Originally published on: Oct 12, 2009
Here I am in Sorrento, tucked away in a cabin-like room high above the city with a panoramic view of the Amalfi Coast. Or I will have when the clouds move out of the way. On the bus ride up the hill, it started pouring rain, but it stopped by the time I had to get off the bus. The steep stone path leading to the hotel, which is some distance away, had streams of water gushing down, impeding my progress with my luggage. I left many things (books, heavy clothes, etc.) in the closet at Lidia’s house in Rome, where I will return at the end of the week. It’s been warm during my entire stay in Italy, and I’ve hardly even needed a jacket. But the weather seems to be changing today.
There is a large window beside my bed, overlooking a garden filled with fruit and olive trees: the olives have just been harvested and are collected in bins around the yard. It’s a bit early for harvesting, but it seems they decided to trim the trees and collected the olives before cutting the limbs.
It was somewhat of a convoluted journey to get to Sorrento. I stayed with Lidia last night in Rome, and this morning she and Carlo drove me to the Metro to take the subway to get to Termini, the main train station. I caught a train to Naples, which took about 2 hours. From Naples, I took another train, called the Circumvesuviana, which took another hour, making about twenty stops along the way. Once I arrived in Sorrento, I was put off by the crowds of tourists, who seem to be mainly Germans, Brits and Americans. I guess I’m getting to be somewhat of a snob, as I prefer to be around Italians when I’m in Italy.
Time to backtrack a little, just a short overview of what I’ve been up to.
Parma: Pietro drove Renata and I to Mantova and Lago di Garda and the town of Sirmione one day. I enjoyed the ride through the countryside north of Parma. The next day, Renata and I took the train to Bologna, but we were both put off by the noise and the crowds, so we only stayed a few hours and returned to Parma after meeting up with her daughter, Francesca.
The next night I met up with Marco, a pediatrician, and his wife, Marvi. They drove from the nearby town of Modena, and we spent the evening together, eating a great meal at an outdoor cafè, laughing a lot, then having gelato while we walked along the streets of Parma’s historical center. I had planned to walk back to Renata’s house, but I had too much wine and Marco insisted on driving me instead, which turned out to be another adventure, first trying to hail a taxi to get to Marco’s car (for some reason, it was almost impossible to get one), then trying to find Renata’s house from a map, all while feeling a bit drunk. But I arrived safe and sound and really enjoyed my time with Marco and Marvi.
The next day, Renata and I rode bikes downtown to meet Giovanna for espresso at the same outdoor cafè I’d been to the night before. I was introducing the two of them to each other. When Renata had to leave an hour later, Giovanna and I strolled around Parma for a while, then I spent another few hours riding around town to the various parks I enjoy. Unfortunately, every time I tried sitting on one of the park benches, swarms of mosquitoes showed up to ruin my enjoyment of the day. They’ve been frequent visitors on this trip, as the weather continues to be mild and warmer than usual in Italy.
Firenze : I left Parma on Friday to spend the day with Haruko in Firenze. Renata was leaving for a long weekend in France with her sisters, so it seemed a good time to move on. Haruko and I had a great time walking around our favorite areas, eating lunch and gelato, then hanging out on the terrace at my hotel. In the evening there was a thunderstorm, complete with thunder and lightning, which was something I had not experienced before in Italy. Even though Florence was noisy and crowded, it was nice to be in such a familiar place again. I’m thankful that the hotel I usually stay at had a room available on such short notice, they even gave me a double room for the price of a single, since I’m a regular guest and they didn’t have a single available.
Zagarolo : On Saturday, I took the train to Rome, then another to Zagarolo, to meet up with Deborah, who needs a house-sitter while she travels next year. She has a lovely house out in the country, and a large yard filled with olive and fruit trees, including cherry, fig, and pomegranate. One of the neighbors harvests the olives each year and gives Deborah a few bottles of olive oil after it’s been processed. Across the road is a small vineyard that produces a white wine called Tufaio. We met with the owner, a friend of Deborah’s and we sampled a bottle, along with biscotti. If I’m around in the fall, I can help with the vendemmia, or wine production. Deborah and I hit it off well, as we have many similar interests, habits, and ways of thinking. She prepared several wonderful meals for me and really made me feel welcome in her home. I met her cats and rabbit, who are the main reason she needs a house-sitter while she is gone. At the end of my stay, we agreed that I will come for several months in the spring when she wants to travel to Mongolia.
After five visits to Italy where I’ve spent most of my time moving from place to place, I’m eager to stay in one spot and see what it’s like. Living in the country will be a different kind of experience, but one I’m ready to tackle.
Rome : On Sunday, I caught the train back to Rome, and the metro out to the EUR district, where Lidia and Carlo live. After I stashed my bags at their place, we drove to a lake 15 miles southeast of Rome, Lago di Castel Gandalfo. Overlooking the lake is Castel Gandolfo, where the Pope has his summer villa. A friend of theirs, Carlo’s first English teacher from many years ago, lives near the lake, and we met up with him there. On the way back to Rome, we got stuck in the long line of traffic, a common occurrence on the weekends, when Romans leave the city for the day and then all try to return at the same time on Sunday evening. Carlo referred to it as “traffico bestiale”. Once back at their flat, we had a lovely dinner, and I got to meet their daughter Yuli.
Sorrento : I went into town for the afternoon, which is a good distance away from my hotel. I walked down the hill instead of taking the bus, and it soon became clear that a storm was brewing. Huge black clouds and fierce winds were followed by rain, and the temperature dropped by at least 10 degrees: too bad I left my warm clothes at Lidia’s house. When I decided to return to the hotel, the bus did not show up, and several of us were left wondering what had happened. Finally someone told us that the piazza is closed to traffic after 7:30, and we would need to walk to another bus stop to catch it. We walked at least a half mile, and waited another 15 minutes before one arrived. I was the last one on the bus, and it dropped me off in a different location than where I’d come before, forcing me to walk along a steep, dark drive for another 10 minutes, with the wind howling around me. It’s the creepiest experience I’ve ever had in Italy,there were no lights, no people, no indication of where I was or where I was going. Finally, I reached the hotel and my little cabin. I don’t think I’ll be staying out after dark again while I’m here.
