My favorite season is autumn. And there is nothing like being on a somewhat
secluded beach during this time - except for the brilliant natives of
course. The air is crisp and a little chilly. And
during the early mornings and late evenings the fog rolls in (which I love). Not to mention there is somewhat of an isolation
peacefulness. Being on the coast/beach during autumn was the deciding
factor on where to go for this trip. I
looked at a map, got some recommendations on where to go, and I was off. It was Halloween, and three hours later I was
in Sorrento.
I got off the train and started my 1.5 mile walk (yeah
right) to the B&B. As I continued to
walk, it occurred to me that it was taking a lot longer than I had
anticipated. Google maps is wonderful,
when it is good to go. *sigh* It was time to think back to my good old land navigation
days to get to the B&B. Along the
way, I came across these cute kittens.
Despite the excitement of being in such a magnificent
town, I was getting frustrated. I was on
the beach and knew I was close to the B&B. Then I stumbled onto a little bar. And asked the owner if he knew where “Casa a
Mare” was at. And he did! I was just about there. He kindly asked me to sit while he called
Sergio (the owner of the B&B) to come get me. He gave me a cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate cake. I knew there was a reason I got lost!!! He
did not want payment from me. Wow!!! That wouldn’t happen in Rome. Wooohoo!!!
I realized the reason I was unable to find the
B&B is because it is "hidden." You can’t get to it via car and have to walk to it. And you have to walk through somewhat of a cave
to get to it. Needless to say, it is in an extremely concealed location. As Sergio and I walked there, for some reason
it reminded me of Carlsbad Caverns. And my
family trip there when I was little. Once
again reminding me of my dad and that trip.
Him and I sitting down trying to get our headphones to work during the
cavern tour.
The next day it was time to explore the city. Of course my main purpose of this trip was to
go on the Amalfi Coast excursion, and that was for the next day. Sorrento is a great town. It is well known for its Limoncello. I have never been one for anything with lemons,
but I do have to say I enjoy this drink.
Of course I probably like it because it is so sweet. But be careful!! It is very strong. And if you are not cautious you will be
feeling the effects in a very short amount of time.
As I gallivanted along the beach that morning I was
not alone. The local women were there with me.
They spoke to me about how they love living in Sorrento (despite the
tourists). They even suggested a few
hiking trails. And places for me to go
Cross Country skiing in Italy. They had
their bathing suits on, ready to take a early morning dip in the sea. I put my hand in the water, and realized it
was pretty cold. I thought to myself, these women are like me, they are not
scared of the cold. And they love the outdoors.
They have an adventures outdoor spirit that is very
different that the mainstream women in Rome; who’s majority of interests are fashion,
make-up, and “looking the part.” Note to my female friends in Rome: you are beautiful outside AND inside. And I know you won’t take offense to that
comment. J To sum it up, I totally fit in with the women
of Sorrento, and their outdoor, “let’s do this” mentality.
One of the local fishermen offered his bicycle to me
to ride along the beach that morning. It
was an old bike, but it worked. And as I
rode it along the water, I felt a very strong desire of not wanting to live
in “a city.”
As I walked along the town, I could not help but
notice how clean it was. The streets
were hardly polluted. Yes, there were
still smokers, but for some reason the air just felt cleaner there.
Of all places to meet a fellow New Mexican, “Lupe”
was staying at the same B&B as me.
Her and her husband and two of their close married friends were on an
Italian trip. I hung with them that night.
We had a light dinner and wine at the B&B. And talked, and talked, and
talked. And then went off to get some Gelato. They were upbeat and I had a fun time with
them! And it was nice to be able to talk
to Lupe about New Mexico (NM). We exchanged stories about our family lineages in
NM, and about missing the food.
Especially missing the red and green - for those of you who are not from
NM “red and green” pertain to the chili.
To meet someone where you are originally from – in a small private
B&B (not well known), in a town in Italy; it truly is a small world!!
I thought Wikipedia has some great 411 and pictures
of Sorrento. And am including that link.
The last picture in the article “Marina Grande Sorrento” is my
favorite. As that is where I spent most
of my time – with the native fishermen, hospitable women, and along the
sea.
The next day it was time for my Amalfi Coast
Excursion. YAAAY!! Andrew – my excursion
guide was awesome. I wish I had taken a
picture of him. Gosh, darn it!! He is from Sorrento, and knows the Amalfi
coast with his eyes closed. The only word
that comes to mind to describe the Amalfi coast is BREATHTAKING!! The cliffs are radically vertical. And the sea is so crystal clear. Along the excursion we stopped at the little
towns. My favs. were Positano, and
Amalfi.
We did a lot of walking. We did some brutal stair climbing in
Positano. There was a merchant who had a
little puppy. As he talked to
Andrew I entertained myself by playing with the puppy. He got a hold of my shoestring and would not
let go, it was so cute. It reminded me
of what a wonderful dog Sable was. I
should have taken a picture of him chewing my shoestring. Since I didn’t
however, here is one of Sable. She was the most adorable Pomeranian in the
world! She was my baby girl!
This week I was stoked to see Amalfi Coast was
listed in a CNN link, “Your most spectacular travel photos.” It is the 10th photo. And I had to smile, and say yes!!! I was
there, I was there!!!
Here are the rest of my pictures from this
trip. The only regret I have is not
taking more pictures. However, as you
will see - my next post will def. make up for that!!! J
Cheers,
~ Jerrie
Hi My Dear Friend, I enjoyed reading your blog, thanks for the pictures. I'm glad you are exploring your surroundings. Happy New Year, miss you,
ReplyDeleteLove, Alma (in ABQ)