Oct 12- Pompeii & Herculaneum

Another road trip today. We have to say 'Ci vidiamo' to Jana & David today as they have to fly home tomorrow. But they have not seen Pompeii before so we spent a couple of hours there before going to Herculaneum.

The scavi in Pompeii are much more expansive than Herculaneum but not as well preserved. Somehow we all manage to find the Lupanare or the house of ill repute. Traces of menu items are still viewable in the frescos.

The people of Herculaneum didn't eat at home very much. There seemed to be an eating establishment on every corner. Structures are better preserved here as well as interior decorations and some furnishings. You can get a much better sense of how people lived here than in Pompeii, or at least how the city looked when they lived here.

Driving the Costeria Amalfitana

Aaaahh yes, pazzi italiani drivers! Believe it or not we saw someone driving BACKWARDS down the Amalfi coast right in front of us!!! It was dark and he must have missed his turn. He was going faster in reverse than we were going forward. It was a hair raising experience that required a serious amount of wine and limoncello to calm our nerves.

Oct. 11, Sunday

It is hard to take in just how beautiful it is in Sorrento. Each church, and there are many, not just here but in every town, have their own unique character. Each one seems more rich in art than the next. Then when you walk into one that is so simple by comparison yet equally as beautiful and it just takes your breath away. Yet very few Italians go to church on a regular basis and they don't charge admission. Makes you wonder how they can afford to keep them in such good condition.

This afternoon we take the hydrofoil to Capri. We are glad we rented a boat while the weather was warm in Sicily. It is too chilly today to brave the open water in a small boat. Capri is lovely and much easier to walk around the winding paths in cooler weather. Just ask Jesse...he and Jane really enjoyed their walk up and up and up to the belvedere! NOT! But he felt it was the best way to keep Jane from running up the credit card bill in Capri. Jesse is on a quest to find the best gelato on the trip. The rest of us are trying to keep up but are falling short.

Tonight's dinner is in Marina Grande by the sea in Sorrento. We are literally inches from the beach where the fishing boats bring in each day's catch. Taverna Azzura provides us entertainment and an unbelievable seafood feast, chocolate souffle with amaretto gelato for dessert, and complimentary limoncello.

Leaving Taormina

The last few days in Toarmina have been beautiful. From our hotel you can see both the sea and Mt. Etna peeking out above the clouds. To get to the beach requires descending a gazillion steps - not for the faint of heart, or weak-kneed. Yesterday we rented a boat and Captain Neil and crew explored the Ionian Sea, including Grotto Azure. The water was cold, but refreshing on a hot, sunny day.

Also, anchovie lovers were in heaven last night. Our new-found friends at Ristorante al Giardino provided a feast of anchovie dishes, each prepared in a different way. Quite a nice touch.

Today we are on to Sorrento - a mere 8 hour drive from here.

Taormina

Taormina is a lovely tourist town perched atop a rocky hill on the eastern shores of Sicily. Yesterday we drove to Mt. Etna and found the winery where Jesse & Jane went several years ago on a cruise tour. We did not get a tour but were able to buy wine and take photos- lots and lots of photos- of the lovely vineyards and buildings.

We have eaten dinner in Ristorante Il Giardino the last 2 nights. A family run place for generations. In fact, la nonna comes in for dinner nightly around 10:30 for dinner. Her grandson runs the place and says she is in remarkably good health and plays a very active part in the operation of the restaurant. David has chatted with her at length each night. The grandson goes to the fish market every morning. He said if we promised to come back tonight he would get fresh alici (anchovies - our favorite) and prepare them in several ways for us. We have a date!

Today we are going to wander around Taormina and try to go swimming around Isola Bella, a tiny island within swimming distance from the beach.

A più tarde!

Oct 6

Slight change in plans. Enjoyed Palermo but decided to leave a day early and drive to Trapani on the north western tip of Sicily.

Went to a museum of marionettes yesterday and walked around the marina. Went to the Mercata della Vucciria with a vast assortment of meats, fruits & vegetables, cookies, breads, etc. Actually found cookies almost like the patralli Mama used to make. The venditore told me the ingredients for the filling and it was almost exactally the same. The pastry surrounding was different but still very close.

The weather has been near perfect. Have heard about the flooding in Messina but no rain so far here.

Sunday was a big religious festival in Palermo. Big parades with the statue of the Madonna and bands and lots of Christmas-type lights in the streets, fireworks, etc. I took a video-hope it turns out. The passigiata on Sunday was quite the spectacle.

Palermitans are not as fluent in English as Romans. We are getting to experiment much more with our Italian here. However, it is much easier to ask the question than to understand the answer. At least the hand gestures help to understand the language. Not so easy over the phone, though!

Will be glad to give our feet a bit of a rest today and looking foward to some good countryside scenery.

A piu tarde!

Oct 4

Farthings, Carters, & Malloys survived Rome with friendship intact. The apartment was wonderful and centrally located to all of the great sites. Neil did a great job of making sure we got to see the most important places. The food has been awesome. Jana & Ria pledge to recreate the wonderful pasta recipe from La Carbonara. Neil had the tripe. No one cares to recreate that.

Spending time with Andy & Jessica (Jesse & Jane's nephew and his girlfriend) in Rome was a special treat for us all. They really added to the experience. They will be missed.

Today is the first day with access to internet for me. Sorry no previous blog entries. Darn fancy phone doesn't work here except for phone calls. What's up with that?

Debbie - you and Mark are on your way back to Italy - mission accomplished!

In Palermo now. We need to adjust to a different kind of Italy. Trying to find the jewel in the rubble.

Will try to post some photos soon.