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Lemon Trees, Package Tourists and Frosting

After Rome, we arrived in Sorrento much relieved to be in a smaller town. We had neglected to get accurate directions to our hostel, which was actually in a suburb of Sorrento, and after what really was the Bataan Death March, uphill in the blazing sun, with our bags, we found it about 6 hours after we arrived. It was a private room, I’ll give it that, but it adjoined a barnyard, so I have to take away some points. We promptly canceled our booking for the following two nights and changed to a hostel in central Sorrento. Returned to town for a wander and some dinner. Sorrento is a pretty little Mediterranean town, sitting on some cliffs, with pastel buildings the color of frosting, or to quote Karen, “This town is so sweet, it’s like frosting.” There were lemon and orange groves everywhere, and orange trees growing on the city streets. In the central square, I’m pretty sure we heard more English than Italian, as there were oodles of package tourists from the U.K. there also.

That evening, I started to feel sick – really sick, like a terrible cold was coming on. Come on it did, and it turned into a full-blown sinus infection. I brought some antibiotics though, an extra round that the doc had prescribed for the one I got right before I left. Anywho, checked in to Sorrento central, and decided to spend the afternoon of the second day on the Isle of Capri. A French Canadian girl named Stephanie staying at our hostel accompanied us to the ticket booth, and we hung with her and a Chilean woman later that night – my age and traveling alone; it gave me heart for the trip to come. So, Capri was gorgeous, like a fairy tale. We brought a picnic lunch, because we had heard how expensive the island was – they weren’t kidding. Baguettes, ham and a bottle of wine (no glasses) shared between the three of us = heaven. Walked around in some gardens, walked to a monastery, paid .50 to use the bathroom, petted some cute stray kitties and kept wishing I’d see George Clooney somewhere. By the end of the day, I felt mega-sick, and Karen and Mike wandered a little while I sat on a park bench, slurping a lemon ice and mouth-breathing cause my nose was so stuffed up.

Next day: Pompeii. I think it was neat, but I was in a foul, sick mood. I tried to keep up with the whippersnappers, but spent a good portion of the day sitting on wall, blowing my nose. It really is an awesome site though, and as luck would have it, FREE that day. (That means both the Acropolis and Pompeii free!) The streets are incredibly well preserved, many of the buildings still have frescoes on the walls and the homes still have the mosaic tiles on the floor. The “official” brothel, out of 25 that they said existed in the city when it went bye-bye, was in really good shape too: there was a “menu” on the wall with all the available positions, visitors needed only to point at what they wanted. And for illiterate citizens, there was a big stone penis on the road, pointing the way. How helpful!

After Pompeii we went to Positano via bus. A gorgeous ride, and another beautiful little city clinging to a cliff. For those of you (ladies) who have seen Under the Tuscan Sun, this is the village that her Italian Stallion is from. It was very pretty, very touristy and very steep. I got separated from the kids though and got into a foul mood. Pouted at the bus stop for about an hour before they came and joined me and we returned to Sorrento. Left mid-day the next day, after Karen did a little shopping, to return to Rome for our last night together. The hostel that final night was a total hole – think multi-national frat party – but it was right next to the train station where we all needed to go. Karen left early in the morning, and Mike and I didn’t have any plans, so we: went back to the Vatican to check out the picture gallery! (Sorry Karen.) Then Mike took off around one, and left me to do some expensive Internet-ing, and then it was off to the airport for my 7:30 flight to Athens-Johannesburg-Cape Town. After all that, I think I can say that I’m pretty confident that I’ve seen everything I wanted to in Rome – Africa awaits.



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-1 responses to “Lemon Trees, Package Tourists and Frosting”

  1. Sharon says:

    I’m so glad that you got to see Pompeii. That was one of the highlights of my first trip to Italy oh so many years ago. And I also loved Sorrento. It does look like frosting.

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