Wed. May 13 2004 Daytrip to Napoli

This hotel is the only place where we'll have a big breakfast spread. Eggs, assorted breads and cornetti, pound cake, yogurt, oranges, and this wonderfully sweet blood orange juice.

We walked to the Circumvesuviana station and took the train to Napoli. This is a very crowded train with lots of stops. I got to use my line I'd been practicing "Vorei trei biglietti per Napoli"

On the trip I watch two Italian men standing having a very animated conversation. The one guy cannot talk with one hand and constantly lets go of the handle, and risks jostling so he can converse with both hands.

When we got to the Napoli Centrale it wasn't clear that is where we were and had to have the conductor come by and kick us off "Finito!" he says shooing us out. Okay we are dumb Americans, I admit it.

My plan was to take the metro to the Archeological Museum but I couldn't figure out where it was and it was easy to find the Taxi stand. 6.50 metered ride there.

It was getting warm and the museum was a cool place to walk around. We should have bought audio guides because we were a little lost trying to figure some of the stuff out. I can't decide if I'm more impressed by an artist who can carve something beautiful out of a block of marble, or an artist who can create a beautiful work of art out of thousands of pieces of broken glass and rock. I think people had much more patience in those days.

After the museum we had lunch at a café across the street. Our first taste of Margherita Pizza?it's really wonderful.

So I want to find the Capella Sansevero to see the Veiled Christ and Sarah wanted to see the shops along Via Toledo. Finding the shopping was easy, but the Capella proved to be more illusive. All I had was a Rick Steves map and we cannot see any street signs so we aren't even sure where we are. We wandered and meandered, saw lots of interesting little side streets and alleys. There were many times when I was sure we were sooo close. We would find a map on a building wall with the church listed and an arrow. We'd follow the arrow and see another sign with the name of the church with the arrow pointing back where we came from. We did enjoy all the little shops and the little Nativity figures.

I would have bought some but I wanted to start with the Holy Family and I couldn?t find a Joseph, Mary and baby as small as the other figures I would have liked. The shopkeepers spoke no English and didn?t seem to understand "Picola Mama?" Sarah was game to keep looking but Isaac was getting hot tired and surly. It didn't seem like we were ever going to find it so I gave up. I failed at my first mission.

So now we are thoroughly and hopelessly lost in Naples. Good thing warnings about how dangerous this city is supposed to be are exaggerated. We never felt the least bit threatened. But I had NO idea where we were. There was a moment of hope when we saw an M for metro, but couldn't figure out where the steps down to the Metro were. Finally Isaac spied a taxi. Taxi is good. He agrees to take us back to the Train station. He doesn't set the meter, but I'm lost in Naples and figure the driver has the upper hand. What am I gonna do? Get out and figure out how to get to the train station on my own? 10 E for a shorter ride than the 6.50 to the museum. Oh well. It could have been worse. We might NOT have found a taxi.

Then after all that walking, the train is full and we get to stand for the nearly hour ride back to Sorrento. Oh well. At least we got back to Sorrento!

As we walk back from the Sorrento station to our hotel, it is a good time to stop for gelato. Sarah has white chocolate, Isaac sticks with strawberry and I try rum. So far the orange chocolate is still my favorite.

What nobody talks about are the dogs in Sorrento. The main drag is full of well fed healthy looking but free roaming dogs that don't appear to belong to anyone. Some have tags, most don't and they just roam at will. Even a large, intact Doberman! He didn't seem the least bit dangerous. They are all well behaved and affectionate. They don't bark. They don't jump on you, they just go where they please, shops and restaurants included. Isaac pet one and he began to follow us on our way home. When we stopped at a bench to eat our gelato, he laid down beside Isaac. Finally the dog was distracted chasing a pigeon and we made our escape.

After our Napoli adventure, we rested up at the hotel. We are determined this time to "eat at a more sophisticated hour", as my daughter puts it. But it's boring sitting around in the hotel. Let's go to the internet café!

The café is empty except for a few men at the bar. Internet is 3 E for a half hour. Pretty cheap, but of course, we all want a computer! She has 3 computers all in a row. I have wine, the kids have apple juice and we go surfing.

The apple juice, "succo de mela," is a dark green color. It tastes like someone ground up a complete green apple, peeling and all. It's wonderful. My kids may never drink plain old American apple juice again.

Internet for 3, 3 drinks 19 E. But now it's only 6:30! Still too early for dinner. Isaac sits on a bench. Sarah and I shop.

We find a cute little clothing store, Piazza Italia, where Sarah finds a cute white top and a chartreuse green jacket. There is a shade of green in these stores I've never seen in the US. It is less than 30E for both tops. Things are much less expensive here than I expected. We also checked out a supermarket. "Looks like Walmart," Sarah comments, then we see the groceries "Okay,Super Walmart" she corrects herself. Except I don't think you can get frozen baby octopus at Walmart.

So now it's 7. We have to eat. I promise Sarah tomorrow night we'll eat later.

We decide we want to eat where the action is and eat outside on the plaza at Fauno Bar. We start with bruchetta, apple juice for the kids, Prosecco for me and a liter of acqua con gas. Sarah had spaghetti, Isaac Hawaiian pizza and I had tortellini that looked like it came out of a can. Tasted a little better than Chef Boyardee but I did have higher expectations. However, we are outside, watching the people, it was very enjoyable.

The kids are having a hard time adjusting to Italian service. They are used to leaving as soon as they finish eating. But it's nice outside and they are learning to relax. We asked for dolce and they seemed to forget about us and we had to ask again about 15 minutes later. I had the famous Sorrento lemon cake, Sarah a vanilla cream cake and Isaac had fragola and pane-- strawberries and ice cream. It was all very good.