Tuesday
October 7, 2008 – Praiano/Sorrento
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| Early morning sun lights up some of the hotels in Praiano |
It is our 41st
Wedding Anniversary today and we are both very happy to be celebrating it in
such a beautiful place. We both like it very much and are very pleased that we
made the somewhat fearful drive to get here. I think that only people who have
experienced the drive can understand just what it is like – the tight turns, narrow roads, parked cars, SITA
busses, tourist coaches, buzzing bikes….a truly unique experience.
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| A house high on the cliff in the morning spotlight |
We had an
early and adequate breakfast – fresh fruit, toast, yoghurt and pastry (no
cheese or meat) washed down with an excellent cappuccino – and caught the SITA
bus, which stopped right outside the hotel, for Sorrento. It was market day there!! We
thought the bus driver was more used to the traffic conditions than I was – and
we’d have no parking problems.
We had good seats, on the seaward side of the bus,
so had a good view of just how far down the water was and how close to the edge
and other traffic we came. At one corner we came face to face with a tourist
coach coming the other way. Our driver beckoned it forward, but clearly the
coach driver held the same view as I did – there wasn’t enough room to pass. He
finally had to move as the hooting of delayed vehicles built to a crescendo.
Our driver was right – there was about 5 cm or 2 inches to spare as the coach
slipped past us.
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| Rab by the mural depicting our wooing! |
We got to Sorrento in one piece on
a lovely sunny day and trudged up hill to where the market was. It was mainly
clothing but amazingly enough Rab found something to buy – a pair of shoes to
match her bag – and for only Є10 – less than the bus fare of Є12. But talk
about Imelda Marcos! Thankfully we didn’t stay there long and went into town to
wander the streets on our way down to the seafront. We had visited Sorrento briefly on our
Mediterranean Cruise ten years earlier and recognised some of the buildings. We
stopped off for a gelati which we ate in the lemon grove opposite the shop. It
was very pleasant just sitting in the shade and watching the passing show while
reflecting on what a good and happy life we have had together – and how fortunate we have been.
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| Here's to us and another few decades |
After
sharing a toasted Panini with cheese for lunch, we bought a bottle or two of
Limón cello from the charming young lady in the ice cream shop and spent about
forty minutes more wandering around admiring the views and old buildings – and
the contents of some shops, I dare say. It was getting quite hot and I was
feeling a little weary so we headed for the bus station. We were in luck
because the 13.25 bus was running late and there were two seats left – all the others
being occupied by students returning home.
The return
trip took about an hour and we were happy to get back to the hotel and flop
down in our room for a siesta. How quickly we have adapted to the local
customs! Although the afternoon sun beats into our room, it is amazing how cool
the room is with shutters, doors and windows closed. As the sun goes down, we open up the shutters and
curtains and sit on our veranda, watching the sunset as the evening breeze
whisks the heat of the day away.
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| The night view from the terrace of Tramonte d’Ora |
We decided to
push the boat out tonight and have dinner at the four star hotel Tramonte d’Ora just up the road. It was a
great evening. We sat on the open terrace with a beautiful view of the bay, the
fishing boats and the lights of Positano. The food was excellent – we both had
fish, freshly caught no doubt and shared a dolce of profiteroles. I had told
the maitre d’ that it was a special occasion so he gave us a complimentary
starter of shrimps and a couple of glasses of spumante to finish the evening as
well as a small figurine of a pulcinella - clown. He also claimed that the
firework display across the bay was in our honour, with a big grin on his face.
Of course it wasn’t, but it added a special touch to the evening,
We have had
many memorable anniversaries – and this is one of them.
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