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Another look at Italy, this time concerning our stay in Sorrento. 31st August - 5th of September.
First, LEMONS! Lemon risotto, lemon liquer, lemon ice cream and lemon dolce! Holy moley, if people around the Amalfi coast know one thing it's how to use lemon in the most ingenious ways. Don't forget these aren't your puny little, genetically modified tasteless shop-till-you-drop lemons! These are genuine, organically grown monsters that can grow to be the size of a little american footballs and have thrice the taste of a normal limone. So obviously, the food and drinks are great, but how about the coast itself? Well, Sorrento is much like any other place where drinks are too cheap and the room rates low: Full of brits. Red, poorly behaving, drinking brits. They handle their sunbathing about as well as their drinking. However, when you get past the awfulness of having to spend time with our spiritual relatives from the west, you get around to appreciating the true beauty of the coastal area, with it's magnificent architecture and steep rocks that stretch so far up you feel like hiring someone to hold your head in place while you take the time to absorb the scenery without breaking your neck muscles. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, were in the Italy you see on the TV.
After the first day we really got the first chance to see what this city is all about. After an uneventful transportation of our personal belongings to the place where we were originally supposed to stay at, we took the time to see what the city had to offer. Apparently, it's not a very good idea to use a tourist map to navigate an unknown town while simultaneously searching for a restaurant that you found on your guide book. It took us 50 minutes of heartbreaking searching until we finally found the damn place, which was closed. Crap. We forgot all restaurants are open from 12 till 3pm, then again in 7 till 11pm. Outside of those operating hours, it's impossible to have a bite in a decent restaurant. So we fasted. Again, like the 7th time wasn't enough. After having a look around town and absorbing the beauty with an empty stomach, we took the liberty of sleeping.
The following days went more smoothly. We were able to visit Capri, go swimming, went hiking in Baia di Ieranto and more. Hiking in this place was GREAT! The sun shined on us while we passed the numerous lemon tree plantations and fig trees, saw the sea from up high, enjoyed the flinty aromas of a dusty old track and finally came onto a steep old hill that was the resting place for the ruins of an ancient roman fort. The steps were still good enough for us, which we followed to an amzing pebblestone beach. A swi m and a lost bandaid later, it was a bloody long walk back, with about 400 steps between us and the busstop! Getting up those stairs in 35 celsius was, like always, a pleasure, with sweating so plenty the geckos must have thought it was the rainy season. Luckily our muscles didn't give in until we were back amongst civilisation, so as a celebration for making it out of there alive without dehydrating (we ran out of water midway) we bought ourself ye biggest ice cream we could find. Waiting for the bus in the heat was an experience in it's own. First comes to mind a cat who thought it would be a great idea to have a nap on the pest-net that covers the lemontree plantations. Oh you silly goose, won't you ever learn? No comedy ensued, probably because the feline was an expert in avoiding sleeping next to the big holes.
We got home, rested the evening and the next day, then continued on to Capri! Ah, the famous island you say? Ah yup, did you know Rita Hayworth was here? It's true! Don't worry, that's not the best reason I can come up with for you to visit the island. It's like the coast, only with 2 times the beauty, atmosphere, but also (unfortunately) the tourists. Food ain't cheap, but were not here to eat, we're here to climb more stairs! That's right, these italians will never learn, they just have to have those steep mountainsides to build on, right? So up we go, another 1500 or so damnable stairs. Why don't you take the funiculare??? Well folks, we ain't some pansies whose legs wobble at the mere sight of a measly 1500 steps. Hell no, we'll climb those stairs and we'll LIKE IT! (Because, funiculares are expensive, slow, and the line to get on one starts at the north pole… goddamn brits). We got up, all the way to Villa Jovis, which was the accomodation of the great emperor Augustus himself! After 2 euros each we got inside to gawk at what was once a magnificent palace/fort with it's very own baths! The view was great, from 350 meters high the sea looks great, as did the fort itself. Did you know that I can't remember a thing about the history of the palace? Yeah, I wasn't very good in school either. After the ancient villa we continued on to Arco Naturale, which is an arch that was formed by nature itself, how, we do now know (were too lazy to find out). It's like 200 meters high, and about 50 meters wide. Well, it's really big anyway, and amazing to look at up close. I always feel like paying overpriced chairlift fees after gazing at wonders of nature, so that's what we did. 8 bloody euros to have you taken to the top of the highest peak in Capri. 8 EUROS!!! The trip took like 12 minutes and it costs 8 euros??? Well, it was great, as long as you made an effort to forget the price. We saw the whole island from up nar, plus, we saw 3 whirlwinds in the sea! Hah, amazing. Those things just appear, and suddenly the water goes round and round, right in the middle of nothing. The radius would have to be around 10-15 meters, from what I could tell.
Anyway, we got back (obviously) safe and sound. After more relaxation we continued on to Atrani! It's a small fishing town next to Amalfi, but more about that later!
This is Footloose, signing out!
ANU:
Päivitystä viime päiviltä, en oikein enää pysy laskuissa mukana. Kai perjantaista tähän päivään. Mikä päivä tänään on...? Ai niin, lauantai. Eli vau, kaksi päivää :) Perjantaina tutkittiin Caprin saari läpikotaisin. Lähdettiin aamulla lautalla ja tultiin illalla takaisin. Kokopäiväretki siis. Kalliiksi tuli, mutta oli sen arvoista. Jos olette menossa Sorrentonlahdelle päin niin menkää mieluummin Caprille kuin Sorrentoon. Aloitettiin käymällä Villa Joviksella ja koska oltiin sen verran ajoissa saatiin koko alue itsellemme :) kun lähdettiin iso turistiporukka saapui paikalle. Sieltä Arco Naturalelle, josta Anacaprille ja tuolihissillä ylös vuorelle. Maisemat oli jees, tuli pari pisaraa vettä ja pilviä kertyi, nähtiin pari pyörremyrskyä. Mutta jälleen kerran ajoitus oli nappiin, kerettiin nähdä maisemia ennen kun meni pilveen. Sieltä sitten jatkettiin vielä Via Kruppille ja Marina Piccoloon. Upea päivä! Illalla haettiin kaupasta ruokaa ja mentiin nettikahvilaan varamaan seuraavalle päivälle hotelli Amalfin läheisestä Atranista (10min kävelymatka Amalfille).
Bussimatka Amalfirannikolla oli maisemiltaan aivan upea. Nähtiin Positano, Praiano ja muita, mutta loputtomat mutkat ja korkeuserot sai massun sekaisin. Juuri ja juuri kestettiin perille asti (1h 40min). Amalfin rannikko on kaunis, mutta kun päästiin hotellille niin huomattiin että se oli läävä. Likainen bunkkeri, tuntui turvattomalta ja maksoi enemmän kuin mikään huone tähän mennessä (35e/hlö/yö)! Kämistiin hotellinpitäjälle ja hän suuttui sanoen ettei rahoja voi enää palauttaa, että Amalfin rannikko on kallista aluetta ja ettei ensi kerralla kannata varata netistä jos ei kelpaa. Voivoteltiin hetki ja hän sitten näytti toisen huoneen, mikä ilmeisesti maksaisi 45€/hlö/yö, mutta voitaisiin olla siinä. Pakko oli suostua kun rahoja ei saanut takaisin ja tämä huone on kyllä parempi, joten kestetään nämä kaksi yötä mitkä varattiin. Näin välillä reissatessa käy.
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