[Fall For You - Secondhand Serenade]

This is Day 3 of Sorrento.

Alright, so my feet were in pretty bad shape, so Spanna, Tiff and I decided not to go out anywhere. We had pancakes and fruit salad for breakfast. Spanna cut the melons, and left a very thick layer of crunchy skin on it, so everyone sounded like they were breaking their jaw. After breakfast, we fired up the Korean version of Hana Yori Dango, and we literally sat there for the entire day eating and watching Korean guys, making remarks like “OMG SHE’S SUCH A BITCH!” whenever the lead girl was a bitch towards the curly haired guy (who, by the way, Vania called dibs on), or screaming, “HE’S SO CUTE!” whenever Ji Hoo (or Hanazawa Rui, in the Jap version) smiled. That, actually, was only done by Tiff.

We ate shit loads. We had a huge box of junk food on top of all the other supplies, like bread and meat etc, so Julia and Bel urged us to pig out, as we couldn’t and wouldn’t take all that stuff back. So, for the whole day, we watched HYD and ate and ate and ate. Jen was unfortunately given a pack of chips, from which she ate and ate and ate. She couldn’t stop!

Then, at around lunchtime, we hear a car horn outside. I  look through the blinds and who do I see but SonJ! She got driven up by her mate Dan, and it was a surprise! Forgetting the immense pain on my feet, I ran out to give her a hug. She came in, and then after a while went to the beach with Bel and Julia to join April, Jen and Lily who were there already (alright so not all 12 of us are reclusive losers). We kept watching HYD.

Then later on nearing dinner time, Bel, SonJ and Jen wanted to watch Sweeney Todd. So we put that on, and seeing as I’ve seen it already, I went to the kitchen where Shar- and Suse were just sitting around. They had a candle lit, and Suse was using a charred skewer to write stuff on the paper towel. I had an idea to write “LET ME OUT” in creepy handwriting with the charred skewer, so I was letting the skewer burn in the candle, then using the embers to write the words. Unfortunately I got as far as “LET ME OU” before I forgot to blow out the small flame on the skewer, and so when it was held to the paper towel the entire thing caught on fire! Shar- had some lemon-lime bitters and I swear she was going to through the slightly alcoholic drink onto the fire, so I quickly grabbed the towel, ran to the sink and slammed the tap on.

For the next ten minutes we continued burning small bits of paper towel in the sink. Come on! It was bloody fun. It also smelled quite bad. And we left a small char mark in the sink which we maintain is “sauce stain”.

Then Bel started preparing dinner, making pizzas! I went into the lounge room to watch Get Smart (because I haven’t seen it 3 times already). Then around the end of it I went into the kitchen were a small drinking party had started. Watched Tiff try to do a tequila shot. She actually spat some of it back out, but that was because she dumb enough to hold it on her mouth and not swallow.

Ah I just got distracted by Spanna’s upload of photos.

Anyway that night we played “I Never”, but with actual alcohol this time. Sure I targeted April. She held her booze fine. I got a bit tipsy (found it hard to walk like a normal person). We started watching The Grudge but that sucked, so instead we changed to watch One Missed Call Final but without English subtitles. We made up dialogue, which probably had nothing to do or everything to do with the movie. Went to sleep at around 1 in April’s bunk. Halfway through the night, she flipped over, squished my cheeks, patted my face, then I realized she was still asleep. I don’t know what she was doing. She snored. It was funny.

I suppose I’ll write Day 4 in here as well seeing as it was mostly just packing. Jen got bitten by a mozzie on one eyelid. Like. One eyelid. It was hugely swollen. She got bitten everywhere else too. Packed, went to the bus stop, and took the bus trip back. It wasn’t as long, and I went on MSN and etc on my phone, so it passed the time. Trained back to Richmond from Frankston, and then went home. The moment I sat down in front of the computer, I swear any motor mechanism in my body just stopped.

Well, that was Sorrento! Partied, rested, burned, walked, laughed, sang, screamed, and ate. God did we eat.

Alex.

[Little Joanna - McFly]

This is Day 2 of Sorrento.

Damn it, I left it too long, things are getting hazy. That and I’m trying to finish off the rest of the tequila (about 1/3 of the bottle) that no one else wanted to take home.

Before I continue, though, I just want to say that the lyrics are always random. Dani said that the brain automatically tries to make some connection to some hidden meaning.

I started the 2nd day with Jen’s and Annie’s voices waking me up. It was ironic because it was Annie’s voice (and Tiff’s, screaming stuff like “STOP TOUCHING ME THERE!” – they shared a bed) that kept me up the previous night. I turned on the TV and watched Sesame Street. The letter of the day is J, and the number was 16.

Anyway, everyone got up at some point, stumbled around and had breakfast (Jen made the most orgasmic scrambled eggs) and then got ready for the beach.

Went to the beach, which was about 5 minutes away, and on the way passed some road workers, one of whom offered to “be your lifeguard, if ya want?”. No.

Slapped on sunscreen (apparently not enough in some places, as we found out later). Then decided to fill up my water gun. I actually went completely into the water in my tank top and running shorts, which was dumb because the shorts were designed to hold water, so after I stood up, I looked like I was pissing myself for about 5 minutes. We decided to “dig a hole, and put a nerd in it”. So April went in. Then we did the obligatory body shape thing, except we decided to go for a Lady GaGa theme.

Er, yes, the gun is in fact her “gun”.

And you can’t see as clearly, but the assets on her chest were Spanna sized. In April’s own words, she “can’t even see past them”.

The weather was awesome. We were worried that at best we can get half a day of windy cold beach, but instead we got this (and sorry for the chapped lips, but salt water is yucky. Yes I had some in my mouth. April thought it would HILARIOUS):

That, by the way, is Spanna. You can’t see her boobies but trust you me, they’re…what’s a synonym for big? Gigantic? Yeah okay.

Anyway, frolicked around in the sand for a bit. We ate packed sandwiches, and Bel’s sandwich got attacked by some hungry seagulls, who continued to try to nom the half sandwich the whole way through lunch.

Speaking of annoying things hanging around; the workers that were all pervy before came back and blatantly sat at the top of the beach, about 10 meters away from us, and watched us. They actually ate lunch watching us. Well, at least we all believed it was us (Shar- got really creeped out) it could be the ocean view but we highly doubted it.

Sunbaked heaps. Well, they sunbaked. I simply let myself crisp. I think I’ll probably die for posting this picture but hell.

To whomever this picture depicts: If you simply don’t tell me off for putting it there no stranger will know who you are. To the people who do recognise the girl: I KNOW RIGHT?! KERCHOW!

Went back at around 2 or 3, and then Jen, Spanna and I wrote up the stuff for Carmaine (just quick birthday notes, filled with love) and I took a quick shower. The gritty nature of my hair was great, I felt like a true surfie. Actually I just felt salty and burnt. This was the burn on my back:

It’s actually quite embarrassing to show it. It looks so dumb.

Alright, so then Jen and I, get this, walked into Blairgowrie again. Remember that map from yesterday? I did it AGAIN! Turned out I had pretty awful sunburn on the backs of my feet so the walking didn’t help. Nearly fainted once. It was awful. In the end we missed the cutoff time for posting it (who knew at Sorrento/Blairgowrie it would be 3pm?) so Carmaine, you probably received it by now, a day late. Sorry!

Went back, and then had dinner. It was the best dinner ever! We had some of the best dinner table conversations ever, starting from Tiff saying to everyone, “Oh my gosh, Spanna is such a freak in bed” (she meant Annie was just being weird, not the other meaning. But we all took it the other way anyway, and I was choking with laughter for about 3 whole minutes) to my saying “they should invent fly nets with holes for the face and arms so you could stick your face and arms through the whole while you eat” and April countering with, “why can’t you just get nets that go all around the table?”

That night we played punishment. Basically two names are drawn, and then a punishment drawn. Whatever the punishment is (we kept it tame and civil) the two have to do to each other. For example, April had to do a CS Cowboy shot (do not ask what CS is)

Once I got drawn out with the punishment “cut a bit off the fringe”. Everyone else was saying, “Oh that’s easy.” But I actually was terrified. NOT MY FRINGE! I passed it over to Shar-. She didn’t give a crap.

Then we watched Scream. That movie was done by Scary Movie, and we all agreed that the movie was MADE to be parodied. Because the movie itself felt like a parody. It was horrendously hilarious, but for the fun of it we all did the screaming like “GET OUT OF THE ROOM!” “HE’S BEHIND YOU!” “JUMP OFF THE ROOF!” “DON’T RUN UPSTAIRS!” “RUN, BITCH! RUN!” I think scary movies are just much more fun when you’re with friends who get scared easily (April, I’m looking at you) and scream so you scream to make them scream.

Then after that we watched a bit of Team America but everyone went to sleep anyway. Pretty much I only wanted Sonam to see the puppet sex scene, which she did. She said at the end of it, “there were things that I didn’t know…you could do.” Well, we learn something new everyday.

Tiff, Spanna and I were the last ones to bed. That’s because the 3 of us were the most/only ones burnt, and we were in pain. Tiff had the massive-est burn on her back. It was actually painful to look at it. I wanted to hug her but hugs also pain her. Breathing probably pained her. We used up a very long spanking session worth of moisturizer on her back. (Speaking of moisturizers, it turned out we had medicated sun burn lotion at home. Dad didn’t think we’d need it at the beach, apparently.)

I slept at around 4:30, after checking my emails and FML on my phone. Then I woke up at 8:30 from Jen’s voice. That’s a story for the next post, though.

Alex.

[When I'm With You - Faber Drive]

This is Day 1 of Sorrento:

I thought that I’d write down some stuff that happened on my iPod so I wouldn’t have to sit through the process of remembering things, and then getting them chronologically off, etc. In the end I put myself through it.

So this is Dec 1, Sorrento Day 1, as far as my memory can reach.

The Glenny line decided to fuck itself up in the morning so after I grabbed some bread for lunch, I met Tiff outside Bubble Cup and her dad drove us to Nunuwading station. We went to Box Hill where we waited for Spanna (and where Katherine failed to get her ass to Box Hill on time to say goodbye. Tut.) and then we took the train to Richmond. Saw Nik, which was a nice surprise. Waited at Richmond for ages because the rest of them missed the initial train. Sonam was with us at Richmond for a while. Took the train to Frankston 20 minute later than thought. The new train system, Metro, seemed to life referring to itself in 3rd person (“Metro now arriving at Cheltnam”).

Arrived at Frankston minus Bel and Julia who were being driven ahead with all the food, and Susan who apparently drove there as well, herself (with her parents in the car too, of course. I think). Waited for the bus to Portsea, and then sat down for the long-ass bus journey. April and I sat near the back of the bus while the rest of them sat in the huge area near the front. A group of dumb girls sat with April and myself. Their conversation provided entertainment and ego boosts.

About 2/3 of the way through the bus ride, and it was around the point of Rosebud or Dromana, some old ladies got on. I told the girls up front to offer their seats and they said that have, but the old ladies didn’t want them. Two seconds later a bogan crazy woman at the back got up, rushed to the front and screamed at my friends to get off the seats and give them to the older ladies. She went back to her seat (where her bouquet of flowers took up an entire seat next to her. Just saying.) and I swear Sonam was about to blow up with anger.

The old ladies then started making lovely conversation with Sonam.

Arrived at Sorrento, and walked to our house, 1 Maverick St, “Winton”. Five minutes in (the house was really great actually) April, Lily and I left to walk to Blairgowrie which is the closest town to get some more stuff. Blairgowrie was approximately…actually Google Maps.

View Larger Map

B would be where we stayed. A would be where IGA and the post office was, roughly. 3.2 kms each way, 39 minutes by foot, each way. My feet caned when I got home. (But that wouldn’t be the only time I make that trip.)

The afternoon of the first night was a blur, but I do remember eating BBQ and the cous cous April made. I swear I really did got vegetarian for a whole day, but the BBQ was too good to say no to.

Started on the large DVDs we had to watch. So we watched Silent Hill and that was shockingly bad. Then they watched 10 Things I Hate About You but I sort of knocked off a bit before it finished. Then when they were all done I went back to the couch. The couch, by the way, was actually really comfortable.

I slept well, I had to keep my strength up for the next day.

Which I will write about later.

Alex.

[The Best Thing - Relient K]

I won’t go into detail about Sorrento yet, even though I do want to be the first person to post it. But right now I’m just extremely tired and burnt (yes, the burns on my shoulders – which I’ll go into detail about later – are now tingling). I just want to veg out and catch up on episodes I missed this week. Although I’ve done my fair share of vegging and eating junk food (don’t get me started on how much we ate…yet).

So perhaps tonight. And I have to upload some pictures from my camera as well (didn’t take as many as I planned. I just feel that without Carmaine the camera seems out of place. But with Carmaine the camera just seems natural to be out at all times. Am I weird?)

Be right back, after my back be right. And my feet. Oh god my feet.

Alex.

There sure is a lot of hype surrounding this part of Italy and after today, I know why.

Amalfi

As we sat down to enjoy lunch on the piazza in Amalfi and felt the southern Italian sun shining on our face, I was certain that I had wondered into a neighbourhood of heaven.

Once you are on the Piazza, the imposing cathedral at the top of the steps is hard to miss. The church is beautiful inside, and there is also a museum in the same complex housing some rare artifacts.

Amalfi Cathedral

It seemed like a popular place to get married, as there were three wedding couples that wondered past whilst we had lunch.

The clear blue waters of Amalfi entice swimmers even in late October, and it’s easy to understand once you catch a glimpse of them.

Beautiful waters of Amalfi

After moseying around Amalfi, we caught a City Sightseeing bus to the gorgeous town of Ravello. The bus ride might be considered hair-raising for some, but it certainly is a fantastic way to see the mountainous terrain en route to Ravello.

Ravello Views

Ravello is a lovely little town consisting of quaint crockery stores, a charming Piazza and church, and endless winding cobblestoned alleys. It gets really quiet in the winter months, and there was hardly a soul to be seen as we wandered around in the late afternoon.

Ravello

As you wander around Ravello, it’s easy to stumble across a beautifully lush gardened terrace overlooking the ocean. That’s when you need to step back and just take in the beauty of it all.

Ravello Terrace

The sun was setting as we caught the bus back to Sorrento, and we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Amalfi once the sun had gone down – the sides of the mountains sparkled as the quaint village lights shone. Just beautiful!

We stopped off for dinner in Sorrento. It certainly is a bustling place, especially on a Saturday night! Couples all dressed up on their way to the theatre, young Italians on their way to the party and parents strolling with their children on the sidewalk.

One thing’s for sure – Sorrento was the perfect way to say goodbye to the south of Italy….

I hate to use the term “my favorite” because on this trip, so many are my favorites, but the Amalfi coast is certainly one of my top favorites.

Having stayed in Sorrento twice, and also stopped on cruise stops before, I feel I know the area pretty well.  Our ship anchored off of Marina Piccolo and we tendered in.  Oceania supplied buses to take us to the top of the hill – saving a nice vertical climb.  I had arranged for a private car and driver here, because I knew the area.  Some of our group took the tour to Pompeii and we agreed to meet back in Sorrento for lunch afterwards.  Pompeii is a fascinating place and I think everyone who went enjoyed the tour.  I had been twice before and decided I would rather wander around Sorrento.  Pompeii is not far and the group had a private tour guide when they arrived and had a nice tour.  Luckily, it was a cooler day then when I have gone – Pompeii has no shade.  The city is amazingly well preserved from the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79AD.

I wanted to go back to a favorite restaurant, and I thought I knew where it was, so after a cuppucino in a cafe in the main square, I went off to find it.  It wasn’t open when I got there, but there was someone cleaning.  I asked for a card with the address and the chef came out – I explained that I had been there before and was bringing  a group for lunch – his reply “We wait for you.”  The first time we went to Il Pozo, it had been recommended by my daughter – it was a Wednesday and we had just arrived for a week in Sorrento.  We found the restaurant, but unfortunately it was closed on Wednesdays so we went somewhere else, but came back for lunch or dinner 3 or more times that week.  We always had the same waiter.  When Tuesday came and we told him we wouldn’t be back because we were leaving the next day, he threw his hands in the air and said “oh no! We close the restaurant”  Knowing is was closed on Wednesdays we thought he was pretty clever.  It is not very touristy, off the beaten track a block or two, but great pasta, pizza and risotto at reasonable prices.  Heading back to the main drag, a gentleman stopped and asked if I lived in Sorrento – I said no, but could I help?  He said no, he was looking for a good local restaurant.  Of course I told him of Il Pozo – when we got there about an hour later, his group was there and very happy. FUN!

Sorrento has been a favorite with British tourists for decades, so I have never been in a shop or restaurant where English wasn’t spoken.  Part of me is disapointed because it is a great experience to try to blend in to the Italian culture, but it certainly makes it a very easy place to to vacation without a language barrier.

Twice when in Sorrento, I stayed in a hotel called “La Tonnerella,” perched on the side of a hill with amazing views of Sorrento.  Sorrento is a great base for day trips.  You can go to Pompeii, Amalfi, Positano, Capri, Naples and many other little towns using public transportation.

This is where I spent my schoolies. Ok, so it wasn’t an official schoolies – the kind where I spent all year planning and organising accomodation/flights/food/daily schedules – it was in fact a very spontaneous decision made on account of my boredom and the fact my friend was offering. Accomodation was cheap – in fact, it was free since my friend owns a house down here; flights were not necessary because really it was just a train and bus ride away; food was also not necessary – we lived off 2 minute noodle packets, little snacks and spent all our money on alcohol instead; and the daily schedule included meeting other schoolies and sunbaking on the beach.

The Mornington Peninsula is surrounded by Port Phillip Bay, south-east of Melbourne. As it is a bay, the beaches are usually very calm and flat – perfect for cooling off in the hot weather when you don’t want to get thrashed around by waves. My friends and I stayed at Rosebud (I mentioned this in an earlier post; we went back there on Sunday night and returned again yesterday). I didn’t elaborate on my last post because I was quite distressed and upset when typing it. Though as of yet, I haven’t spoken to my other friends about their future trip to America, I feel a little better about the situation now since I’ve had time to cool off. Anyways, that is a different topic.

So, it was a very eventful trip – I met new people and discovered more about the ones I already knew. At the time, some of the things that went down may have seemed like a huge deal, but looking back I can see the fun and just laugh at it. I didn’t buy any souvenirs per se, unless you count sunburn/suntan as a kind of souvenir! All I have is good memories of fun times. It was an experience I won’t forget any time soon and I am thankful that I decided to go in the end, because I was very close to cancelling.

As for what went down in Rosebud? Well….what happens at schoolies stay at schoolies. Haha

- Ania

Image : http://www.flickr.com

如果你的个人财务的新闻来看，你需要检查有线电视新闻网钱。这是个人金融消息，将为您提供的最新消息你需要了解其网页上的最大来源之一。

一旦你保持睁大眼睛，你会发现有在线和离线消息索取个人理财你手。只要尝试CNN的理财网页如果你想找到提供了宝贵的优势那里。

找些回报

金融新闻的重要性，你需要明白的是，你就可以了解如何规划您的个人理财得当。此外，您将了解为什么理财规划师，实际上负责人，谁利用其服务。新闻会尽量使你明白，你应该相信你将在获得金钱的回报，为有形的东西，你支付他们，即使是没有错的，虽然，很多327.71钱的财务顾问。

在自己的新闻，你会发现，读者将他们为什么对支付高昂的费用财务策划质疑。随后，读者将了解到的答案是已经没有聘请财务规划是错误的。这是完全错误的，如果人们不承认他们所支付。

因此，有激起读者的兴趣就支付财务顾问的收费，这个个人理财新闻文章然后告诉读者，其实他们应该去为他们支付的财务规划。这是很好的学习，因此您支付的财务规划有一个好的计划，用以管理风险。此外，该个人新闻也将提供您其他有用的信息。

最后，有一件事可以从个人理财的消息的结论是，你必须成为服务意识，无论是索取的财务规划你也可在基础策划者的需要和不完全公正的。

A series of long exposures taken at Sorrento and Blairgowrie beaches on the Mornington Peninsula, Australia.
These images were taken using the Sigma 10-20mm and Canon 17-85 mm lenses with ND8 and polarizing filters stacked on the front in order to slow the shutter speed.
Note – when stacking two filters on the 10-20mm lens the rim of the outermost filter becomes visible in the corners of the images necessitating a little cropping in post processing.

All of these images are available to purchase in various forms and sizes by clicking on their titles.

Blaze – taken at Sorrento beach.

The Glow of Last Light – taken at Sorrento beach.

The Pastel Kiss of Night – taken at Blairgowrie beach.

Welcome the Night – taken at Blairgowrie beach.

Koonya Isle – taken at Blairgowrie beach.

Through Angler’s Eyes – taken at Blairgowrie beach.

SORRENTO – Vino e musica senza confini per “Divino vino”a Sorrento. Il violino incantato del compositore partenopeo Lino Cannavacciuolo sarà di scena sabato 5 dicembre dalle ore 20.30 presso la chiesa di San Paolo.

 Cannavacciuolo si esibirà nell’ambito della manifestazione «Divino Vino», la rassegna di enogastronomia, musica ed arte in programma dal 3 al 6 dicembre a Sorrento. Tanti gli artisti sul palco, come Ciccio Merolla, Yamandu Costa e Cecilia Chaily. Oltre ai concerti sono previste degustazioni di piatti della tradizione locale, vini campani.

l’Ora Vesuviana on-line

redazione@loravesuviana.it

[All The Small Things - Blink 182]

This blog will be about me saying goodbye for the next…oh…4/5 days?

Ah, writing that means those who see my posts on Facebook can get the idea of what the post is about from the small snippet that a preview gives.

Actually when I opened up this page, the song that just came onto my iPod was, again, Kids In Love. So I went to the next song. It seemed fitting.

Well, tomorrow is Sorrento! Last time I did something like “TOMORROW IS…!” it was for Sale, and CJ thought I meant I’m gonna go to a sale and I was excited so I gave her the =.=” and she felt dumb. Win.

I would have blogged on Sorrento except I don’t think Blackberry has WordPress, so instead I might just use my iTouch to write posts (short ones, no doubt) and then somehow get them onto here. I’ll probably do that just before bed, I mean couch.

So, I’m pretty much all packed. The list that Jen and I made for everyone came in handy for me! All I still need are chargers that I still have to use tonight, my pillow and toothbrush/toothpaste. Hopefully April remembers the sleeping bag, and Jen remembers her shampoo, and Annie remembers her soap. Because I don’t…bring things.

Will still have phone on me, so feel free to text and tell me how awesome I am.

Carmaine’s birthday is on the 3rd of December. Wish her a happy birthday. Just a reminder to anyone who reads my blog frequently and forgot. Like, D.P. forgot my birthday.

Take care! Sorrento here we COME!

Alex.

Per Ulteriori info:

http://www.pcsupporto.135.it/

The other day I found out my two best friends are off to Poland and Chicago next month for a month. I was overcome with emotions -  sadness and jealousy were the main two, as apposed to genuine happiness for my best friends. Sadness because of course I will miss them very much and it will be the first Christmas/New Years that I will spend away from them. Jealousy because their parents are literally forcing them to go; and I have been dreaming of going to America practically my whole life. What I would to be in their positions right now…

But after a bit of contemplating, I realised that most of all; I felt cheated and betrayed. I was informed by one of them a few weeks earlier – but at this point in time, the idea was merely a suggestion. It seemed ludicrous, and truthfully I never actually thought it would happen, let alone so soon. She told me her parents wanted her to go though she didn’t, and I told her I’d gladly take her spot to which we just laughed because we knew those that it was just wishful thinking at the time. The way I find out was not face to face or at the very least over the phone; but over a little facebook status conversation where she decided to let it slip…maybe she thought it would cushion the blow? I don’t know what she was thinking but she obviously wasn’t thinking about how I would feel about it.

What’s worse is, I feel like they were trying to keep it secret until perhaps two weeks before their flight when they would have to tell me so that  I would know that I couldn’t make any plans with them for the foreseeable month. I think it’s this fact that hurts more than the actual idea of neither of them being there for Christmas/New Years. I cried myself to sleep that night because I’d felt so betrayed.

Anyways; the following day I headed down the bay to Rosebud where I spent Thursday and Friday night down at the beach. I stayed at my friend from school’s beach house with a fairly large group of girls, all from school. It was a good break from the hustle and bustle that was happening back home. Though I am not so close with my school friends, it was still great time spent – I really needed that time out to just relax and contemplate what would be a very lonely summer holiday.

I returned home today, Saturday, to find out that yet another one of my closest friends could possibly be joining them. I honestly didn’t know how to react. I have actually never felt so incredibly lonely and left behind in my entire life – especially by people I consider to be my closest friends; ones I’ve known since I was born (and I say that in all it’s literal sense). I don’t want to sound selfish because it is a great opportunity for them to go and I am so happy for them that I am bordering insane jealousy. Like I said, I wouldn’t even think twice if my parents wanted me to go and were willing to pay for my ticket to overseas – so I don’t want to be mad at them for leaving me behind like this. But, as they are very close friends of mine, I feel like I only deserved to be told earlier and face to face because in all honesty that’s the only reason I feel so horrible about finding out – it was the way I found out.

The only good thing to come about from coming home today was that as soon as I walked in through the front door, my dad was dragging me back out to go buy me a brand new laptop because he felt I deserved a present for finishing high school. Though I’m stoked about the laptop, I think I’d be happier if I haven’t have had to continually hint during the last few weeks that I was in dire need of a computer of my own.

Anyways, I’m sorry today’s post is so glum. I’ve just had these emotions weighing me down all week and I thought that if I put them down into words I could deal with them better.

It didn’t work too well.

-Ania

[Leggi qui le puntate precedenti]

Ora, stando agli atti del processo gli è che il bubbone metifico – quello che lor poeti definirebbero invece sacro fuoco, o volontà di potenza, perché troppo si vergognano a chiamarlo col suo termine più proprio: ovvero un ego smisurato – insomma, quella cosa lì, crebbe a dismisura dopo una prima tappa sperimentale nella città partenopea, dove gli entusiasmi ribollirono a tal punto da convincere una signorina lì di passaggio a indirizzarli verso un luogo il cui nome ben si adattava alla veritiera natura dei cinque declamatori. Questo luogo si chiamava – e presuppongo si chiami tutt’oggi, poiché non compare nel registro degl’indagati – il Perditempo: un posto dove vennero accolti come cantori di un nuovo mondo, in modo così inaspettato che rimasero basiti davanti a chi porgeva loro in dono calici traboccanti di bevande senza che neanche vi fosse stata esplicita richiesta (quando invece, solitamente, erano costretti a far la questua per ottenere almeno un cicchetto omaggiato per sciaquare l’ugola dopo tanto profluvio di parole). Uno di loro poi, quello che si vantava dei suoi natali etruschi – che però era finito guardacaso a Roma per fornicar con le parole – finì talmente ciucco da concludere la serata con una barzelletta toscana; ché ci vorrebbero delle foto solo per vedere le facce tutte da ridere dei discendenti di Pulcinella, da immaginarsi con le orecchie protese e le mascelle spalancate nel tentativo di carpire qualche ci aspirata e inghiottita insieme ai sorsi di limoncello di Sorrento che il sommo vate trincava tra una frase e l’altra.

È di quei giorni lì la prima voce di una possibile alleanza extracapitolina, in cui sembrò confluire una misteriosa brigata partenopea, composta di scrittori dialettali e non, che spingevano per goder dei fasti di un nuovo 7 settembre*, per poi ritirarsi anch’essi, da veri intellettuali, senza ricompense e in qualche sperduto loco**.

Ad onor del vero quest’unione non s’ebbe poi a fare, e rimane una delle zone oscure di tutta questa stramba processione che vide le parole uscir dai loro ranghi come insubordinati non ligi agli ordini. Il dilemma non è affatto di poco conto, ché la risposta potrebbe confermare i legittimi dubbi sulla reale unità d’intenti tra i nostrani spadaccini di penna, soprattutto alla luce dei documenti recentemente resi noti dalla commissione di vigilanza web, dai quali emergono polemiche e risse verbali all’ordine del giorno tra questi tutori della cultura, che in quanto a ferir di lingua non sembravano da meno dei tanto vituperati giornalisti.

Insomma, stando ai prodromi si potrebbe oggi asserire che il piano partì già bello che zoppo, nonostante i facili entusiasmi che accompagnarono i cinque briganti durante il viaggio di ritorno in seconda classe, soprattutto quelli del poeta imbrattatore di mura, che fantasticava il buon ritiro in quel di Ausonia, ma solo dopo aver compiuto il suo dovere civico verso l’irriconoscente patria, che si burlava ancora una volta del coraggio dei proprio figli.

Il dado era tratto e i cinque si apprestavano a render giustizia non soltanto a coloro che già si organizzavano per l’espatrio, ma anche a chi, accerchiato dalla cultura dell’aggressione verbale, si accingeva mestamente ad alzar bandiera bianca: essi vollero dare esempio di strenua resistenza dinanzi a chi voleva accorciare la lingua italiana ai suoi minimi termini, per riportarla invece ai fasti, alla ricchezza e alla musicalità a lei più congeniali, proprio come ai tempi del Gadda e del Landolfi.

Simone Ghelli

* Il riferimento è alla conquista della capitale del Regno delle due Sicilie, dove Garibaldi fece il suo ingresso il 7 settembre del 1860, per poi sconfiggere le truppe del re Francesco II che si erano ritirate a nord del Volturno.

** Dopo aver accompagnato il re Vittorio Emanuele II a Napoli, l’8 novembre del 1860 Garibaldi si ritirò sull’isola di Caprera, rifiutandosi di accettare qualsivoglia ricompensa per i suoi servigi.

A quick image from the Mornington Peninsula about a month or so ago now.  It was a gorgeous sunny day and I took this from one of the observation points whilst on my way to meet some friends at the Portsea pub for lunch. The bay and Peninsula looked great… but not great enough for me to set up a tripod and shoot it properly if you know what I mean.

I was very impressed that this 11 shot stitch that I took handheld from standing on top of a steel guard railing worked so well, when the images were input into PTGui the greatest control point distance on the auto alignment was less than 10 pixels out !  So maybe that’s part of the reason I’m posting this.. who needs overpriced pan heads when you can shoot 11 image stitches like that !

‘ Arthurs seat  –  Canon 5D2. ’

The Amalfi Coast, famed for its beautiful coastline with towns and villages perched on jagged cliffs, attracts tourists from all over. Stretching 50km south of the Sorrentine Peninsula, the towns along the coast are linked by a narrow road with sharp twists and turns. With limited options to travel by bus or boat during the off peak season, the four of us made a booking for a private excursion with a driver from www.sorrentocars.com to take us for a day’s experience of the Amalfi Coast, stopping at three towns along the way: Positano, Amalfi and Ravello.

from Sorrento to Positano: (left) natural formation of a facial profile looking out to sea; (right) historical watchtower built for the lookout for pirates

Positano

Positano, known as the ‘gem of the coast’ and my personal favourite out of the three towns, is truly a picturesque town with multicoloured houses stacked on top of each other against the cliff. It is a lovely walk down the narrow streets decorated with boutiques, to Spiaggia Grande, the main beach and port of Positano.

the view of Positano as we approach the town

miniature Positano

sights along our stroll towards the beach: shaded alleys & stairways, floral patterned fashion boutiques, sign posts, &… cats

view from Spiaggia Grande of the town built against the hillside

boat excursions to Capri and around

boats of Positano

waves-a-breaking on shore

Amalfi

Amalfi, the next town we stop at is characterized by its historical Duomo at the heart of the town.

view of Amalfi and its harbour

Duomo di Amalfi (Cathedral of Amalfi)

Sant’Andrea (Saint Andrew’s) Fountain at Piazza Duomo

(left) streets of Amalfi town; (right) Porta della Marina, the old gateway to the sea

limoncello & everything that’s lemon

statue of Flavio Gioja, the inventor of the compass according to myth but modern findings disputes that he ever existed

Ravello

Ravello, the quietest of the 3 towns, sits high in the hills and has been the ‘town of inspiration’ to many artists. Here we visit Villa Rufolo, a famous villa with its attractive gardens, named after the original owners of the Rufolo family in the 13^th century. Today, the gardens is the venue for classical concerts including the Ravello Festival every summer, in honour of Wagner, whose inspiration for his music came from these gardens.

flowers decorating the walls and stairway

overlooking the blue waters of the Tyrhennian Sea

the gardens of Villa Rufolo

where sea and sky merge

Torre Maggiore in the oldest part of the complex

The Sorrento Peninsula lies south of Naples and is an area known for its spectacular natural beauty. Sorrento’s ideal location with steep cliffs hanging over the Bay of Naples and overlooking to Mt. Vesuvius has made it a popular tourist destination in Italy.

Sorrento by the blue waters of Naples Bay

Sorrento was perfect as a base for us to explore the surroundings of Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. Upon arriving at Naples airport, we took the Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento, slightly over an hour’s ride. The Naples train station can be quite confusing as there are different platforms, ticket sellling counters for several types of trains running from Naples so we had to follow the signs carefully for Circumvesuviana ticket counters. We arrived at Palazzo Abagnale Guest House where we stayed for 2 nights before returning to Naples for a night. Weather in November in this region can be rather unpredictable; out of the 4 days we were there, it rained for part of the afternoon on 3 out of the 4 days. Also, November being the off-season, several restaurants in Sorrento were closed and we resorted to finding food around Piazza Tasso area.

Itinerary Overview:

Day 1 – Sorrento

Day 2 – Amalfi Coast

Day 3 – Pompeii

Day 4 – Naples

Piazza Tasso in the centre of Sorrento

This region of Southern Italy is renowned for the abundance of lemons grown and used for food, drink and fragrant products e.g. chocolates, liquer, soap, perfume. These make brilliant souvenirs with several souvenir shops allowing free tasting of lemon coated chocolates and sweets.

limoncello (lemon liquer) filled in bottles of all shapes

So we were having a seafood dinner with my parents who are in town this week…and when this arrived at the table, DS immediately declared ”Crab! Mummy, crab!”

The one time he possibly saw a crab was in AQWA and I never thought he’d recall that, not especially when it’s all..erm…chopped into parts, deep fried and served up on a plate. What’s more, he kept tugging at my sleeve to get at the pincer in my hand, and when that failed, he reached out and pulled the plate towards himself to try and get his own piece!

Città una volta splendida, capolavoro della Magna Grecia è Paestum, ora patrimonio dell’Umanità. Col nome di Poseidonia, la città di Nettuno, il dio del mare, i coloni di Sibari la fondarono nel VII secolo a.C e subito divenne una ricca e florida città che strinse alleanze anche con gli Etruschi. Intorno al 400 a.C cadde però in mano ai Lucani, che ne cambiarono il nome, il quale divenne Paistom o Paistos; infine Roma, fondandovi una colonia latina, le diede definitivamente il nome di Paestum, la quale dista circa 60 km dal Bed and Breakfast Il Fauno, facilmente raggiungibile sia in auto che con il treno della Ferrovia Dello Stato (a soli 900 metri dal B&B). Prenota Ora

La città tornò a splendere e Roma, come ricompensa per la sua fedeltà anche in guerra, le concesse il privilegio di coniare delle monete proprie. Ai romani si devono gli edifici pubblici grandiosi costruiti nella città: il Tempio italico, il foro, le terme e l’anfiteatro. Con l’avvento del cristianesimo anche Paestum ebbe molti martiri, soprattutto al tempo delle aspre persecuzioni di Diocleziano.

La decadenza ebbe inizio soprattutto a causa del bradisismo, il fenomeno di innalzamento ed abbassamento del livello delle acque che da sempre caratterizza la Campania: così, a causa dell’impaludamento, divenne una zona malarica e le acque avanzando spinsero sui monti la popolazione che fondò la città di Capaccio.

Nel Medioevo era popolata solo da pochi cristiani che avevano fondato il loro centro di culto proprio intorno al tempio di Cerere che fu trasformato in chiesa: a questo infatti si deve la sua conservazione. Questi ultimi abitanti fuggirono anch’essi sulle montagne quando nel IX secolo arrivarono i Saraceni.

Il declino della città fu definitivo quando Paestum nell’XI secolo cadde nell’oblio e, come si usava al tempo, tutti i suoi templi furono spogliati prima da Ruggero il Normanno e poi da Roberto il Guiscardo, per utilizzarne i preziosi materiali nel cantiere del duomo di Salerno.

I primi scavi iniziarono nel XVIII secolo e cominciarono a portare alla luce le strutture maestose che oggi possiamo ammirare in tutto il loro splendore: le mura; quattro templi, tre dorici e quello italico, l’anfiteatro, la via Sacra, le terme e naturalmente i quartieri abitati dalla popolazione. La città racchiusa nelle mura ha la particolare forma di un pentagono irregolare: Il Cardo ed il Decumano, le due vie principali, si incrociavano al centro dell’abitato.

Oggi l’area archeologica offre un percorso estremamente suggestivo ed al suo interno permette di seguire parte della cinta muraria, o anche di visitare il museo che raccoglie ritrovamenti effettuati nella stessa città e quelli provenienti dalle vicine necropoli. Di grandissimo impatto sono monumenti come il più antico tempio di Paestum creduto una Basilica, ma in realtà dedicato alla dea Hera, il tempio di Nettuno, protettore della città, l’agorà, il Tempio italico e quello di Cerere.

La città si offre in tutta la sua bellezza resistendo ancora oggi, a dispetto di ogni catastrofe naturale e riuscendo ad offrire ancora le emozioni che il suo antico splendore doveva dare.

Paestum, at the start of the Cilento coast, is the site of the only well-preserved Greek Temples north of Sicily. By the 9th century or so, this once-great city was breathing its last, a victim of economic decline and Arab raiders. As its people gradually abandoned it for safer settlements in the hills, Paestum was swallowed up by the thick forests of this subtropical corner of Italy. Paestum is only 60 km from the Bed and Breakfast Il Fauno, easily reachable either by car or train Italy (only 900 meters from the B & B).  Book now.

As usual on a Mediterranean coastal plain, when the people leave the malaria mosquitoes take over, and the anopheles mosquito, as fate would have it, can take some of the credit for preserving Paestum’s ruins so well.

The Temple of Neptune -

This is the best preserved of Paestum’s two great Doric edifices and the building shown in all the tourist literature. Built around 450 BC, it is about 200ft long and all of the structure survives except the roof and the internal walls.

Similarities to another temple at Tarentum suggest it was dedicated To Apollo, but Hera and Zeus are also possible contenders – like all of Paestum’s temples, the name ‘Temple of Neptune’ was just a guess by the early archaeologists.

L’isola di Capri è fra i luoghi più pittoreschi e più visitati della Campania. La sua bellezza e la sua fama sono note da tempi lontani quando gli antichi l’avevano legata ai miti di Ulisse e delle Sirene e ancora oggi attrae i numerosissimi visitatori che fanno dei suoi panorami mozzafiato la meta più ambìta. A Capri si puo arrivare via nave, sia da Sorrento che dal porto di Castellammare di Stabia che dista solo 8 km dal Bed and Breakfast Il Fauno, facilmente raggiungibile sia in auto che con il treno della Circumvesuviana (a soli 500 metri dal B&B). Prenota Ora

L’isola è di origine carsica, separata dalla terraferma da uno stretto, e presenta numerosi rilievi fra cui quello di Anacapri che ne è il principale. Il mare da cui emerge è particolarmente profondo, le coste sono aspre, frastagliate e ricchissime di grotte fra le quali la più famosa è la Grotta Azzurra, ma ciò che colpisce di più, a picco nel mare, sono i celebri faraglioni, piccoli isolotti rocciosi dalle forme più variegate, che sembrano emergere dalle acque azzurre e profonde puntati verso il cielo. Il fenomeno del bradisismo, cioè il continuo alzarsi ed abbassarsi delle maree, presente anche nella Grotta Azzurra, fa sì che resti di epoca romana un tempo sulla terraferma, ora quasi del tutto sommersi, si possano vedere spuntare dall’acqua.

Capri per i Greci e per i Romani era l’isola delle capre, a questo si deve il suo nome. I Greci la colonizzarono e divenne un possedimento di Napoli, poi l’imperatore Augusto, in visita nell’isola, vide fiorire un ramo secco e fece di tutto per ottenerla da Napoli in cambio di Ischia. Anche l’imperatore Tiberio se ne innamorò e ne fece il suo rifugio costruendovi più ville, forse dodici, secondo gli autori latini; in realtà, a testimonianza della sua presenza, resta oggi la sua villa lussuosa dedicata a Giove, un delizioso esilio volontario, da cui continuava a governare l’impero. Alla fine dell’impero Capri non fu immune dall’invasione di Vandali, e neppure più tardi da quella dei Saraceni che spinse gli abitanti, come accadde anche in altre città d’Italia, a rifugiarsi nel punto più alto del’isola tra la cittadella murata e il Castiglione, in un posto impenetrabile, difficilmente raggiungibile e con un’ottima vista sul mare, per individuare i nemici in arrivo. L’isola passò poi sotto la dominazione Longobarda ed in seguito Normanna, finché con gli Angioini, che fondarono la grandiosa certosa di San Giacomo, non tornò all’antico splendore.

La fama turistica di Capri iniziò alla metà dell’800, con la riscoperta dell’affascinante Grotta Azzurra; divenne così una meta immancabile nel Grand Tour di scrittori ed artisti di fama internazionale che descrissero gli effetti luminosi ed i giochi di luce cangianti all’interno della grotta. Oggi l’architettura dell’isola mostra nelle tipiche abitazioni “a volta”, le tipologie costruttive utilizzate già dai romani e dai bizantini, legate alla particolare conformazione del terreno ed alla difficoltà di reperire legname ed acqua: ancora oggi infatti l’acqua è un bene alquanto raro e prezioso, perché l’isola non dispone di sorgenti proprie e viene rifornita d’acqua potabile con navi-cisterna provenienti dalla terraferma. L’isola è composta da due comuni, ognuno con la propria amministrazione: Capri e Anacapri, e da sempre è nota la rivalità tra i rispettivi abitanti.

The Island of Capri is one of the most picturesque and visited locations in Campania. In Capri can be reached by boat from both Sorrento and the port of Castellammare di Stabia, which is just 8 km from the Bed and Breakfast Il Fauno, easily reachable either by car or train Circumvesuviana (only 500 meters from the B & B).Book now.  Its unique beauties were celebrated in ancient times and later published for the world in Homer’s works: Odysseus (known in Latin as Ulysses) sailing past the island, narrowly escaped the fate of those who hear the voices of the Sirens.

Thus the island has a mythical charm, as well as its natural treasures, through the writings and legends of Ancient Greece. Its breathtaking landscapes and beauty stretch from the rocky caves around the island to the edge of the horizon, and has been an inspiration to poets, lovers and travelers throughout the centuries. Geologically speaking, the island is Karst, underlaid with limestone which has been eroded by dissolution over the years forming fantastical ridges towers and sinkholes in the rock. This process over time separated Capri from the mainland.

The island of Capri is composed of two municipalities: Capri and Anacapri, each with their own administration and touch of regional rivalry. The latter is built on a high plateau, affording staggering views of sheer cliffs from dizzying vantage points.

The sea emerging below is very deep, and harsh jagged caves have formed there. The most famous of these is the Grotta Azzurra or the “Blue Grotto“, now known to have been a Roman bathing place. This lagoon is haunted by a dazzling shifting turquoise blue. Small openings in the back of the cave admit daylight which, reflecting on the limestone floor and walls, creates a fantastical and magical atmosphere. It has attracted visitors and inspired awe from all who have seen its ancient limestone walls and learned of the history of this oceanic cave.

In contrast to the intimate space and vivid color of the cavern, are the three peaks further out to sea, emerging from the azure blue water, pointing toward the sky. These peaks are known collectively as the Faraglioni. Their names are: Stella, di Mezzo and Scopolo or Fuori (meaning outside, probably because it is the furthest away). These three splendid fragments of Capri are known technically as stacks and are formed when erosion causes a solid land mass to divide and it becomes separated by water, or when a cave or natural rocky arch collapses. A fragment of the land is then isolated from its original body in the shape of a vertical column or steep rock rising out of the sea. The Faraglioni are famed for their breathtaking beauty and home of a variety of rare wildlife.

The phenomenon of Bradyseism is another fascinating geological aspect of Capri and of all the Phlaegraean Fields. Bradyseism is a process in which the surface of the earth rises and falls due to the movement of volcanic lava deep beneath the surface of the earth. Its effects can be seen in Capri in various spots, including the afore mentioned Grotta Azzurra.

When the tide is low, Roman remains are visible through the water on the floor of the cave, suggesting that in bygone times the ground in and around the blue grotto which had itself been the site of a Roman villa, was higher. The artifacts on the floor of the cave are thought to be connected with the Emperor Tiberius who may have used the cave as a bathing place, and probably decorated the floor with statues. It also seems that other entrances to the grotto were created in an attempt to improve irrigation and later abandoned, supplying spaces in the rock by which sunlight could enter with dramatic effect. So unless visitors simply wish to swim in the grotto, it is wise to coincide visiting times with the falling tide.

Tiberius loved the island, and having obtained it from the possession of Naples in exchange for Ischia, he had a series of villas built there, and spent the last ten years of his tyrannical reign secluded from the manic realities of Roman life amid the tranquillity and beauty of this unique island. He also founded the world’s first Archeological Museum to display the fossils and artifacts discovered during excavation carried out by his workers for the building of the villas.

For the Greeks and later the Romans till Tiberius, Capri was an island of boar goats, and other animals. Hence the Island was named Kapros, which in Greek means “wild boar”.

Capri was colonized by the Greeks, and was later adopted as a possession of Naples, till the Emperor Augustus upon visiting the Island saw a dry twig of the island in flower. The element of the miraculous in this made a profound impression on him, as from that time on he did everything in his power to obtain the Island. Having achieved his aim, bartering Ischia for Capri with the Neapolitans, he commenced with a multi villa building project probably as many as twelve, rendering the island habitable.

Adagiata su una terrazza a picco sul mare, Sorrento è un’affascinante località turistica che, nonostante l’edilizia sconsiderata, è riuscita a mantenere l’antico fascino dato dalla sua posizione e dai parchi, le ville, i giardini, gli aranceti e gli uliveti che si specchiano nelle acque azzurre, arrampicati sugli spalti rocciosi. Il panorama è splendido, aperto sul golfo di Napoli, spazia dal Vesuvio ai Campi Flegrei fino alle isole.  Sorrento dista solo 22 km dal Bed and Breakfast Il Fauno, facilmente raggiungibile sia in auto che con il treno della Circumvesuviana (a soli 500 metri dal B&B). Prenota Ora

Il nome Sorrento ha origini antiche e deriverebbe da un verbo greco che vuol dire “scorrere”, proprio per via della forma della cittadina, delimitata da valloni scavati nel corso dei secoli dall’erosione nel banco tufaceo. Le sue origini leggendarie invece vogliono che il nome derivi dalle “Sirene“, gli esseri mitologici che con il loro canto attraevano i naviganti, facendoli naufragare contro le rocce.

Le origini di Sorrento furono greche, alleata dei Romani, divenne una colonia: ancora oggi, il centro storico riporta l’impianto tipico degli insediamenti romani, quello ippodameo con vie ortogonali che si dipanavano dalle due principali, il cardo ed il decumano.

Nel Medioevo fu in mano ai Goti, ai Bizantini e riuscì a resistere ai Longobardi di Benevento. Fu spesso saccheggiata, preda di scorrerie prima dei Pisani, poi di pirati nel 1500; a questo è dovuta la presenza di numerose torri d’avvistamento lungo la costa.

La cittadina è caratterizzata da un dedalo di viuzze su cui si affacciano caratteristiche botteghe di artigiani; alcune delle case conservano ancora l’aspetto originario medievale, attaccate l’una all’altra con terrazze e balconi che quasi si sfiorano.

Situated on a terrace overlooking the splendid Amalfi coastline, Sorrento is imbued with charm and echoes of the ancient past. Its position is perfect, affording a stunning panorama of the bay of Naples, but its list of attributes is replete. Sorrento is only 22 km from the Bed and Breakfast Il Fauno, easily reachable either by car or train Circumvesuviana (only 500 meters from the B & B).  Book now.  Parks, villas, orange, lemon and olive groves, picturesque narrow streets and resplendent weather, have ensured a steady stream of visitors to the town throughout the year and over the centuries. The town does suffer irregular building projects, but even this has not greatly overshadowed its rustic sea side town appeal.

The name of the town has its origins in antiquity and derives from a Greek word meaning “Flowing” due to the form of the town which appears to flow over the limestone tuff on which the town stands, defining the edge of the cliffs.

Curving along the coastline, erosion has carved the rock-face over the centuries into the majestic crags which climb to the skyline, forming the world renowned beauty of the Amalfi coast. Its legendary origins derive from the word Siren or Mermaids, mythical feminine creatures with celestial voices and hideous aspect, whose hands and songs lured unsuspecting sailors to the terror of the rocks, breaking their ships and wreaking romantic and tragic havoc.

Sorrento’s history is connected to the ancient Island of Lipari, originally colonized in 8 B.C. by Corinthians who, exploring the lands, later settled in neighboring Sorrento. With the arrival of Imperial Rome, Sorrento was allied to the Romans, and to this day, the city centre bears testimony in the classically Roman layout of the streets to the presence of the Empire.

In the Middle Ages Sorrento fell into the hands of the Goths and the Byzantines, but resisted and repelled the advances of the Lombards of Benevento despite a siege. Due to Sorrento’s proximity to the sea however, it was often raided and sacked in the 1500’s by Pirates and sailors from the Harbor Town of Pisa, which led to the construction of the numerous watch towers along the coast.

Sorrento’s charm lies in part in its sun drenched rustic simplicity. Quaint artisan workshops packed together onto a maze of medieval alleys, with the inevitable mix of locals and tourists bustling through the centre. The long shadows cast across uneven cobbled streets from overhanging balconies and terraces which almost meet overhead. Just enough space remains for  washing to be strung out to dry Italian style from above, spanning the street in the Italian afternoon sun.

This was a shot from the following night (of my previous post) this time taken from Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. The storms fired after dark once again though this time they were 97% in-cloud lightning – not quite as spectacular but still pretty nice to watch and photograph. I managed to catch a little crawler popping out of the base over Rye, the cloud structure illuminated and a beautiful night sky above.

‘ flash in the night  –  Port Phillip Bay, Vic. ’

Accomodation at the 2 places that we stayed at in Sorrento and Naples are to be highly recommended. I always look forward to an inviting place to rest overnight after a tiring day of travel and I was impressed with both these hotels. Both were reasonably priced and exceeded my expectations for a 3-star hotel.

Sorrento – Palazzo Abagnale Guest House

the double room

This new 3-star boutique hotel, is situated on Corsa Italia, the road leading from the train station to Piazza Tasso in the centre of town. It is only a 5 minute walk from the station, but do look out for the numbering of the shop houses along the road, as the entrance is just a door that can be easily missed (the reception is a floor above).

With only 11 rooms, this cosy guest house has excellent service with a friendly reception. Each of the 3 floors in this building has an interior theme, with the rooms on each floor decorated according to the theme of the floor. There is the pop art floor, black and white floor (where our rooms were), and light beige floor.

the twin room

(left) spacious room with modern deco; (right) sparkling black and white tiles of the bathroom (though the bathtub should have had a curtain to prevent water on the floor after a shower)

Naples – Hotel Piazza Bellini

The entrance of this hotel was not overly welcoming especially with the ongoing construction. Still a new hotel, there were 2 blocks at the time and we were placed in the block opposite the reception block which had only 3 rooms at that time. However, the interesting part of this hotel is its interior and the art paintings by a young local artist, Alessandro Cocchia, on the walls of the rooms and other parts of the hotel. Locationwise, this hotel is central to the main historical attractions.

the towering entrance door – tight security with guests having to be buzzed in by reception

the red interior of the twin room

(left) table corner and tv on rotatable stand; (right) extra bed at the entrance of the twin room, guess it acts as a triple room too

stick-on room door numbers

stick-ons along the corridor from the reception to the breakfast area

cold buffet breakfast included

paintings on the walls of the breakfast area

fists and spanners