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Published: April 7th 2023
The miserable weather that dogged us yesterday gave way to clear, sunny skies today, and the thermometer inched its way up to the mid-60s later in the afternoon. So we set out around 10:30 in the morning, walking to the nearby Parco di Villa Fiorentino, a small park toward the western end of Corso Italia. This park is the site of a villa that now houses a foundation where various cultural events and exhibitions take place.
The well-manicured grounds are planted with a variety of plants and flowers, including some lemon and orange trees, and a children's playground occupies a portion of the site. The park was virtually empty when we arrived, and would be an ideal place to relax or bring a picnic lunch.
After visiting the park, Dee wanted to find the housewares store just a block or so away. The kitchen in our apartment is lacking in some respects, according Chef Dee. Specifically, there is not a sharp knife, no small frying pan, and there are only two coffee mugs. So she snooped around until she located some of these items, but no decent knife could be found; she did manage to find a potato peeler
and a couple of cheap mugs. However, much to her chagrin, after we returned home she remembered that the stove in the apartment is an induction hob, and the frying pan she bought is not compatible! Anybody want a souvenir frying pan from Sorrento?
We then strolled the opposite direction on Corso Italia, scoping out the many eateries, souvenir and apparel stores that line both sides of this street. Some of these shops are a little tacky, but not all appeared to be pure tourist traps. We made mental notes of several restaurants for future reference, but the place we selected for lunch today was
La Maison Douce, a cute little place that captured our attention for its bright, clean appearance and reasonably priced menu.
The margherita pizza and salad we ordered were delicious, as were the two types of bread served to us as appetizers. The breads and pastries served here are baked on premises, and they were so good we asked whether they sold them. The waiter, who is also the manager, returned shortly with a 4" slab cut from one of the loaves and told us to take it with us at no charge! After
our meal, we were served a complimentary shot of a sweet-tasting liquor that was very good, as well as a pastry sample. All in all, a very pleasant experience, and we'll no doubt plan on a return visit to this place.
After lunch we traveled the short distance to Piazza Tasso, the main square that is always a beehive of activity. We had been familiar with this square from previous trips, so we quickly oriented ourselves before walking south to view the nearby
Vallone dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills), a gorge named after the ancient sawmills and flour mills that operated well into the 19th century.
It was here that we ran amok, as our maps (both Google and Rick Steves' guidebook) indicated we could continue ahead to intersect with the road that we wanted to take to the train station. But it turned out to be a wild goose chase. After a quarter mile or so, when we realized there was no such intersection, we had to backtrack to Piazza Tasso. At that point, we decided to lick our wounds at the Cafe Fauno with a couple of gins and tonic, while gawking at the parade
La Maison Douce
Restaurant on Corso Italia where we had lunch; the French name translates as "The Sweet House".of people coming and going on the square.
After finishing our drinks, we returned to the apartment via Corso Italia, with a brief stop at the Carrefour grocery store on the way. In retrospect, today was the first time we (a.k.a. Hobble and Wobble) put a little mileage on our feeble legs. Dee deserves all the credit in the world for persevering with her bad knee, using a cane to help stabilize herself as we trudged along the often rough and uneven sections of walkways we encountered. We probably walked a total of a mile today, in fits and starts, with many brief rest stops along the way, and I could not be more proud of the determination and resilience she displayed.
Dee's Comments: Awoke this morning to some welcoming rays of sunshine for a change! Here a few of the challenges I've experienced in the apartment so far, primarily in the kitchen department. Since we are here for two months, we're starting out from scratch: without a microwave oven, very few utensils, pots or bowls for Chef Dee to use; so I'm saving everything I can scavenge from take-outs and product packaging. Plus trying to get a
few spices I need each trip to the store. And the induction stove has posed some unexpected challenges, like when the damn thing went into a locked mode for no apparent reason, but I should be a pro by the time we leave. The sorting of trash and garbage is also a new experience.
On a bright note today, we left the apartment in the late morning and made a few stops before lunch at a lovely little place. Then decided to try a different route to find the train station...big mistake! We had to turn around and retrace our steps to the square, where we enjoyed a cocktail stop. While sipping our drinks, I had time to reflect...feeling grateful for my circumstances and knowing I have so much more to learn. In spite of my physical limitations, I feel like I showed some resilience today, and had a sense of personal accomplishment and satisfaction in managing our walks. I must get up, put a smile on my face and try to learn something new each day during our adventure.
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Jeni
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Yeah sunshine. What a wonderful day. I’m proud of you Dee for pushing through and your mindset to learn something every day. The garbage does look complicated, interesting at the same time. Good food and drink, that pizza! Hope you are having another wonderful day today!