Hotel: Majestic Palace
We had raved about the food in the hotel, location and places to see. We were also there for Clare's birthday which we had planned a trip for a couple of days to Rome, and then returning to Sorrento for Clare's Step Mum's birthday, there was a lot planned.
Vicenzo had been promoted to the Restaurant Manager and recognised us straight away as we went for dinner, he was joined by Nello who was our waiter for the two weeks we were there. Again, I cannot praise these two enough, they are fantastic. Also, it seemed that they still employed my Nanna in the kitchen, because the food was exquisite for the full holiday.
After our evening meals, we always ventured out to the two local bars, one called Bar Jolly for a few birra and amarro or the Tent Bar, here we played Nomination Whist. Debbie (Clare's step-mum) told us that she was not a big card player, but soon got addicted to the game and it has now become a staple card game for all holidaysAfter a couple of days of taking in the sights and surroundings of Sorrento, we decided to venture off to Amalfi for the morning. The bus was packed solid en-route, but we still got to see the amazing vistas on the decent down the coastline. Amalfi is still, for me, one of the most picturesque towns in Italy, simply stunning.
Then on to our main destination, Roma.
Hotel: Casa Tra Noi, Rome
I had only been to Rome as a little nipper, I think I was less than 1 year old, so obviously I had no memories of the place and it has always been a place I wanted to visit. When Clare mentioned about coming here as a treat for her birthday, I jumped at the chance. I had put a task of visiting the Colloseum on my 40 before 40, this was just an excuse to get to the Eternal City
Our hotel was hidden away in the hills behind The Vatican City, and using the map given to us by the travel bus, it was a difficult one to find. Eventually we found the religious venue and moved in for a couple of nights. Clare has a special ability for finding hotels within budget in awesome places, and this was definitely a great find.
As we arrived in Rome, we had decided to jump on a 24 hour tour bus, pay for the day after and then utilise the bus to get around the city. What we didn't plan for was waiting at the bus stop the morning after to find out that the company had gone on strike. We opted to walk to the Termini, via the Colloseo, Vittori, and other sites along the way, try to sort something out with the company and then enjoy the rest of the day. What we didn't plan for was the distance. We covered most of Rome getting to Termini that morning but we were determined. My Italian language skills are based around the family in Salerno, not business arguments, but I made my case and the company happily transferred us to another tour and we hopped on and off we went to take in more of the city.
The Trevvi Fountains, Spanish Steps, Panthenon, Piazza Nuovo, Vittori (again) and back to The Vatican to name the main focal points. What Rome has, is something on every street corner that makes you say WOW! You turn a corner and there is a column with intricate detail, or a huge white building with ornate features. Rome is just a stunning, mesmerising city.
We celebrated Clare's birthday in a restaurant near the hotel that had "Mamma" in the kitchen. I think this was definitely a birthday to remember.
Hotel: The Majestic Palace, Sorrento
As we returned to our hotel in San Agnello, we were all tired and drained. The walking around Rome and busy life had taken it's toll. We were ready for a few days of relaxing by the pool, a few beers and a lot of cards. We were soon recharged and ready to take in more sights though.
Our first port of call was to see the Family. From Sorrento we needed to take a train to Pompeii, change terminals and the take a train from Pompeii to Salerno where Tonino would meet us. As we arrived at the second terminal in Pompeii, the ticket master decided that he was going for lunch and just shut the desk and left. Confused by this and how else to get to Salerno, we tried to get information from the locals, but they were all slightly confused too. Luckily the ticket master returned and we were on our way. Unfortunately,, at the back end of 2012 one of my Zia Nina had passed away, so what is usually a jolly and jovial home, Mario's was a solemn place and my wonderful cousin Sabi was a little less chatty than usual. Again, Toni made a fantastic meal and we laughed and giggled all the way through the meal. Being the translator between so many people was highly confusing and I actually think I started talking to Clare in Italian at one point.
Sadly, we had to leave again, with fear of ticket masters closing for tea, so back to Pompeii and then to Sorrento.
Another of our trips was over to Capri. The sea was a little choppy, and a few boats had decided not to brave the waves, so we could only go across on the large ferry. We thought we would be ok, but the waves took many prisoners, one of them being Clare. When we arrived on the island of Capri, we made a beeline for the fenicula to go up to the Cappo. The views from up here are amazing, and Capri is so beautiful, but Clare did not seem to be in the mood for it, after the trip across and something upsetting her stomach, Clare was not a fan of Capri.
Again, our time in Sorrento had come to an end. Terry and Debbie had loved their experience and vowed to return to Italy again, and I knew Clare and I would be coming back, but may be not to Sorrento as there is so much more to see.
