Week 16 – Buon Natale

Birthday cake

As I wrote last week’s blog, my wife’s entire family, except her youngest sister, had just arrived in Rome to spend the holidays with us, and join us on a brief side trip to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast for the week before Christmas. My wife’s youngest sister’s flight to Rome from San Francisco was diverted due to the major snowstorm, and she was marooned in a hotel in Pittsburgh, with the east coast runways clogged with snow. Her Dec. 20th flight was rescheduled for Dec. 24, and she was looking at the prospect of spending 4 days alone in a hotel in Pittsburgh, while the rest of us enjoyed the Amalfi Coast.   Rudolph didn’t guide her, but a minor airline miracle occurred – she managed to get on another flight that was supposedly full, and meet us in Sorrento in time to enjoy the pre-Christmas trip with us.   We happened upon her in the streets of Sorrento, just after she got off the train from Napoli (Naples), wandering with her backpack, looking for the hotel where we were staying.  We got her a special chocolate birthday cake (shown above) from my favorite pasticceria in Rome. 

Piazza Tasso, Sorrento

Sorrento is a remarkably beautiful city. I’d recommend it as a great place to stay if you are visiting Pompeii, Ercolano (Herculaneum), and/or Napoli (Naples) – it’s only a short train ride from all three. It has a beautiful old center and piazza, which we had the pleasure of seeing decorated for Christmas and New Year.

Christmas tree in the Sorrento train station decorated with orange slices.

In the winter, oranges and citrus hang abundantly from the street trees on many sidewalks. The train station even has a Christmas tree decorated with slices of real oranges.

Fresh orange slice decorations.

This year I received the greatest holiday gift I’ve ever received.  Just a week or so before Christmas, my daughter (6 months old) began calling me Da-da.

My daughter on Christmas morning, teething on her new giraffe.

Buone Feste (Happy Holidays) everyone! 

(Pictures of Sorrento and Rome in the week before Christmas follow below).

Sorrento

Oranges hang from the street trees on the sidewalks of Sorrento.

Sorrento

Sorrento

Sorrento

Babbo Natale (Santa Claus) in a storefront window in Rome

A storefront window in Rome, full of holiday treats - dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, and pannetone..

Sorrento storefront full of dried fruits and liqueurs

Hotel Antiche Mura in Sorrento

Marina San Francesco in Sorrento, with the ferry to Capri at the dock.

A quiet alley in Sorrento, adorned with lights.

The Vatican’s Piazza San Pietro at night, after the tourists have gone.

 

Buone Feste (Happy Holidays) in lights in Sorrento