they turned out to be mostly bars.  But as we later learned, the Croatians have perfected the idea of sitting beside the road with a drink (alcohol, tea, coffee, it really doesn't matter) and people watching.  They do it for hours!  Unfortunately this was not conducive to our grumbling stomaches, and eventually we found somewhere still open, at 10:30.  

For the first time in my life.  I think I may have been carnivored out.  After nothing but huge portions of meat for the last two weeks, my body was letting me know it needed another form of nourishment.  I was craving salad, pasta, fruit, anything but meat.  So I went for a truffle pasta and tea.  The tea turned into an english tea with the fixings, which was a delightful surprise, and our waitress obviously enjoyed our enthusiasm for it.  The pasta was so-so, but it was something I had needed.  Feeling much better now, we decided to call it a night.

The next morning we were trying to get to the local national park.  But when I mentioned it to the hostel worker, Mimi, she looked out the window, gave me a look and said, "Today?"  We thought the better of it after that.  While we were trying to decide what to do instead, Mimi was chatting with us about a Canadian girl who had been cooking the other day after going to the market.  Well if this didn't just sound like the best idea ever now!

So Jen and I got directions, Mimi showed us what food in the kitchen was up for grabs, and we headed to the market.  We bought tomatoes, peppers, grapes, cheese, cream, and fresh ciabatta bread.   Then we made a delicious fresh pasta dish, including a portion for Mimi in thanks for the idea.  She sat with us and chatted the whole time.  We loved having her there!  

As we finished up, Jen's friend Randi sent us a message.  She had a scavenger hunt for us.  How wonderful since we were just trying to find an activity!  There is an art installation in Zagreb, she informed us.  The Sun is in the center of the city, and then based off of accurate mathematic rations, all the planets were spread across the city, proportionally accurate.  Well, I love puzzles and hunts like this, and I love astrology.  So I pretty much went nuts.  Jen and I had so much fun!  We only got as far as Jupiter before it was just too far out into the city edges to get there on foot.  Most of the planets were tiny little dots stuck to the walls of buildings.  Jupiter was noticeably larger, and stuck on a park fence.    As we scrambled around the city we found statues to pose with, and interesting people all over.  

Once we determined we were not going to be able to get to Saturn, we headed back to the city center, all energized.  Jen had found the museum of broken hearts online and was interested, so off we went.  There was a great view across the rooftops as we went,  the red roofs vibrant against the grey sky.  

Then we found the museum.  It was very interesting.  People had sent in mementos of ended relationships.  Some were absurd and funny, some were tragic.  One room was dedicated to people who had passed, and one of those stories was written by a gal whose husband was stabbed by a burglar while he lay in bed next to her.  She had donated a book she had written about it, trying to help her with her grief and acceptance of what had occurred.  

In one of the humerous rooms, some one had sent in a magazine with Obama on the cover just after the election.  All the note with it said was that the relationship had lasted two years, and she had really hoped it would work out.  It was pretty amusing.  As wonderful as it was, the museum was fairly emotionally draining, having encountered the full range of emotion in a short stay there.  

Once back in the hostel, we took some time to book our ferry and hostel for the next couple of days.  Then it was time for dinner!  We went to a local restaurant that was rated pretty high.  We picked it specifically because it had strukli on the menu, which Mimi told us was her favorite dish; a large strudel stuffed with cheese and boiled or baked.  A little pricey, we shared strukli had I felt the boiled was better, but Jen preferred the baked.  All in all it was an okay dinner, but we were satisfied afterward.  

Back at the hostel, they informed me they were having mulled wine and krimpets that night if we wanted to join.  Jen chose to shower, but I figured I'd feel gross after a 12 hour ferry ride, so why bother.  The mulled wine was wonderful, and I met Kristen, who was on the same train as us the next day to Split.  I don't think I can emphasis how awesome an experience this hostel was enough.  Some of the other guests were obnoxious, a group of five guys from Australia, England, and the US particularly so.  Everyone got sick of hearing them one up each other with their conquests and talking about how the Croatian girls just loved them.  Kristen even told them off for how they were treating Gigi, another hostel worker, ordering her around and demanding things.  It's unfortunate that people like this are out there, ruining things for everyone else.  

The next morning was an early one.  Kristen, Jen, and I headed for the train station a little before 7 to get a reservation, and then headed for Split, which was 6 hours away.  And can I say Croatia is stunning!? This is definitely a country I am coming back to, and doing justice.  All three of us were plastered to the windows almost the entire time, even when we had to take a bus for part of it, as they were doing some work on the rail lines.  

The last bit of it was raining rather hard, and eventually turned into a downpour, right as our train pulled in to Split.  We sat it out for a little bit, as there was no cover and we weren't sure where on the port we were heading.  Eventually, the rain lessened enough and we were pointed in a direction, so we ran for it.  Once we were checked in for our tickets, we had two hours to kill.  We had been hoping to explore Split, especially once we saw how stunning it was, but the rain was coming on and off.  Then we saw there was a restaurant upstairs and thought we'd give it a try. 

Skeptical at first, seeing it labeled a disco club, the stairs were lit up in neon colors, in a cheesy fashion.  But once you get up to the top, the effect is charming!  Huge windows from which we watched the thunderstorm, excellent service, good food, and they let us just take our time through the whole meal.  It was a wonderful experience, and we never once had to go outside and get our packs drenched.  

Heading downstairs, we were funneled through customs, receiving more stamps for our passports.  Then onto the ferry we went.  It was a huge one, we were on deck seven of nine, and had gone for the reclining air seats to save money.  This turned out to be a poor choice.  They wouldn't have been that bad, as not many people were in the room at any given time, but the arm rests wouldn't move so you were forced to sleep in awkward positions.  Then the room randomly got cold.  Really cold.  Jen and I both were huddled in our coats, and putting on what layers we had on hand.  I even pulled out my gloves that I thought I would only be using in Iceland!  Constantly waking up every 45 minutes or so, we had a lacking night of sleep for sure. But when I finally gave up on the idea of it and went out on deck (which was substantially warmer), I was treated to an incredible sunrise with Ancona below.  What a wonderful way to enter Italy!

We pulled in a little after 7, and our train didn't leave for Rome until 1:30.  We wandered a little bit, but there just wasn't enough to see there to make it worth hauling our packs.  And Jen had a look on her face of complete disappointment, which I found tragic.  She simply said, "this wasn't what I was expecting in Italy."  I found this particularly sad as the town was very Italian to me.  The buildings in a range of yellow and orange hues, people standing at cafe bars talking, just little things that scream Italy to me.  The fact that Italy is a favorite of mine just made her discontent even sadder. 

So we holed up in a cafe by the train station and had some food and coffee, bought some puzzle books, and people watched.  We were both pretty tired anyway.  Eventually our train came and we headed off toward Roma.  Jen slept most of it, which was probably good, but I just watched out the window, happy to be back again.  

Once at Roma Termini, we walked over to our hostel and settled in.  Our hostel was doing a free pasta night, so we waited for that.  It was pretty good, but the portions were so small we headed out for a larger meal right after.  I had spaghetti carbonara, and prosciutto with melon which Jen had never heard of. I made her try some and savored its awesomeness.   

The next morning, we were off to explore Rome.  We headed for the Colosseum first.  I was worried that it wouldn't live up to what I remembered from the last time, but it was just as fantastic.  It's size is just so grandiose, that it dwarfs everyone and everything near it.  Except the roman forum, which is built on an equally large scale.  It's just an incredible feeling to stand so near them like that.  

After we walked around, as far into the areas as we could get without tickets, I decided to take Jen to all the big sites around the city.  We went to the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, to Vatican City.  All the places I remember so fondly of going to with the family in high school.  Jen seemed to have an absolute blast, taking pictures of everyone and everything.  She has a particular fascination with the begging gypsies.   I showed her how you can tell they may not be what they seem, wrapping scarves around all visible skin to hide age, and even gender.  She even saw one doing things to accentuate injuries, that had to be harmful to himself, pulling at joints to dramatize what they could.  It's definitely an education of sorts.  

I am also continuing my education of her in some of my favorite foods.  This time was bruschetta al pomodoro, and penne all'arribbiata.  Truly my culinary tour has begun.  There are so many more delicious things here, still to come too!  I'm trying to convince her she should try limoncello at least once, just since it is such a localized thing.  

Yesterday, I told Jen I was taking her to my one of my absolute favorite places, Orvieto.  It's only an hour from Rome, so it was a quick trip over.  She told me I was like an excited little kid the whole morning getting there.  On the funiculare to the upper city, I was telling her some of my favorite things here, and several different American couples listened in and started asking me questions.  I pointed them all in different directions, depending on what they were looking for.  

We went to the well first, then to a couple different look outs for pictures off the wall.  There is no view that is not incredible here.  We then headed towards the center of town, as it was near the middle of the day and I knew shops here close for siesta time.  Coming up on the cathedral from behind, I pointed out the stripes of its walls to Jen.  I don't think I have ever seen her take so many pictures of a single building.  It obviously called to her in some manner, and she was fascinated by it.  Looking at it from every angle.  We didn't go in as they now charge an entry fee, something I don't remember from before.

We continued walking down the shopping districts, and Jen was shocked that they did actually all close for a couple hours every afternoon.  All I could do was laugh a little and tell her, her American was showing.   It poured rain on and off, but we had come prepared with umbrellas and had fun shooting pictures in the rain. 

 During one cloud break, we were looking off the side of the city and a group came and were taking pictures.  We all started talking, and offering to take pictures for each other.  They were from Ireland, two from Dublin, the rest from County Clare.  I had fun telling them I had family from there, and had just recently visited the area for that reason.  They were a wonderful group and I told Jen that the Irish people were one of the reasons I love the country so much .  

Getting close to the time for our train, we decided to get some food first, since it was cheaper here than in Rome.  We had a great little meal, and finished with just enough time to go take pictures in the park by the funiculare.  It was pouring rain at first, which made the hills and terraces look all shadowed and misty.  Then as I walked around the wall, I saw a rainbow beginning, the end of which was firmly placed in lower Orvieto.  Excited, I started taking pictures, and watched it fully turn into a full rainbow, directly over the city.  I was running to find a spot to get a picture of it, and just had time to yell that to Jen as I ran past her.  She just laughed and took pictures of me running to take pictures.  

We both got some incredible pictures, and the whole experience of it was as wonderful as ever.  Truly this city has something magical about it for me.  I can only be thrilled that Jen had as powerful an experience here as I did, and that I could share something so powerful to me with her.  It's a place of wonderful memories, every time that I come.   I hope everyone I know who has been there has just as amazing of experiences as I have over the years.  

Today we got up and put our stuff into the luggage room and checked out.  Jen and I had decided to go into the Colosseum before we left Roma, and we quickly left the hostel.  We had heard Tuesdays were the best day here to see these locations, but the difference was astounding.  Roads that had been closed to cars due to the huge quantity of pedestrians were roaring back to life.  And we walked in with almost no wait at all, where the day before had a line practically around the building (which is huge if I didn't make that clear earlier).  What an experience!  We wandered around everywhere we could in awe, just taking it all in.  I'm very glad we decided to go inside.  It has always been one of my favorite pieces of architecture.  

After our little excursion, we stopped for some lunch.  I was craving pizza.  We ended up in a crazy little restaurant.  The food was all right, but our server was amazing!  Singing at the top of his lungs, cracking jokes, anything and everything.  He saw us taking a picture and came running in to pose with us each, grabbing a bottle of wine for one of his pictures with Jen.  When we said we had to leave, he asked us if we were on facebook then gave us all his information to friend him for the next time we came back to Rome.  He was quite a character, and he completely made our experience at this restaurant, which we later learned was called the Chicken House.  He informed us that everyone is crazy at the chicken house.  So if you want an experience in Rome, go see Paulo at the Gatto Matto, just don't go for particularly wonderful food. 

Eventually we had to get our train to Napoli, and we headed for the train station.  Of course, our train was almost two hours late.  However, we still made it!  We got in to Napoli at 6, and funneled our way down to the cicrumvenesuviana, the local rail that goes around the bay to Sorrento.  On the ride, we made friends with a nice couple from south England who are staying one stop before us.  Who knows, maybe well run into them again!  For now, we are planning what to see in our 3 days here.  It's never enough time!  Just means you have to come back again though.

Currently we have had a delicious dinner.  My pizza was so much better than my lunch one that they don't even compare.  We ordered anana or pineapple for dessert, as we were both craving fruit.  They brought us whole wedges of pineapple sliced really nicely.   Couldn't have been a nicer meal.  Especially after wandering the waterfront and looking at the whole bay all lit up.  I am so excited to spend the next couple days in the sun here!