Happy Thanksgiving from the Italian Riviera

Hi Everyone,

It seems strange to think of everyone getting ready for Thanksgiving when, of course, no one celebrates it here. We watched the sun set from our balcony; that's the Isle of Capri in the distance. Frank says "Beautiful view; still missing you"!

We left Florence yesterday morning and arrived midday in Naples (Napoli) which was absolutely overwhelming. Talk about regional differences! The more northern cities have been cleaner, quieter and more orderly than Naples, but also less friendly. Travel guru Rick Steves call the city of a million "appalling yet captivating". Best moment: seeing a city bus come to a halt so the driver could call to his friend, who was crossing the street, and grasp his hand through the side window. Worst moment: trying to cross the street in front of the train station. Terrifying! We only stayed long enough to walk around a bit and eat pizza (it is, after all, the birth place of pizza) and gelato. At the gelato place, the owner spotted the travel guide in Frank's cargo pocket. "Ricky! Ricky Steves!" he exclaimed, and gestured for us to come back inside, where he proudly showed us a photo of himself with RS. He made a real effort to communicate with us, and vice versa, despite limited knowledge of each other's language. And it kinda worked.

Naples is a real live city, no tourist pretenses. Lots of people out shopping for dinner at seafood and vegetable stalls:

We took the commuter train (on high alert for pickpockets; none spotted) to the resort town where we are staying, Sorrento. Mount Vesuvius dominated the landscape on the way. We passed some areas that could only be described as slums: not just picturesquely-peeling stucco, but buildings that look like they could fall down in a strong wind and living conditions that looked downright squalid. We found it kind of shocking, given that this is Europe...but then again, Europeans visiting Vancouver would surely be horrified by the Downtown East Side.

The weather is fantastic right now, sunny and warm enough to swim in the hotel's pool, but not too hot. The hotel kind of reminds us of a more-upscale version of Fawlty Towers: lots of jolly aging Brits who eat breakfast and dinner in the dining room here, and a waiter with a forward-leaning gait that reminds us of Manuel. It's nice, and at the same time, just the tiniest bit creepy.

Sorrento derives its name from the sirens of Homer's myth: supposedly, that part of The Odyssey took place right around here. We didn't know the scenery would be this gorgeous: craggy and lush, with surprises around every corner. This is what we saw when we looked into the ravine below a bridge we were crossing:

This video shows the view around the "Marina Piccola" (Small Harbour) in Sorrento. Now, you won't believe it, but the schmaltzy musical accompaniment was NOT added by us, but was really being played by a young accordianist while Frank was filming. Enjoy! :  )

Okay, one last story. Our best part of today was making friends with a small family sitting next to us at the seaside restaurant at lunch time. Their little boy, Salvatore (nicknamed "Sasi"), aged 2-1/2, was unbelievably sweet and friendly. Once again, we all made ourselves understood with a combination of Italian, English, gestures, smiles, and eye contact. I think I have a new business idea: second language instruction by pre-schoolers. Sasi patiently taught me several words and stole my heart big time while doing so. That's me saying "Awww!" (as in, Awww, he's soooo cute!):

I love reading people's comments about my writing, though, judging by the length of this post, I think they're going to my head! Almost all the photos and video, their selection, editing for content, and all technical know-how is Frank's doing. It's a true joint effort.

We have much to be thankful for, best of all, two wonderful kids and so many family members and friends that we adore. Thinking of you all,

Wendy and Frank