Better Late Than Never

Stella

Day 25 – Today we had to get up super early to get to the Train  station. We were rushing around everywhere to get to the right platform because we had been sent to the wrong platform – Waah – and we even missed the train. So mum had to spend 170 euro just for the new tickets!So unfair. Mum should not have to spend that much on tickets! Then we got to Naples and caught the other slow Train  to the place where the person would pick us up (Sorrento). We were warmly welcomed to a cozy little apartment then we went exploring in all the souvenir shops. After that we went to a little beach.  I paddled in the cool water  then we had dinner  and went home. Today was fun 

Daisy

Run‍! Today we got up and went straight to the train station. We were wandering about waiting for the train and we asked a man which gate we had to go to. He said ‘A’ so we went down to the other end of the station, remembering that this is Rome and the station is very big. Half way there the gates changed and we had to run as fast as we possibly could to the other end! I told mum the only thing lagging me was my heavy backpack! We arrived just as the train was leaving.

Just so you know these are my favourite emojis. 🦠🧨⚔️. Back to normal now ok .
It cost mum a fortune  to buy the new train tickets  But in the end all there was, was a “yay  we’re finally on the train” !

Jac

What a resilient family we are! We got through our unexpected early morning train challenges and ventured to the beautiful Amalfi coast. If you thought travelling with Jetstar put you in cattle class, then our rail ticket from Naples to Sorrento put us in claustrophobic class, with an allowance of one shoulder width per person, 6 breaths per minute, and a 2 degree positional change every 10 km! Thank goodness there was a reasonable tourist attraction at Pompeii where we could drop a few off, and reclaim a bit of body space.

We were picked up from the train station by our host Anna in her Chevrolet Spark. The Chevrolet bit sounded grunty and SUV-ey but the Spark bit brought it back down to a car size that just squeezed in us and five suitcases, one case in the boot and the rest on our laps. Off we went, around corners and up hills to Sorrento Sunshine Airbnb. We nestled into our new abode with a beautiful view of Sorrento from our balcony, including a water glimpse and at arms reach, a fully laden orange tree.

We walked around Sorrento this afternoon discovering amazing views and lots of interesting shops. One change from Rome is the shift in souvenirs from bobbing Popes to lemon everything including limoncello, lemon infused perfume, and lemon soap on a rope. Tomorrow we will have a relaxing day with no time schedules, no trains to catch or miss, and as much breathing space as we like!

Dan

So, no need to tell you much about the trains today, at least not the Roma to Napoli leg!

From Naples, we literally crammed ourselves, our luggage and 150 other people into an already fully loaded, graffiti-covered train!

Suffice to say, we arrived at Sorrento in one piece and were able to explore the city centre, the beach and have dinner before the sun began to set and we wound our way up the slopes to home.

It has been really fascinating to see what the girls have been interested in buying as their souvenirs for this holiday!  They both started with a good stash of euros (courtesy of grandma) and were tasked with making them last for the 5-week, 9 destination trip. They both like to do their research, finding something that the area is famous for (think Eiffel towers, Murano glassware and wooden puppets), and then going into every store to see if they can buy the item that they fancy in the right size, right colour and for the right price! It will be very interesting to lay out their final collections when we get home to see exactly how far they stretched their loot!

The girls have also been very interested to see what the street sellers have on the go each day in the tourist areas. When it was wet, out came the umbrellas and ponchos; sunny days, sun glasses and selfie sticks; and for the colder weather, scarves offered from every corner!  One item in Rome that kept Daisy and Stella coming back was the ‘splat ball pig’ (not sure of its real name).  The sellers had balls of slime in the shape of a pig, that when thrown onto the ground they splatted apart and then slowly re-formed into the original shape.  However, as much as that was fascinating to watch, the real draw for the girls was the squeaking noise that was made when the pig ‘hit the floor’. Stella was convinced it was the pig, Daisy wasn’t so sure.  I had seen the gimmick before and knew that the sellers had a squeaker whistle in their mouth, but thought I’d stand back and watch it all play out. Stella splatted the pig whilst Daisy watched, then they swapped and stood to the side talking about whether it was real or not.  In the end they decided to ‘think about it’ and then spent the next few hours watching all the street sellers with pigs that we passed do their thing.  Of course some were not as proficient as others in hiding the squeaker in their mouth and the trick was exposed.  However, Daisy still decided to part with her 1 euro for a gold pig she found in a shop near the Trevi fountain, as she thought the splatting was the best part anyway!

This afternoon their focus was on jewellery, with both girls deciding on a unique piece for themselves after trying on a multitude of bracelets and necklaces. I know there will be more to buy as the euros must be spent before we leave Italy next week…here’s hoping there’s no more splatting in the process.