Sorrento on $85 a Day – Pizza and Penises

Doorbells Used in Pompeii and Herculaneum

David and I both wanted to go to Naples. The National Archaeological Museum houses most of the art, floor mosaics, architectural details, and household items removed from Herculaneum and Pompeii, leaving, as David said, the lava/ash covered cities as simple shells while the true “life” of those cities is displayed and protected in the Museum, one of the world's best. Of all the magnificent places we planned to see on the trip, this is the one David anticipated the most.

I wanted to go to Naples for the pizza.

Not just any pizza. I wanted to taste the stuff Liz Gilbert rhapsodized about in her book Eat, Pray, Love. When her friend heard she was going to Naples for the day, he told her she had to eat at Pizzeria da Michele. No matter what happened or what else she saw in the city, she should not miss this pizza; if she didn't go, he wanted her to lie and say she did.

We're not the only people to make the trek to this unprepossessing pizza spot just a few blocks from the Napoli Centrale train station. Movie stills from Eat, Pray, Love of Julia Roberts, with slice in hand, decorate the walls, and diners have their photos taken with the owner. When we left, the line stretched across the street.

And the double-mozzarella Margherita pizza? It's runny and impossible to pick up and eat using your hands (Julia Roberts can evidently do things mere mortals cannot.), but it is good. I kept wishing we'd ordered two instead of splitting one order.

But it's not my favorite pizza. Liz Gilbert's preference is fine, but give me thick, Sicilian pizza that has some heft to it. It's weighty stuff with a thick, airy crust and a medley of tomatoes, spices, and cheese on top. The best, of course, is in Capri at the Salumeria Rosticeria. I first tasted it seven years ago and found it again on this trip. Pizza like this you don't forget.

I could have lingered at the restaurant, but David was anxious to see the Museum and it was immediately obvious why this place was so important to him. The mosaics and wall scenes are remarkably detailed and colorful. The sculptures and bronzes are impressive and varied with many of the gods and goddesses represented. I was in awe that people could have created such fragile, delicately hued glass vases and jars almost two thousand years ago, because many of the pieces are masterpieces of craftsmanship. But the area that really astonished me was the section devoted to erotic art.

Sorrento on $85 a Day – Amalfi Coast Drive

Note the road clinging to the cliff on the right side of the photo.

 Who wouldn't love a roller-coaster ride that whips around hairpin turns and sweeps down cliffs bordering some of the world's most picturesque white-washed villages while the ever-present sea waits patiently to claim any driver who makes a false move?

This hour and a half thrill ride, always in the top-ten of most beautiful drives in the world, is an inexpensive must-do for anyone visiting Sorrento.

While David and I sat on the chock-full, four people standing-in-the-aisle bus waiting either for last minute stragglers or for the driver to work up his courage, the Australians across from us warned that some people who sat where we were sitting—on the right side of the bus—became so frightened of the view and the realization that they were seconds and an eighth of an inch away from sure death—that they had to move to the other side of the bus.

We tried to laugh. I prayed the driver had gotten a good night's sleep.

We finally took off, swaying this way and that, shooting around corners beeping the horn as we went to warn other drivers there was a maniac on the loose.

I was in the window seat in the very last row of the bus and finally decided the only way I'd survive would be to take photos, pretending that I wasn't actually “there” but merely recording the scene passing in front of me.

Somewhere around Positano, David, who looked white and felt clammy joked that, If your stomach is queasy, this drive isn't easy.

We thought about getting off, but David decided he could make it if we moved to a different seat.

Sorrento on $85 a Day - What's on the Menu

When David and I return to the States, I will have to find a twelve-step program for bufala mozzarella.

When we buy five or six of the little balls bobbing about in the briney solution that makes them special, David and I always pretend that "we" will enjoy the cheese on salads and in omelettes, but we both know that I'll be the one sneaking in the refrigerator to devour as many slices as I think I can get away with. Poor David doesn't stand a chance.

But he doesn't go hungry.  We eat extraordinarily well really.  On Saturday, when we moved into our apartment, we shopped the grocery store and discovered a pastry/take-out shop two doors away that has the best cannoli in Sorrento, as well as other delicacies that fill the need for a  quick, delicious supper. 

Here's an example of what one of our typical-vacation-suppers might be. 

This is a slice of pizza rustica from the pastry/take-out shop (It may have "pizza" in the name, but this is more like a quiche of ham and cheese. This is so good I could eat it every day, but then I'd need two twelve-step programs.), a generous handful of salad greens from the bag we bought at the grocery store tossed with an oil and balsamic vinegar dressing (We found the oil and vinegar in the cupboard when we moved in to the apartment.), a thick slice of freshly made bread from the bakery, locally churned butter, and a cannoli for dessert.   The total cost for this feast is 4.80 euro per person.

As I said, David doesn't get much of the mozzarella, but he really doesn't mind when we can eat delicious meals like this!

Sorrento on $85 a Day – Capri and Anacapri

Capri Marina

This island about forty minutes by hydrofoil from Sorrento has so many tchotchke stands and tourists it is difficult to appreciate its beauty at first. All that clutter gets in the way. But get out of the marina area where someone is either asking you to take a tour for only 100 euros or eat here at his special restaurant, and you begin to appreciate the beauty of this magical place.

Seven-seater bus

David and I took the funicular from the marina up to Capri, walked around long enough for me to find my beloved pizza market, and then took what I'm sure is the tiniest bus in the world to Anacapri. It seats seven people. Yes, seven! Of course, most people end up standing in the center aisle and holding on while they sway around the hairpin turns. As you round a corner, seemingly suspended over a sheer drop down to the sea a thousand feet below, you experience one of life's greatest cheap thrills!

Italy on $85 a Day - Sorrento

Path to Villa Angiolina

David and I are in the land of the Sirens, the mythological beings who sang so beguilingly that anyone who heard their song would jump overboard and die in the rough sea.

When Odysseus passed this way on his twenty-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, he stuffed his men's ears with wax so they would not hear the Sirens' songs; he had his men tie him to the mast of the boat so that he could listen without fear of leaping to his death.

David and I haven't felt any urge to jump into the sea, but this land has played a Siren song for us nevertheless. If we had come here first on this trip, we may never have gotten to Rome and Florence!

On Thursday, the fast train deposited us in Naples in three hours flat. The clackety local Circumvesuviana Train got us to this bit of paradise just an hour after that, but the taxi driver had to drop us off 100 meters from our hotel. The “road” was too narrow for him to navigate.

It was the first time all day we didn't mind trundling along with the suitcases. From the moment we walked down the narrow path, a loggia, really, of overhead grape vines, blooming yellow roses, and profusions of pastel colored orchids to Villa Angiolina Relais, we were enchanted.

Villa Angiolina breakfast room

We cannot get into our apartment for two nights, so we'll stay in this lovely B&B until then. We'll enjoy exploring the gardens here as well as this land of the Sirens, a place of soaring mountains, crayon-blue sea, and clusters of houses clinging to the cliffs.

Friday we're going to Capri and Anacapri, sister towns on the same island. I'm hoping to find the little market where I bought true Sicilian-style pizza seven years ago, but, if not, the scenery will be food enough.

Practicalities -
We used the Trenitalia website before we left the States to reserve our tickets.  This is, I think, the only way to get discounted tickets (called MINI) and the best routing.  The Ron in Rome! website has an excellent step-by-step guide to purchasing tickets.

Florence on $85 a Day – The Duomo Up Close

David and I waited in line for about ten minutes today to finally see the inside of the dome that dominates every view in this town. It's easy to understand why the architect, Filippo Brunelleschi, is considered a genius. Even Michelangelo was said to be in awe of it.

As beautiful as the Duomo is, there's an interesting surprise waiting downstairs. In addition to Brunelleschi's tomb and the inevitable gift shop, 3 euros earns you admission to the excavation of Santa Reparata, the original cathedral of Florence. This cathedral, which is seen as proof that Christianity existed in the 3rd century, was named for Saint Reparata, a virgin who was martyred when she was twelve years old for refusing to denounce her Christian faith.

We enjoyed seeing this early cathedral that seemed to serve as the footprint for the more modern Duomo as much as the Duomo itself. A one-euro video/audio presentation (There are two of these “stands” in the excavation with one screen and two hand-held earphone sets per stand.) told us about the history of the cathedral and its importance to Christianity.

Florence on $85 a Day – The David

No matter where you walk in Florence, you'll not only see the Duomo peeking around every corner, but David and his slingshot seem to follow you wherever you go. Replicas of him are everywhere—in piazzas, at souvenir shops, on T-shirts. Although he hasn't actually started riding the bus yet, I imagine that idea is being considered!

Of course, it's no wonder Florence is so proud of this most famous statue in the world. Michelangelo took a piece of marble that another artist had rejected and formed a masterpiece.

The David, in the Academia Museum, is housed at the end of a long hall. Lining both sides of that hall are statues that symbolize Michelangelo's theory that the art of sculpting is simply a matter of removing the superfluous rock material to free the statue within. A great master is simply one who can wield a chisel to reveal the inherent statue; the works lining this hall seem to be half-completed. The figures literally seem to be “coming out of” the rock.

Then, to maximize effect, there at the end of the hall, in a rotunda all by himself, is the giant David. And it IS impressive. But you'll have to take my word for it because no photos are allowed.

We sat on the conveniently placed benches for several minutes studying the great statue, noticing that his hands seem huge. I'd read somewhere that Michelangelo made David's hands larger than normal to show that God favored the young boy and that, with Him, anything, even slaying a nine-feet tall giant with a stone, is possible.

As wonderful as it was to finally see the “real” David, we also very much enjoyed two slide presentations offered on the second floor of the museum. The first showed the history of clothing and armor through the ages, and the second explained the steps –I lost track after the first six—an artist goes through to create triptychs or paintings on wood.

If you think you'd enjoy meeting David and gaining some insight into Renaissance art, consider ordering your tickets in advance to avoid the lines. We paid 21 euros for two tickets from the Firenze Museum site.

Florence on $85 a Day - The Duomo Is Everywhere

This is the view of the Duomo from our front door, but no matter where you go in centro you will see it peeking from behind the ancient buildings, tantalizing you with a glimpse here and there.

There it is again.  And when you turn the corner and go down another street

you'll come across it yet again.  It almost seems like a giant being playing

hide-and-seek.  Dwarfing everything around it.  Hiding in plain sight. 

                       Until, finally, there is the masterpiece at last. 

Florence on $85 a Day - Best City View

For the most sweeping views of Florence, take the # 13 bus from the central city area (the tourist area) to Piazzale Michelangelo. 
 This is a well-known viewpoint with lots of kitschy tourist stands and over-priced food and drink, but the view makes up for all of it.

From Piazzale Michelangelo, you can see the Otrarno area where Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace are located. 

To get back to centro, take the #12 bus. 

Practicalities -
Buy your ticket at any Tabacchi store. After you stamp the ticket in the machine on the first bus, you have 90 minutes more in which to use it again (no need to re-stamp), so you should only need one ticket to go to, and return from, Piazzale Michelangelo.

Tabacchi stores, dotting every street in Italy it seems, are very important spots for tourists.  This is where you buy transit tickets, phone cards, and stamps.

Florence on $85 a Day – Sunday Supper

We didn't eat here.

Dinner Sunday night would come from the open-air market a few blocks away from our apartment.

At the butcher stall, we saw what looked like chicken that had been marinated in spices. It looked enticing but what part of the chicken was it? Or was it even chicken?

The first butcher gave up trying to understand our fractured Italian and called his partner over. The partner couldn't understand us any better, but at least he was willing to go the distance. We struggled through several more sentences trying to guess 1.whether this was chicken and 2.what part of the chicken it might be.

After another lengthy discussion in which neither side understood the other, in desperation, I finally pointed to the delectable looking marinated chicken and then to my body. Before I got too graphic, the butcher grabbed a raw whole chicken, pointed to a spot somewhere between the leg and the back, and said, “Si, si.”

We frowned. Ah, so it was chicken. Just not the part we wanted.

Somehow, after five minutes of seemingly meaningless discussion and gesticulation, the butcher finally pointed to another area of the case where what looked like chicken breasts were nestled. He stabbed his finger at the appropriate spot on the raw chicken clutched in his left hand and then pointed back to the breasts. David and I nodded our heads, gave a thumbs up, and almost hugged the guy. We had our main course at last.