April 16, 2007
Italy: Day 5
Okay, today has completely made up for all the shittiness that has happened on this trip so far. Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi were absolutely stunning.
Our first
stop was Amalfi, and the first thing we saw on the tour was the Cathedral of
Sant'Andrea. Originally built in the 9th century, it has undergone several
renovations and updates. It was initially completed in the 1100s, although
additions and restructuring went on up until the portico itself was completely
rebuilt in 1865, followed by a restoration in 1890. Buried in the crypt are the
remains of the Apostle St. Andrew. After heading back to the bus and heading a
little further up the road, we started getting some amazing views of the coast
including the private Amalfi home of Sofia Loren. While we didn't get a chance
to actually get down to the water (it's not accessible by car, only by boat), we
certainly got a hell of a view from higher up on the mountain roads where we
hauled ass around curves and tailgated motorcycles.
Our second stop on the tour was the city of Positano, whose name is derived from the sea god Poseidon. Contrasting the wealth of Amalfi (and in fact its present day status), Positano originted as a successful fishing town that had a bad financial downturn in the 19th century, forcing out a good portion of its population. It has since turned itself back around, becoming one of the more popular European destinations with several highly-praised hotels and a booming tourism industry.
Perched with a great view of the bay of Naples was Sorrento, our last tour
stop for the day. Sorrento is a tiny little town with plenty of shops,
restaurants, and sights, but most notably is its production of the drink
Limoncello. We stopped at a place that makes their own limoncello and we were
offered a taste of both that as well as the Cream of Limoncello. I had a very,
very small amount and holy hell is that stuff potent. The bottle I picked up
says "32% vol." on the label, so I was certainly not imagining things when I
realized I was able to feel the small amount I consumed. Sorrento is also a bit
notable for me particularly since the information I've been able to gather on my
family indicates that my great-great grandmother was born there.
After our three town tour we had our lunch break which consisted of delicious spaghetti and tomato sauce with basil followed by some sort of beef dish which was almost beef stew, but served on a plate with bread instead of a bowl. It was quite tasty. Then I headed back to my hotel, uploaded all of today's pictures to accipiter.org while I hung out and talked with Peter and Angela a bit before saying our goodbyes (they're leaving tomorrow), then came back to the hotel room to relax for the night.
Tomorrow is Pompeii, though I've decided that I will not be climbing Mt. Vesuvius for two reasons: 1) I do not have the shoes for it, and 2) the hotel porter says it's very dirty and not really worth it. If I had proper shoes I probably would have ignored the dirtiness and went anyway, since how many times do you get to hang out on a volcano in your life? But eh, maybe next time.
(15:14)
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