Leroy likes to fly on big jets. He feels safer. I think he believes they wouldn't let a plane go down with so many people on board. I like the smaller planes and was happy our jet to Italy fit less than a busload of people. It was a bumpy ride, but we made it safely to Naples. We had some issues picking up the rental car (I couldn't print out a voucher in advance, so had to show it on my iPad, but there was no working wireless at the airport...) We finally got everything straightened out and headed toward Sorrento in a Smart Car with a GPS (and a female voice named "Jane" that speaks English.) As we wove through the narrow, crowded streets of Naples, Jane suddenly said "Please turn around!" After doing so with great difficulty and almost getting squashed like a bug (easy in a Smart Car), Jane repeated more urgently, "Please turn around!!! We followed our instincts instead, and eventually found our way. Naples is called "Napoli" locally. One of the first churches I served as a new pastor was in Napoli, New York (oddly pronounced with a long "o" and a long "i".) I never realized back then that it was Italian for "Naples."
The plane ride was turbulent because of bad weather that has plagued Italy and much of Europe this spring. It would normally be sunny and very warm here by early June. Instead, we had to put on our jackets and dodge rain drops for much of yesterday. We drove along the Sorrentine Pennisula to the beautiful seaside city of Sorrento and then turned south into the mountains. The roads are steep and
very narrow, and in many places it is necessary for one car to back up a considerable distance when two cars meet along the road. Our apartment for the next week is on an estate called La Campanelle perched high above the Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Salerno. There is a beautiful pool with a spectacular view of both gulfs, though it doesn't look likely we will be able to use it unless the weather improves. We were totally in awe of the scenery on our way here yesterday. We drove between the mountains and the sea, with tall cliffs dropping off dramatically beside the road. I was glad Leroy was driving! We look forward to exploring the coast in the next several day.
After we got settled, we walked down a narrow lane into the village of San' Agato. For our first dinner in Italy, we ordered pasta and pizza and red wine. Afterward, we found a gelateria and indulged in a few scoops each of homemade gelato. The pounds I lost through very careful eating and much exercise prior to this trip have all been re-gained by now, and trying to reverse that is probably a hopeless cause now that we are in Italy... This morning we are walking into the village again to find Leroy his wake-up coffee and to shop for breakfast food for the remainder of our stay here. We plan to spend most of the day visiting the ruins of Pompeii below Mt. Vesuvius.
Leroy likes to fly on big jets. He feels safer. I think he believes they wouldn't let a plane go down with so many people on board. I like the smaller planes and was happy our jet to Italy fit less than a busload of people. It was a bumpy ride, but we made it safely to Naples. We had some issues picking up the rental car (I couldn't print out a voucher in advance, so had to show it on my iPad, but there was no working wireless at the airport...) We finally got everything straightened out and headed toward Sorrento in a Smart Car with a GPS (and a female voice named "Jane" that speaks English.) As we wove through the narrow, crowded streets of Naples, Jane suddenly said "Please turn around!" After doing so with great difficulty and almost getting squashed like a bug (easy in a Smart Car), Jane repeated more urgently, "Please turn around!!! We followed our instincts instead, and eventually found our way. Naples is called "Napoli" locally. One of the first churches I served as a new pastor was in Napoli, New York (oddly pronounced with a long "o" and a long "i".) I never realized back then that it was Italian for "Naples."
After we got settled, we walked down a narrow lane into the village of San' Agato. For our first dinner in Italy, we ordered pasta and pizza and red wine. Afterward, we found a gelateria and indulged in a few scoops each of homemade gelato. The pounds I lost through very careful eating and much exercise prior to this trip have all been re-gained by now, and trying to reverse that is probably a hopeless cause now that we are in Italy... This morning we are walking into the village again to find Leroy his wake-up coffee and to shop for breakfast food for the remainder of our stay here. We plan to spend most of the day visiting the ruins of Pompeii below Mt. Vesuvius.