Heading to Sorrento
After another simple but filling breakfast, we said goodbye to Loredana this morning, and dragged our bags to the train station. Of course, we were early, so we found a place to sit and people watch while we waited for our train to be announced.
Termini Station in Rome
The train was comfortable, and I read/dozed my way out of the city and into the Italian countryside. Within 70 minutes we were in Napels. Trip Advisor had told us that that our regional train, the Circumvensuvia, to Sorrento left from the basement of the station, right across from where our train from Rome arrived. We bought our tickets, and followed directions, lugging our bags down two flights of stairs, since the escalator wasn’t working. We then followed the signs for the Circumvensuvia line down the stairs and along the tracks and back up another two flights of stairs (again with no escalator). We got to the top of the stairs and saw two more flights of stairs leading back down to different platforms. One had a sign that said Circumvensuvia, but a guard standing nearby asked us where we were going, and then pointed us down the other flight of stairs. We got there, but saw no directional signs and no information about what train was coming in. So when the next train arrived a few minutes later I asked the conductor of the train if it was going to Sorrento. He and another guy on the train were very helpful, and in a mixture of English and Italian informed us that we needed to go back upstairs, then down to the middle platform (the one the guard has told us not to go down) and then back up the other stairs…and then we lost them. So we went back up the stairs (again, no escalator) back down more stairs, across the platform and back up the thankfully escalator enhanced stairs to back where we started. We looked around for directions, or even someone who could give us directions when we finally saw the sign pointing us around the corner. We had to go around the corner and essentially out of the station, then back down more stairs to where we finally found our train. (We later discovered that until two months ago the directions we got from Trip Advisor were correct, they’re in the midst of major remodeling at the station and haven't gotten around to changing all the signs yet.)
the train to Sorrento
The ride there was relatively unremarkable. But once we arrived we quickly realized that yet again our directions were missing a crucial first step, and we broke down and took a taxi to our hotel (even though it was only supposed to be a 5 minute walk). We’re staying at the Casa Astarita, a bed and breakfast that’s run by someone who is only onsite in the late afternoon. There was a handwritten sign on the doorway telling us who to call if we arrived before 4pm, and we were in the process of trying to figure out how to use the European pay phones (you can send a text message from them!) when a shop keeper stopped us and asked us if we were staying at Casa Astarita. He told us that the owners of that B&B also owned Hotel Mignon, just a few steps away, and the front desk there would call them for us, saving us from pay phone agony.
Within 10 minutes we were in our new room. They’d given us a double bed by mistake, so they moved us to another room with a bed on the first floor and another bed in a loft upstairs - it’s so cute! The B&B has a common area with a breakfast table, computer with free internet, and a kitchen with bottled water, juice, cheese and cookies free for the taking.
Casa Astarita
We got directions to the conference hotel, and took a brief walk to make sure we knew where it was. When we made a wrong turn and ended up back at our hotel instead of the conference hotel, we decided it was time for lunch. Unfortunately, everything in Sorrento closes from 1-4, so our options were limited to gelato and, well, gelato. We chose gelato. The place we ate in makes their own gelato, and is covered with pictures of women in bikinis coated in chocolate, as well as lots of what I think are either locals or local celebrities (and a few recognizable faces in there too), enjoying the gelato. There was even a picture of Pope Benedict, who appeared to be enjoying the gelato as well. The gelato was pretty damn good. I had the combination of Nutella and Kindercrisp (which is a very yummy candy bar). Recharged, we tried again and found our conference hotel with no problems.
From there we did a little wandering, making our way down to the port, where a man with a jauntily placed hat stopped me when he saw my camera and asked for a picture. He made all his friends stop while he posed, then shook my hand and thanked me before walking away.
Random Guy
Sorrento
After visiting the port we did some shopping. I should say, I did some shopping while Lisa did some browsing. It seems Sorrento is known for it’s painted pottery and inlaid wood. We met a woman in one shop whose husband makes all the pieces they sell. He learned the trade from his father and all the work done by hand (not laser, like it’s done in other places). She met her husband 25 years ago when she came to work for him, and they were married 3 months later. Much of her family lives in New York, and they lived there for a while too, but she says she’s much happier in Sorrento.
We had an early dinner with the rest of the tourists, and then had more gelato (dark chocolate and Mounds bar flavors this time, which was so good it should be illegal). I’m going to read up on our plans for tomorrow and then enjoy an early night to bed.
Gelato!
March 21: Jetlagged in Rome
March 22: More Sightseeing in Rome
March 23: The Vatican
March 25: Pompeii
March 26: Conference
March 27: Conference Day 2
March 28: Back to Rome
Termini Station in Rome
The train was comfortable, and I read/dozed my way out of the city and into the Italian countryside. Within 70 minutes we were in Napels. Trip Advisor had told us that that our regional train, the Circumvensuvia, to Sorrento left from the basement of the station, right across from where our train from Rome arrived. We bought our tickets, and followed directions, lugging our bags down two flights of stairs, since the escalator wasn’t working. We then followed the signs for the Circumvensuvia line down the stairs and along the tracks and back up another two flights of stairs (again with no escalator). We got to the top of the stairs and saw two more flights of stairs leading back down to different platforms. One had a sign that said Circumvensuvia, but a guard standing nearby asked us where we were going, and then pointed us down the other flight of stairs. We got there, but saw no directional signs and no information about what train was coming in. So when the next train arrived a few minutes later I asked the conductor of the train if it was going to Sorrento. He and another guy on the train were very helpful, and in a mixture of English and Italian informed us that we needed to go back upstairs, then down to the middle platform (the one the guard has told us not to go down) and then back up the other stairs…and then we lost them. So we went back up the stairs (again, no escalator) back down more stairs, across the platform and back up the thankfully escalator enhanced stairs to back where we started. We looked around for directions, or even someone who could give us directions when we finally saw the sign pointing us around the corner. We had to go around the corner and essentially out of the station, then back down more stairs to where we finally found our train. (We later discovered that until two months ago the directions we got from Trip Advisor were correct, they’re in the midst of major remodeling at the station and haven't gotten around to changing all the signs yet.)
the train to Sorrento
The ride there was relatively unremarkable. But once we arrived we quickly realized that yet again our directions were missing a crucial first step, and we broke down and took a taxi to our hotel (even though it was only supposed to be a 5 minute walk). We’re staying at the Casa Astarita, a bed and breakfast that’s run by someone who is only onsite in the late afternoon. There was a handwritten sign on the doorway telling us who to call if we arrived before 4pm, and we were in the process of trying to figure out how to use the European pay phones (you can send a text message from them!) when a shop keeper stopped us and asked us if we were staying at Casa Astarita. He told us that the owners of that B&B also owned Hotel Mignon, just a few steps away, and the front desk there would call them for us, saving us from pay phone agony.
Within 10 minutes we were in our new room. They’d given us a double bed by mistake, so they moved us to another room with a bed on the first floor and another bed in a loft upstairs - it’s so cute! The B&B has a common area with a breakfast table, computer with free internet, and a kitchen with bottled water, juice, cheese and cookies free for the taking.
Casa Astarita
We got directions to the conference hotel, and took a brief walk to make sure we knew where it was. When we made a wrong turn and ended up back at our hotel instead of the conference hotel, we decided it was time for lunch. Unfortunately, everything in Sorrento closes from 1-4, so our options were limited to gelato and, well, gelato. We chose gelato. The place we ate in makes their own gelato, and is covered with pictures of women in bikinis coated in chocolate, as well as lots of what I think are either locals or local celebrities (and a few recognizable faces in there too), enjoying the gelato. There was even a picture of Pope Benedict, who appeared to be enjoying the gelato as well. The gelato was pretty damn good. I had the combination of Nutella and Kindercrisp (which is a very yummy candy bar). Recharged, we tried again and found our conference hotel with no problems.
From there we did a little wandering, making our way down to the port, where a man with a jauntily placed hat stopped me when he saw my camera and asked for a picture. He made all his friends stop while he posed, then shook my hand and thanked me before walking away.
Random Guy
Sorrento
After visiting the port we did some shopping. I should say, I did some shopping while Lisa did some browsing. It seems Sorrento is known for it’s painted pottery and inlaid wood. We met a woman in one shop whose husband makes all the pieces they sell. He learned the trade from his father and all the work done by hand (not laser, like it’s done in other places). She met her husband 25 years ago when she came to work for him, and they were married 3 months later. Much of her family lives in New York, and they lived there for a while too, but she says she’s much happier in Sorrento.
We had an early dinner with the rest of the tourists, and then had more gelato (dark chocolate and Mounds bar flavors this time, which was so good it should be illegal). I’m going to read up on our plans for tomorrow and then enjoy an early night to bed.
Gelato!
March 21: Jetlagged in Rome
March 22: More Sightseeing in Rome
March 23: The Vatican
March 25: Pompeii
March 26: Conference
March 27: Conference Day 2
March 28: Back to Rome