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Published: July 13th 2007
Today we docked in Naples and set out to explore. We had been told by many experienced cruisers as well as our waiter at dinner not to buy excursions from the ship, but to go ashore and then figure things out, as there will inevitably dozens of local cab drivers and tour companies just waiting for our arrival for us to choose from. It is true that the excursions offered by the cruise company are exceedingly expensive and there are many people waiting for your business on shore. The part about us being able to choose didn’t exactly work out that way, though. As Salomone Salvatore, our cab driver, said later in the day, “I saw you like 4 lambs, not knowing where you were going, and I said to myself, they are the ones. I will give them a good day today.” And it was true- he chose us and we really had no choice but to get in his cab (after he had shown us all his various licenses, documentation and recommendation letters from Canadian and American tourists who had been similarly chosen in the past). His driving skills left something to be desired, but he graced us
with rousing renditions of many favourite Italian as well as American songs. He said he only did it for his very nice customers- mean ones got nothing. As promised, he took us to the “cream of the cake” places, including Sorrento, Postiano, the Amalfi Coast and Pompei. Along the way he gave us the run through of about 24 different Italian recipes. We are now thoroughly equipped to cook and prepare muscles, tomatoes, eggplant, chicken and every kind of pasta you can imagine. He was a chef on several ships all over the world, which is where he apparently learned to speak the 7 languages he is now fluent in. (we suspect his vocabulary is pretty select in many of those tongues) My favourite part of our adventure with Sal was probably when he had Dad talking on his cell phone to his son in Norway. It was that kind of a day…
-Erica
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Leslie Ann
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An amazing family
Sounds like an amazing day ...... you Roebbelens sure know how to cram alot in! I had no idea one could see Pompeii, Positano, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast all in one day! Where would you stop to spend a few more?