Sorrento to Florence!

My original plan for the day was to wake up early, catch an 8:40 bus to a 9:10 train to Naples for my 10:50 train to Florence. But after my amazing night last night, I slept until 9:15, had a slow and nice breakfast, showered, packed, caught the 11:30 bus to the 12:00 train to the 13:50 train to Florence.

 

this is the views from my room. I had to say goodbye to THIS.

It was so much nicer to take my time and not rush - I am on vacation after all.

 

train views of wine country.

I finally made it to my B&B around 17:00 (5:00). The room is very quaint, but the location and views are great! ...and breakfast will be brought to my room in the morning.

 

views from my room. building on the right is called Baptistery.

building on the right is the Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore).

street level of the Duomo.

bronze doors of Baptistery by Lorenzo Ghiberti 

- Michelangelo said these were fit to be the gates of paradise.

Since I had a light lunch in Naples (between trains) I was starving! I cooled off from the 10 minute walk with all of my luggage, and headed toward a dining spot.

For dinner I had rose wine, pasta with tomatoes and mozarella, and strawberries and cream pudding. Delicious.

dinner scene.

After dinner, I began walking back toward my B&B (near the Duomo) and found myself behind some American students - they are everywhere in Florence. I figured students would know the hot spots in town, so I began following them. A few minutes into the walk, an American lady stopped me to ask where we were.. She had been following me! So, together, we began the search for a hot spot in town. From Philadelphia, she was on a week vacation to Rome and Florence. We finally found a nice piazza and settled in to watch the people and sip on wine and coffee.

view from our nightcap cafe. this is Palazzo Vecchio (i think).

I am now back at my bed and breakfast - great location. Time for bed. Not much action today - mainly traveling and relaxing. Tomorrow I am going on a Wine and Cook tour; I'll be able to seen some of the Tuscan country side and enjoy a little Italian cooking lesson! yay!



As for my theory on Italian vs. American lifestyles... prepare yourself.

I taxied from the train station in Sorrento to my hotel. When the taxi driver realized I was American, he said that all Americans were rich. I denied it by saying, "Well this one surely isn't."

In Rome, I met an Neapolitan (a guy from Naples) that was practicing law in Naples and decided it wasn't for him. He worked in London for three months, then moved to Rome to manage a gelateria. How many Americans do you know would get a law degree, practice for a year or two, and then completely abandon it to work at a tourist driven shop?

In Amalfi I sat at a cafe for an hour or two watching and thinking. The two waiters (aged late 20s and early 60s) served graciously, the garbage man (probably in his 50s) emptied the trash and swept the streets, a girl (mid-20s) watched over a souvenir shop. I cannot see any of these people complaining about their jobs, wishing they would have gotten a grand degree at a major university, or abandoning work to collect unemployment. Sure, you have the beggars in the streets, but most people take pride in what they do, whether that is drive a bus or sell limoncello.

The taxi driver said all Americans are rich. This, obviously, is not true. But just think about it. Americans work, work, work so hard all of the time. We are trying to climb the corporate ladder, or get promoted, or make more money, or buy nicer cars. We want the awesome degrees and the long titles. Then we go and spend that money (and more that we don't have) traveling and living outrageously. Whereas, (in my view at least) Italians are happy. They "live a simple life" as my taxi driver said. If their father made wine, maybe they take over the vineyard. If Uncle Roberti knows a guy who owns a tour company, maybe you'll go and drive a bus. They take whatever money they make, go home to their families (perhaps earlier each day than Americans), make their quaint, albeit delicious meals, and take the month of August to travel within Italy, visiting family and not living outside of their means.

On the other hand, we take our meager two week vacation from work and spend it crazily, working ourselves in to more debt and not simply living and enjoying family. While we are not all rich, we all do live lavishly - or as lavishly as we can get away with. We are never satisfied with just being, just living our little lives and enjoying each day that we are given.

So that's my two bits on that. And that's why I have a lover, and her name is Italia.