Monday - Traveling South

Monday, March 30, 2009 Travel Day
Today Martha and I were talking about all the things that we have already seen in Rome and what we have left to see when we return. One of the places we have not gone to is the Vatican Museum & the Sistine Chapel. Since Martha has already been there several times and that was, along with St. Peters, the only place that I got to see on my one day in Rome back in 2005 (my trip was cut short because I broke my arm the day before in Assissi) anyway because of these reasons and also it’s probably the most expensive museum with the longest lines in Rome our plan is to bypass this Museum.
Early this morning found us back at the internet shop where we printed out the article on us that was on the Bradenton Herald Website. Glad we did this as it disappeared by the time we were back on the internet in Sorrento. Back to our rooms to get our bags and head over to the train station to catch our 10:49 train to Naples. We again were lucky to find seats across the aisle from each other with empty seats to hold our luggage. This is why we took the later train as we figured the early one would most probably be full and we would not find room to keep our bags with us. A good decision….. We arrived In Naples by 1:30 pm. As we got off the train an older Italian man asked us if we wanted to catch the Circumvesuviana Train to Sorrento… we said yes, he said “ follow me….. the next one leaves in 15 minutes and there will not be another one until 4 pm I will show you where to get tickets” we followed him, at a fast pace, then we said WAIT.. we need to find a WC before we get on another train, as the train from Rome had not had a WC, he was not happy with this fact and disappeared on us…. We figured he was going to make a profit on our tickets.
We looked at each other… decided that if this was the last train until 4 pm we had better forget the WC… find tickets and make tracks for this train… We just made it before the doors closed and it pulled out headed for Sorrento. As we stood in the back of the train with our bags we made conversation with a couple from Illinois who were also getting off in Sorrento. They have been making reservations at the last minute as they travel and were amazed at the low prices we were paying at the hostels. Again, a lot of fun sharing travel stories as we moved past many fields and low mountains… then in the distance we saw Mt. Vesuvius so we knew that we must be passing Pompeii. A day trip is planned to see this during our stay in Sorrento.
We were actually getting off at Sant’ Agnello, which is just north of Sorrento, as that is where our hostel is located. Martha had located this through HostelWorld and had told me if we didn’t like it we could just stay the night and find a new place… Much to our delight, this is probably the nicest and newest place we have stayed in since leaving home. We did have some problem locating it but, while walking we met up with 2 fellows who were also coming to the same place. They are twins from California who are celebrating their 25th birthday tomorrow.
Purchased our dinner here at the hostel for only 5 euros each and enjoyed meeting all the young people. They are always so amazed at us with our computers, cameras etc…they think that we are very hip and with it. Tonight they were having a party downstairs and we were both, in our pajamas, hanging out our window overlooking the patio (party place) & the girls across the way were snapping our picture. We are in a dorm for 12 but as of tonight we only have 3 other girls in with us. Everything about this place is modern and new…. We both have bottom bunks with security lockers, bed lamps, electrical outlets and the beds are tall enough so we can sit in our bunks and type…. I mean…. What more could we want….. and when the sun comes out they have a beautiful huge terraced roof top….. WOW ! We are so glad that we are booked here for the next seven nights… of yes, free internet in our rooms is just the icing on the cake. I almost forgot.great, separate male & female, bathrooms with Hot showers that work great….. our last 4 nights in Rome we had a nice room but it was very Cold and no internet. Am writing this on Tuesday night. We have had a great day but I will save it for tomorrow’s blog. Arrivederci from Italy