(1-May) Crazy Train to Sorrento

So following a fabulous day with our friends Mark and Jilly, and a wonderful dinner at Piazza Pizza, we had breakfast this morning and bid them adieu before they checked out of Studio83 and made their way to the airport.

Today is a spare day of sorts, having thoroughly explored Pompei, we will be setting off on a short day visit to nearby Sorrento, which lies on the Naplese coast of southern Italy. Once home to Italian poet Tasso, opera singer Pavrotti, and in the 20's, soviet writer Gorky, Sorrento is easily accessible by local train service, which hopefully is operating today, a public holiday.

Libreria Tasso, inspired by famous poet Tasso, who lived in Sorrento

12:30

Well friends, the train ride from Pompei to Sorrento was, well... er.. crowded and putrid. Firstly, there was no limit to the number of passengers who could squeeze on, so what Stephani and I endured for 35 minutes was a hot sweaty crazy train. Allow me to try and describe the smell. Imagine five week body odor, blend with stale cigarette breath, throw in a smidgen of onion and top it with cheez-its and that's the smell. Oh and make surer the mix is 90% teenagers screaming with excitement being off school heading to the coast and you get the general picture.

It was worth it when we arrived though because Sorrento turned out to be a lovely little Naplese coastal surprise, with lots of tiny ally ways and tons of shops. We had a panini and assorted pastries for lunch and spent about an hour there, listening to live italian music in the piazza before heading back. We wanted to be sure to beat the rush of returning passengers, and avoid a repeat performance of this morning.

On the way back we met a nice couple from Manchester who were traveling up from Sorrento to scout the tour of Vesuvius. They believed they may be on the wrong train, and were having a difficult time communicating with the conductor who almost had them disembark and board another train to another station on the opposite side of Pompei. We felt it necessary to direct them in English to the ruins, and tell them a little about what to expect etc. Maybe we will get some good Karma out of it when we get to Rome?

That's the story so far today, it's quiet because it is a holiday, so we may chill out here until dinner time and chill out some more. We're liking this chilling out routine, it will be extra tough getting back to the grind though, but this vacation break has been a long time coming.