A Day To Reset

We reached our second Monday of this trip, and this was to a be a day of reset.  It was well timed and very welcome.  For the last time, we had to have our bags outside the door in the morning, but our departure from Montecatini was not until 8:30am.  On this day we were to drive a long stretch of the country, all the way along the western coast from Tuscany to the Bay of Naples, where our base for the final three nights of our trip would be the coastal town of Sorrento.  Most of our other Gate1 trips have included more than one "bus day," so I was surprised this was our only such trip on a our 13-day trip.  After the breakneck speed of the preceding days, however, we were very happy to have the break.  Not sure if I mentioned, but I do believe I was the youngest person on this trip, so if I was ready for some rest, I know everyone else was, too.

We made routine stops along the Autostrada at very nice rest areas.  Each one had a large shop from the company, called "Autogrill."  They literally carried everything and were invariably clean and well stocked.  In addition to these, we also stopped for an included lunch in a small town outside of Rome.  The weather was variable all day, with us passing from rain showers to bright skies.  As luck would have it, the rain started just as we were disembarking for lunch, but we were geared up and didn't get too wet.  The lunch was surprisingly good, and much better than I had anticipated.  Folks were more animated after lunch, perhaps relaxed by the wine, and we all got excited as we got our first glimpses of the huge Bay of Naples. Along the way, too, we passed the famous hilltop fortress of Monte Cassino, which was the site of a brutal assault during WWII, as Americans fought their way northward through Italy.  I would have like to have visited, but I had to settle on seeing it from the road.

One of the Many Clifftop Villages We Passed Driving Southward

Our First Glimpse of Monte Cassino

Naples is the fourth largest city in Italy and, by all accounts, nothing to write home about.  Anna had visited briefly a few years ago, when she was visiting a friend studying in Rome.  They took the train down to Naples, and then transferred to travel to Pompeii. She commented that Naples was "simply nasty," and everything I read said that it held no charm for tourists.  Looming over the city, however, is the infamous Mt. Vesuvius, which we would be able to see for the coming few days.  I had not realized how close it is to so many people.  We could see the Pompeii ruins from the highway, but only from a distance.  Our group -- minus six of us who would depart for home from Naples -- continued on to Rome later in the week, which includes a visit to Pompeii.  This is something, too, I would have like to see, but I also understand it is quite touristy.

We reached the outskirts of Naples by 2:00pm or so, so I was surprised when Johnny said we wouldn't reach our hotel for another couple of hours.  Sorrento sits on the southern side of the bay, with Naples directly across to the north.  We could, in fact, see Sorrento from there, but getting there was another matter entirely.  We eventually left the highway and through a series of long tunnels through the mountains, on roads that got progressively more narrow and curvy.  We finally emerged from a seemingly endless tunnel, at low speed, and emerged on a promontory over the water, with sweeping views across several seaside towns, to Sorrento at the far end.  The traffic, however, was crawling along.  It was one-lane of traffic moving in each direction, but the roads all led right through the little towns, and it was late in the workday, so traffic just inched along.  It was, in fact, the worst time of day to arrive, but the delay had been built into the schedule.  It made for some great viewing, and the sun had been out for several hours.  It would, in fact, remain sunny for the remainder of our trip.

We inched along until we reached Sorrento proper, which was much more substantial than I had anticipated.  It had a very cosmopolitan feel to it, and felt akin to the French Riviera.  We made it through town at a snail's pace, and marveled at the brashness of the scooters, which darted in and out of the slow-moving cars.  They must know what they're doing, but it was heart-stopping to watch some of the scooter acrobatics.  As we cleared the town, we then had to navigate an even more-narrow road, which hairpinned up the cliffside, until we reached our hotel, which was along the rockface, with commanding views down to Sorrento and across to Mr. Vesuvius and Naples.  In fact, the hotel was named "the Grand Vesuvius," an account of the magnificent views.

Looking across the Bay of Naples, toward Sorrento in the distance

View from our Hotel Room

We were happy to hear that all of us would have sea-facing rooms, and our had a stunning view.  It was, in my opinion, the nicest room of our trip and we were happy to be there for three nights.  We quickly unpacked and rushed out to the outdoor bar, to enjoy a welcome drink and soak in the scenery.  We were the first to make it down there from our group, but others soon joined us.  Our hotel was full of primarily British tourists, who fly down for the sun and beaches.  Loads of discount airlines have made Naples a hub, so with that come the tourist crowds.  

A Welcome Drink

Dinner was a very nice buffet in the hotel restaurant.  We sat with some folks with whom we had not yet had a lot of time to talk, so that was welcome.  Though we had no real right to be tired after a day of essentially riding, eating, and drinking, we welcomed our bed nonetheless.

Sorrento by night