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All hands were on-deck at the butt-crack of dawn this morning, as our friends John and Cindy are heading home after their 9-day-visit. Our trusty friend and driver, Francesco, arrived at 6:00AM to deliver them to the airport in Naples for their 9:30AM flight to Amsterdam. From there, they connect with a transatlantic flight to JFK, and then arrive in Jacksonville, Florida, which is about a 2-hour drive from their home. It will be a long and tiring trip, but we hope a safe and reasonably comfortable one, at least to the extent that is possible with airline travel these days. Although Dee and I were sad to see them depart, they left us with many fond memories of the experiences we shared together during their stay.
UPDATE: As I write this blog entry, we received a message from Cindy after they had arrived at JFK. Apparently, after clearing customs obstacles and re-checking their luggage, they had to make a mad dash to catch their connecting flight to Jacksonville. They boarded the aircraft as the cabin door was being closed behind them! As she observed in her email, "This international flying ain’t for sissies."
When Francesco arrived to fetch
them early this morning, he invited us to join him, his wife and their two adorable children for dinner this evening. We suspected he would take us to Il Convivio, the restaurant in town owned and operated by his long-time friend, Carmine D'Aniello, where we had enjoyed a memorable meal during our last trip to Sorrento in 2018. So that was where we found ourselves at around 7:30PM.
The restaurant was really humming when we arrived, with probably 30 patrons enjoying the tantalizing plates of food we spied as we walked by them. A table for six across from the kitchen and pizza oven, which are open to view, was cleared and made ready for us. The menu at Convivio is very impressive, with a large selection of pasta, seafood and other specialties on offer, and the prices were more reasonable than at other places where we've eaten in Sorrento. Francesco suggested we begin with some focaccia, which was served in slices with tomatoes, onions and thin slices of parmesan cheese as toppings; it was delicious.
Dee was considering ordering steak, but decided instead on the mixed grilled fish platter (as did I), and we also ordered side
John and Cindy "hunkering down"
Boarding the aircraft at Naples airport for the 1st leg of their long and grueling journey back to the USA.dishes of grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes, with a bottle of red wine shared by all. While feasting on our fish, prawns and calamari, we enjoyed watching the 10-year-old twins (Lucia and Luigi), who speak very little English, devour their meals with gusto (especially Luigi, who seemingly has a bottomless pit for a stomach!).
During the meal, we also enjoyed great conversation and many laughs with Francesco, whom I refer to as "Maestro", and his charming wife Anna, who speaks a tiny bit of English. Poor Francesco had to play the role of translator in order for the rest of us to communicate! I was also fascinated as I watched the frenzied activity taking place in the kitchen, and the servers as they dashed around from table to table delivering plates of food. It was quite a scene!
After some limoncello, and a couple nibbles on some desserts ordered by the kids, we finally pushed ourselves away from the table and headed for the exit. However, on the way out, Francesco pulled another one of his sneaky tricks by paying the tab! As he was doing so, I got the chance to thank and give our regards to Chef
Carmine, the owner of the restaurant, and showed him a photo that we shot 5 years ago on our last visit, when he posed with Dee. Francesco then drove us back to our apartment, where we arrived around 10:00PM. It was a memorable evening, not merely for the fabulous food, but for the priceless opportunity to spend some time with Francesco and his lovely family!
Dee's Comments: As the old saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers", and well, I hope so, as we've had our share of it here in Sorrento! You know me, I can pretty much adapt to anything, but after so many days of rain and wind I was a little down. But then we go somewhere, meet someone nice, and everything looks a little brighter!
This odyssey has been full of nothing but wonderful places and people. We loved having our friends, John and Cindy, share in some of our activities. In a few days we will be flying to Nice (and staying in nearby St. Jean Cap Ferrat), where we are hoping for better weather. We surely have discovered our own limitations, and have experienced many new adventures on this
trip. I feel I've learned true resilience, determination and feel a sense of victory in overcoming my knee and walking issues. Even though my knee is not cooperating at times, I thank it for serving me well for so many years. So I need to keep marching on!
What a lovely evening we spent tonight at Il Convivio with Francesco and family. We had a great time with his amazing children, enjoyed some delicious fish, and shared many laughs. What a wonderful way to end the day!
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Jeni
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Hopefully Cindy and John made it home safely after the long journey home. Loved Francesco and his wife wearing matching pink shirts, too cute. I can’t believe how grownup his kids are now. The meals looked incredible, the Focaccia looked so good. I think I have gained weight just by seeing all your food and desert photos. A good night for sure!