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Published: April 20th 2023
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Much to our surprise and utter delight, by mid-morning today we spied blue skies and sunshine! What a welcome relief after days of dreary and wet weather conditions. We were even able to ditch our jackets by mid-day, when the air temperature poked its way into the low-to-mid 60s as we walked to the viewing point overlooking the Gulf of Naples. The crystal-clear air and the blue waters of the gulf were like a picture postcard, with Mount Vesuvius and the city of Naples clearly visible in the distance.
After enjoying the scenic view out over the gulf, we paid another visit to the cloister at the church of San Francesco, where I believed there to be an interesting gallery exhibiting a local photographer's work. However, it had apparently moved to another location, so we continued on into the Via San Cesario, the tiny street packed wall-to-wall with souvenir shops.
It was not as clogged with tourists as on previous visits, so we had a relatively easy time of it before reaching the shop on Via Furore, where Dee had found kitchen knives last week. It also stocks a large inventory of wines and liquors, and we were able
to find vermouth, something we had been unable to locate in grocery stores. Although we use it more commonly to make martinis, the friendly shop owner explained to me that Italians drink straight vermouth (15 per cent alcohol by volume) as an aperitif, usually on the rocks.
At this point, since we were not far from the English Inn back on Corso Italia, we decided to pop-in for lunch. Quite by accident, as we were beginning our walk earlier, we had bumped into Fabio (the son-in-law and manager of/for the inn's owners) heading to the bank on his motorized scooter. Always jovial and pleasant, he greeted us with a jaunty "Buongiorno!", and we told him we might stop by later for lunch.
Sidebar: It might be appropriate at this point, given our chance meeting on the street with Fabio, to say a few words about the fascinating and rewarding interactions we have had with him and the rest of the friendly staff at the English Inn (Claudio, Janice and Daniel), none of whom are British by the way, LOL!
While we fully realize this is a tourist town, and that a polite--even patronizing--attitude toward customers is in
Marina Piccola
This is the small harbor in Sorrento from where the ferries and hydrofoils embark for Capri and Naples. In the background is Mount Vesuvius. the best interests of those whose livelihoods depend upon catering to such tourists, our pleasant encounters with the staff at the English Inn have seemed quite genuine to us. We have made enough lunchtime visits that they now recognize us, welcome us upon arrival, and are even starting to remember our names (a la the fictional "Cheers" TV show, "...where everybody knows your name"). They always have smiles on their faces, and frequently engage in conversation and friendly banter with us (and each other) while we enjoy our meals.
The sunshine and mild temperatures enticed us after our lunch to sit on a bench along the Corso Italia, where we proceeded to do some people-watching for the next half-hour or so. This has become a favorite pastime for us. In a manner of speaking, I suppose you could say we've become
voyeurs! We find it fascinating to watch the parade of characters that waltz past us: men, women, and children (plus a few dogs on leashes) of all ages, shapes and sizes.
Since most of the passers-by are tourists, we frequently overhear them babbling in languages that are decidedly foreign to us. And the fashion statements (or lack
Daily dose of espresso, English Inn
I've become addicted to a shot of this stuff after meals. It costs about $2-$3 per serving, not much more than a thimble-full, hardly enough in which to drown a flea! thereof) made by some of these people are quite amusing, especially some younger women who try their best to stuff themselves into outfits designed for much thinner bodies!
Dee's Comments: After 19 days of bad weather, we finally got a break today! The sun was shining, our coats were off, and we did some walking. Some of the people we encountered today were wearing shorts and lighter sun dresses, with sandals like in Florida. I even got a view of bare ass from a young lady who bent down to pick something up (she was wearing no underwear). We had lunch at our pleasant hangout, the English Inn, and then went home to rest. Waiting to see what tomorrow brings...
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MARCY
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CATCHING UP
After a very long couple months, tax season is over and I was able to hop on and catch up with the blog. Glad it finally cleared up for you, albeit, remember a rainy day in Italy is better than a beautiful day at home :) Love seeing all the pictures. Dee, proud of you for climbing to the top for lunch but I didn't see pics of the view from up there - can you do it again? LOL I would have mailed coffee filters, do they not have amazon there? off to work! Love you both.