On Thursday morning we had to say goodbye to Venice. Our hotel was across the street -- sorry, canal -- from the train station, which took us to Naples before a car brought us to Sorrento.
We just had to climb over this cute little bridge to get to the other side. Well, it was a cute little bridge on Tuesday and Wednesday. Carrying our luggage over it now looked daunting.
Just as we began our struggle, two Venetians grabbed our bags. Not to help but to get paid. I said no. They continued to grab. I said no a second and third time.
As I was saying it the third time, they were halfway up the steps. I rushed up the steps to make sure they didn't flee with our luggage.
When we got to the end, they said "10 euro." Nicole said no. "10 euro." She handed over five. They waited for the other five. She defiantly said no. "Five total." And we left.
They should be grateful. I would have given them one euro each.
Other mishaps that have happened on the first six days of our Italian honeymoon:
-- Our train to Padua was delayed 20 minutes. Our guide said no biggie.
-- Our flight to Venice was delayed half an hour. We still arrived on time.
-- We each walked into the wrong bathroom in Padua. Nicole read the sign wrong and waltzed into the men's room. I didn't even bother to look and went to the opposite bathroom. As I was finishing washing my hands, a woman came in and was slightly startled by me and said something in Italian.
-- Nicole was a half step from getting off the train at the wrong stop on the way back from Padua until I grabbed her and got her back inside the train.
-- In Venice, we got on the water bus going the wrong way and before we realized that, we fell asleep on the bus. We awoke and had no idea where we were. The bus circles back, and we were actually on course. But for all we knew, we were headed for Greece.
-- Some guy yelled at me in some language -- not Italian -- for putting my feet on the seat of a water bus. It's public transportation. I was like where I come from, you lucky I ain't peeing on the seat.
-- My shaver is not working.
-- Nicole got a major blister on the side of her foot by the heel. We bought a needle and bandages from the pharmacy.
-- On Friday, the ferry back to Sorrento was delayed by 45 minutes, and we got a weird explanation -- in English -- from a worker. No one understand what in the Capri salad he was saying. There was something about Naples and not waiting. It sounded like nonsense.
Anyway, we spent four nights in Sorrento. Because of a ferry worker I pronounce it Sorrrr-rennnn-toeeeeee. Every time. Even as I'm writing this from my Sorrrr-rennnn-toeeeeee hotel.
Our hotel had this crazy ramp to get to the reception area. It went up a steep climb, flattened for a second, then went up again before twisting around a corner to some steps.
Our room -- No. 415 after our Venice room was 416 -- was on the fourth floor, the pool and hotel restaurant was on floor zero, and reception was negative one. All this after going up this huge ramp AND then a flight of stairs.
So what's street level? Floor negative 20?
Our travel agent, Jan, left us some strawberries, wine and a note. How sweet.
On Friday, we went to the isle of Capri, about a 20-minute boat ride from Sorrento. If this was America, there would be a bridge to the island.
We made the mistake of trying to walk into the heart of the island. We got about 20 minutes up a steep road before going back down to the port to get a taxi. Saw some locals coming home from the grocery, though.
By the time we got anywhere in Capri we were starving. I ordered the fish of the day.
The scales were still in it, and the freaking head was attached. They might as well have made me catch the damn thing, too. Good taste, though.
Lunch took forever, so we only had time to get a taxi back to the port and get in line for our late ferry.
Italy scored the winning goal of a Euro 2016 match while we were on our way back to Sorrento. The boat went nuts.
On Saturday, we took a tour of the Almafi Coast, which is so breathtaking words can't really describe it. Here are some pictures.
Positano
Almafi
St. Andrew Basillica in Almafi (above:outside, below:inside)
Ravello
The minibus picked us up at 9 a.m. and brought us back at 6:30 p.m. We were exhausted.
On our way back to the bus in Almafi we ran across this couple we had shared a taxi with in Capri the day before. We never actually spoke to them either time.
Nicole photobombed.
Our tour guide was a pretty girl who said "hmmm" and "ahhh" at the end of her sentences.
It's called the Almafi Coast even though Almafi is just one town because Almafi always took a leading role, hmmm.
Limoncello is actually made not with lemon juice but with the lemon peels, ahhhhh.
Saturday night we ate at a more upscale restaurant, L'Antica Trattoria. Each of our pasta dishes was 23 euro as compared to 10-12 for a dish we've paid at every other joint.
I ordered lemon pasta with cream sauce and lumpfish.
Lumpfish apparently means shrimp. Not bad but not worth double the price.
On Sunday night I had my favorite restaurant meal of the trip at O'Parrucchiano. I got the lasagna with eggplant, small meatballs and sausage with a side of fried zucchini. Nicole got spaghetti and meat-a-ball.
Like Sweet Caroline, it was so good, so good, so good.
Here was the entrance. Very cool.
We did a lot of browsing in the stores in our four days in Sorrento. We bought an Italia jacket, some olive oil, a giant lemon, some limoncello, a onesie for my godchild, a handbag for Nicole, an Italian outfit for me -- pants, long sleeve shirt and belt -- and a Sorrento ornament.
Our best purchase was this plate from Positano, the most beautiful part of the Almafi Coast.
And that was our four days in Sorrento. By the way, I'm still saying it the drawn out way, just spelling it quicker for you to read.
Here's the center square of Sorrento as we head out for our final stop, Roma.
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