The accommodation at
Tivoli was old school grand. We were in the immediate area of the Villa D’Este and
the house we were staying at as the Panoramica bed and breakfast was
once a very expensive apartment overlooking the valley. When there is no mist
you can see from our private terrace the seven hills of Rome in the distance.
By the time we arrived in Tivoli, the mist had obscured the view of Rome but we
still enjoyed the panoramic views across the Tivoli valley. We had breakfast in
the enormous salle where parties and soirées must have been held in
times past. Madam even cooked for us a special cake for breakfast. It was
an experience.
Rather than taking
off for Sorrento straight away, we planned to spend a couple of hours in the
house and gardens of the Villa D’Este. We had seen this complex a few
years ago in a wonderful series on magnificent Italian gardens. The gardens
were a way of showing off one’s wealth and status and having a garden that
lavishly controlled and used waster, was the icing on the cake. Well if the
owner wanted to impress, he achieved his aim. The gardens were staggeringly
beautiful and the fountains and waterfalls had to be seen to be believed. All
the fountains and ponds were powered by gravity. The house itself was a
painting come to life. Each room was richly painted in allegorical figures and
scenes from antiquity. The visit to Tivoli was worth it just to see this
amazing villa and its gardens. We also caught sight of a ruined Roman villa
that is being excavated by archeologists.
We drove out of
Tivoli and onto the autostrada that led us south towards Naples and then west
to Sorrento. The autostrada are miracles of engineering. We travelled south at
a brisk pace often sitting between 135 and 150 km ph. We really only stopped
once for lunch at a services. Both we and the little Yaris needed a fill up.
Travelling at high speeds had chewed through the petrol. The services have
little restaurants and Johnny and I shared an enormous tasty octopus salad.
Within half an hour we were back in the car and belting south west.
As we passed Naples
we thought we saw Mount Vesuvius and I was at the ready with the camera, but as
we got closer, there was something not quite right about the shape. We had
jumped the gun. it wasn’t. But it wasn’t too far off. Vesuvius was a bit
shy, hiding in mists until we were very close, then she peeped out for us.
Our hotel in Sorrento
was in an elevated position in the crook of a mountain that soared above the
town. The Rivage was a modern hotel with a fabulous pool that looked
over the terrace towards the sea. Too bad I didn’t have the beach body or the
inclination to use it.
Sorrento is a holiday
destination but at this time of the year it’s only locals and Italian tourists
that are to be found. Down in the main streets, Italian families were doing
what they do best on a Sunday afternoon and walking to and from their favorite cafes.
We joined them. We chanced upon a little gallery from ancient Roman times (
second century I think the guide said). The gallery was showing a wonderful
collection of photographs by Rafael’s Celentano. They were utterly beautiful.
We got talking to the English girl who was running the gallery. She had left
Warwickshire England 10 years ago and worked in Egypt before moving on to
Italy. She has long got over any feelings of nostalgia she had for her home
country and has found a new home in Italy. There was something very open and
serene about her face that reminded me of Luci. We asked her to suggest a place
for dinner. She said that if we wanted to go to the sort of place where the
locals eat, we should drive out of Sorrento to Piano de Sorrento. Maybe tomorrow.
After 200+ km behind the wheel Johnny has had enough driving. Maybe
tomorrow.
As we returned to the
hotel for a rest, the Christmas illuminations turned on and the whole town
glittered. Even the smallest laneways glittered with lights. It was so beautiful.
We had a nice dinner at the Aurora Trattoria with johnny having seafood tagliatelle and me seafood risotto. yes we were tempted by the dessert trolley which the waiter steered around the restaurant like a chariot and we had a POT of Coffee Americano. As we were leaving, the town square was going off with a loud and lusty rendition of Felice Navidas drawing a big crowd out onto the street to enjoy the Christmas lights.
