Sunday we got up and started preparing for the roast dinner for the family. Granny and Aunty Cheryl arrived just after noon. The preparation of the meal was part of the pleasure of the day. We ate just before 2 pm. We ate outdoors, which was such a delight for these desert dwellers.
We spent the day in the garden. Wimbledon finals were on, so Grandpa snuck in to watch the rest of the men's finals. Lou invited me to go to London and spend the evening with her, so I decided to do just that. I would then meet Stuart and the kids at the hotel at Gatwick on Monday afternoon. Zoe, Louise and myself left for London at 5 pm.
We arrived just after 7 pm and walked the high street, finding an Italian restaurant where we ate dinner. We walked some more after dinner, walking through Kensington park where Kate Middleton and William live. We didn't see them, unfortunately. We ended up having tea in the lobby of the hotel next to ours, then got back to the hotel just before midnight.
We woke up Monday morning and got ready for the day. We went for breakfast and then shopped for the morning. I got a fabulous bag that would serve me well on our adventures through Italy.
After a bit of shopping, we took a cab to Harrod's to wander the food stalls. We lunch by Harrod's and then I headed to the Underground. I caught a train to the Victoria line and then the Gatwick express to meet up with Stuart and the kids. Our flight was early Tuesday morning to Rome so we decided to stay the night at the Premier Inn connected to airport.
We had dinner in the hotel and planned to drop our bags at the twilight bad drop. However, once we got to the airport we were told there had been a tire blow out on an Easy Jet flight earlier in the day so we would have to wait until the morning. The airport was a mad house. So we headed back to the room for showers and an short night's sleep.
We were up at 4 am and through customs by 5 am. Considering the chaos we observed the night before, we felt we went through rather quickly. We waited around for our flight by having breakfast and looking in the duty free shops. Once we were on the flight the kids slept as did Stuart and myself.
We arrived in Italy and were through customs in about 5 minutes. I had received a message from my mom that they were waiting for us in baggage claim. They had been there about 2 hours and were anxious to see all is us, especially Jack and Millie.
We were offered a transfer to apartment from the woman who owns the Airbnb we rented. It was perfect. Fortunately, all our bags fit in the vehicle. Once we arrived at the apartment, the owner showed us around and then left us to unpack and get ready for our adventures.
We went exploring, got on the Metro and went to see the Spanish Steps of which there are actually 135 steps to the top.
The Colosseum was spectacular, but it was very hot. The wheels started falling off of Millie's bus, which is always a good time. However, for the most part both kids hung in there for the entire day. We walked a lot, and were ready for the comforts of the apartment by the time the Colosseum visit was complete.
We headed back to the apartment and the kids had a shower. Stuart and I went grocery shopping for some needed items. Having a kitchen is very convenient and cuts on the food cost for sure. While we were gone the kids played cards with Grammie and Pop. Once we had a bite to eat we all called it a night. Grammie and Pop hadn't slept for almost 36 hours. They needed the sleep and so did we.
Wednesday morning we got up and headed to the Vatican. We didn't have to wait in line, which made it more pleasant. It was still roasting outside, but the museum was rather pleasant. We took a lot of pictures, but none were allowed in the Sistine Chapel. It's amazing how many people disregard the rules and take pictures any way. I was a rule follower.
Once we were out of the Vatican Museum we headed to St Peter's Square, where the Pope makes his address to the people. On the way we purchased some sun glasses for the kids and a new pair for Pop. Somewhere along the way he lost his.
St Peter's Square was busy, and the line to St Peter's Basilica was literally a mile long. Unfortunately, we passed on that experience. We rode the Big Bus back to the Spanish Steps for lunch. Because it was my birthday, I stepped into a leather shop and eyed a wallet that Stuart went and bought after lunch. So sweet.
After lunch we walked to find the Waldensian Evangelical Church. This church was where my mom's dad and his family attended when they lived in Italy.
Once we had seen the church, we thought about walking to the Borghese Gallery, which we had prebooked tickets for. Then we decided against it and got a cab instead. Our dogs were barking and the kids were getting a bit cranky. We had to take two different cabs. Unfortunately they didn't follow each other, so we were dropped in two different places. We finally connected in front of the gallery, but then Stuart and I vowed that we would each ride in cab from then one. Because we both have phones we can contact each other. Fortunately it wasn't a big deal, but we learned for the next time.
The gallery wasn't quite what we expected. Rick Steves had led us astray. It was more hype than it was worth. The kids were not impressed at all, so we started playing 'count the wieners'. That seemed to be way more fun than walking through the gallery.
We walked back to the metro to go back to our apartment. Once off the metro, we made a quick trip to the store and dinner was cooked. We had one final birthday celebration, a few games of Old Maid, which always makes me laugh because Millie is hilarious to play with, and then it was time for bed.
Thursday morning we were up at 7 am and out the door by 9 am. We had to catch the 10:12 am train to Naples. Our plan was to catch the metro to the main train station. However, when we got to the metro, the police standing outside told us they were on strike until noon. So we headed back upstairs and down to a taxi stand. It was a bit nerve racking just because Stuart, my dad and the kids caught the taxi immediately, but my mom and I waited behind and followed about 15 minutes later. Taxis were hard to come by since the metro was on strike. Everyone needed a taxi. We ended up getting to the train station in plenty of time, and to add to it, our train to Naples was late. We were sweating for no reason.....oh, except that it was hot and humid outside.
Once we arrived in Naples we contemplated getting a taxi to the apartment. But in the end it seemed a good idea to drag our bags through the streets.....NOT! We kind of forgot that the streets would be narrow, with cobblestones, making it difficult to drag the bags, but once we committed to it we had to complete the trek. By the time we got to the apartment and met our hostess, we were wiped out.
We rested for a while, and while the kids played cards with Grammie and Pop, Stuart and I went to get groceries, or maybe we had a sneaky lunch out on our own.
Once we were back from our cheeky meal out, we played some more cards and then decided to walk to the most recommended pizza place that served gluten free pizza. It was really good pizza, but it was a bit of a walk. The kids were troopers. They have an uncanny way of making their walks fun, which is fine by me. It beats whining every day of the week. Once we were home, showers and cards were in order, then it was bedtime.
Friday morning we were up and to the train station for the 10:12 am train to Pompeii. As much as we would have loved to hike Mt Vesuvius, it just wasn't possible. There just wasn't enough time to do everything we wanted to do. Pompeii was exciting, and since Jack had studied it at school he was especially jazzed, taking pictures everywhere. It was hot, but we still ended up spending 3 hours at the ruins.
We had lunch outside the ruins at a lovely cafe.
Stuart cooked risotto and sausages, then we played more games. My mom and I had limoncello once the kids had gone to bed, and then the adults played Pitch. We all hit the hay just after 11 pm. It was a great, but exhausting, day.
I had confirmed, on Friday, that our driver would pick us up in front of our apartment, even though the street was narrow and didn't seem suitable for vehicles. So we waited outside the apartment at 9:15 am and he collected us right on time. We then headed to the train station to pick up our guide. She had traveled from Sorrento that morning.
We started our tour by stopping in Sorrento to walk around the town square. We had a gelato and then headed on to Positano. Once we were in Positano, we walked down the alley ways and looked in some of the shops. There was some beautiful linen clothing that I might need to purchase before leaving here. However, my bags are pretty full, so we will see.
We walked almost down to the water, but then ran out of time and remembered that the walk up would take more time. So Positano was a short stay. The villages just out of Naples are beautiful and keep nice and clean for tourists. I can't say the say for Rome and Naples. These two cities are quite dirty. Our tour guide said that although the cities are making efforts to be cleaner, the government is less likely to enforce things because they are not terribly concerned about tourism. She indicated that the northern part of Italy is more progressive and concerned about maintaining tourism, therefore is much tidier than the southern part.
From Positano we headed to a restaurant on the side of the Amalfi Coast Drive and had lunch. I ended up just eating off of everyone else's plates. Some of the food we had was not pleasing to my eyes. I am usually pretty adventurous, but not as much when it comes to food. If it can look at me then I would rather not eat it. As you can see in the pictures, some of the food could look at us. However, the setting was breath taking.
Once lunch had finished, we headed to the village of Amalfi. Here we went on a boat to see the Emerald Cave. Although the cave was small and the actual boat ride in it was relatively hokey and short, the ride out to the cave was stunning. Seeing the Amalfi Coast from the sea was marvellous.
When we disembarked from the boat, our time with our tour guide was almost over. By the time we drove back to Naples, everyone was exhausted and ready for bed. However, we had the driver drop us off at the marina and we walked on the boardwalk.
Once the meal was complete we got taxis to the apartment. That particular ride might have been the scariest of my life. At one point we pulled up next to the taxi with the other half of the family in it. We also nearly hit several other cars and people. I believe the most risky drivers live in southern Italy.
We were back at the apartment, showered, and playing cards by about 7:45 pm. The kids went to bed st 8:30 pm, and the adults, after playing Pitch (and Pop and I losing again!), also went to bed. It would be an early start and clean up of the apartment. Our first few days in Italy were definitely a success, and we knew this because we were exhausted! It's the markings of an excellent holiday.
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