Sorrento to Pompei – Day 4!

// June 7th, 2008 // 176No Comments »http://www.pausethemoment.com/2008/06/07/ptm-sorrento-to-pompei-day-4/Sorrento+to+Pompei+-+Day+4%212008-06-07+22%3A14%3A00Ryan // Italy, Travel

The sky was looking pretty overcast when I awoke this morning. I was hoping that by the time I got back from breakfast that it would clear up so that I could start my day. I had been planning on doing a day trip to Pompei and that’s exactly what I did.

After breakfast I headed back up to my room because it was still raining a bit. Twenty minutes later, my aunt and uncle knocked on the door and were heading down to the pool bar which serves food from 12-2PM. Odd hours, I know. Most pool bars tend to be open all day, not in Italy. They take random breaks during the day like the people of Spain!

I headed down to the pool to grab something to eat and to chat about what our plans for the day were. My aunt and uncle wanted to head to Capri, and I had already given Capri a shot the previous day and it sucked due to the torrential down pours. I wanted to head to Pompei for the day but I was waiting for the skies to clear up first before I even attempted to make the trip.

At around noon time I decided that I would head down to the train station which was a 15 minute walk from my hotel (S. Agnello Station) to head for Pompei. The Circumvesuviana train runs from Sorrento, to Naples with many stops in between, one being Pompei. I found it to be fairly fast, efficient, and very cheap (3.10 Euro – Day Pass). The only downfall to the Circumvesuviana train system is that they are not the cleanest trains. The outside of each train car is full of graffiti and the inside of the cars are no where near modern. I guess you get what you pay for here in Italy! It’s cheap, and it got me to Pompei, so that’s all I expected of it!

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Sorrento to Capri – Day 3!

// June 6th, 2008 // 1751 Comment »http://www.pausethemoment.com/2008/06/06/ptm-sorrento-italy-day-3/Sorrento+to+Capri+-+Day+3%212008-06-06+17%3A43%3A57Ryan // Italy, Travel

This morning I woke up and ran down to get breakfast before heading off to Capri for the day. I took the complimentary shuttle down to the center and walked down to the port as I did yesterday. This time I bought a ticket to Capri! There were two options, a ferry for 9.50 Euro, or a different type of ferry called a “Jetboat” which was 14.50 Euro and it gets you there much faster. Normally I’m in no rush, and I wasn’t in a rush today at all. I could have cared less what time I got there. The weather was nice, just heating up to around 65, 70 degrees but it was still early! The problem was that the next “slow” ferry wasn’t for a few hours so I was pretty much forced to take the jet boat to Capri. I bought a round trip ticket for 29 Euro, which I felt was pretty expensive, but whatever I was going to make the best of the day.

As we were cruising across the ocean to the Island of Capri the weather started to go sour. Real sour! I’m talking a giant black cloud sitting over the island of Capri. I couldn’t believe it. It took about 15-20 minutes and we arrived at the port of Capri. What do you know, it was pouring! Absolutely pouring. I told myself that I’d make the best of it so I bought a ticket for the cable car to get up to Ana Capri, a nice lookout that looks over the whole coast of Capri. The ticket for the cable car cost 1.40 Euro which I thought was pretty good. At the top you then need to take a small rickety bus to another point where you then need to take a chair lift, yep like the ones you use at a ski mountain. Finally you arrive at Ana Capri, you lose your breath due to the view, and the rest is happily ever after.

Unfortunately I didn’t get that far! As I got off the cable car I realized that it was pouring buckets. I decided to take the bus up a little further to see if the time would pass and the rain would stop but that didn’t happen either. When I finally arrived at the top where you would normally get the chair lift to the absolute top, I gave up. It was pouring rain, and it wasn’t stopping anytime soon. I ended up taking a taxi down with a few random people because it was raining so hard and the line for the bus was miles long. Everyone wanted to get down and get the hell out of there.

At the bottom I waited for a couple hours for my ferry, and spent more than I should have on junk food due to boredom. I was really disappointed with the day. Capri was a place that I was really looking forward to seeing. Unfortunately I picked the worst day, and I’ll just have to scrap my plans of seeing the top of Ana Capri. Well, tomorrow is another day, and I’m probably going to lounge by the pool for a few hours before deciding what I’ll visit next…

Unfortunately I didn’t get too many good photos today due to the weather… Grrrr!

In the end… Life Is Good!

Sorrento, Italy – Day 2!

// June 5th, 2008 // 174No Comments »http://www.pausethemoment.com/2008/06/05/ptm-sorrento-italy-day-2/Sorrento%2C+Italy+-+Day+2%212008-06-05+17%3A30%3A31Ryan // Italy, Travel

This morning I awoke just in time to run down to breakfast here at the hotel. It was included so, I made a real effort to get down there in time. The breakfast was actually pretty good. There was all sorts of cereals, pastries, eggs, bacon and more. The best part was that there was a chef that cooked omelets any way you liked them. You tell him what to put in and he cooks it up right in front of you. I was quite impressed! Plus it was the first really good breakfast that I’ve had in a while.

After breakfast I chilled out at the pool for a couple of hours. it’s beautiful out at the pool area. It’s located on the 2nd floor, and the pool overlooks the ocean in the distance. It’s pretty amazing. I didn’t get in the water, I pretty much just laid out for a bit.

Around noon time I decided to head back to my room so that I could get dressed to go explore Sorrento a little more. I took the complimentary shuttle down to the center and walked to the port of Sorrento to get some more information on the ferries that run from Sorrento to Ischia, Capri, Positano, Amalfi and more. After finding out some prices I made a last minute decision to take off on a ferry to Amalfi a coastal city that my parents stayed in last year for their 25th wedding anniversary. They raved about how beautiful it was, so I knew I had to make a trip down there.

I paid 9.50 Euro for a one way ticket to Amalfi, figuring that I’ll figure out what type of transportation I’d like to take back to Sorrento later on (bus, ferry, train, etc). I jumped on the ferry and we took off to Amalfi. Our first stop was Positano where a few people got off. The views I had from the boat of Positano were amazing. The houses were stacked one on top of another on the edge of the cliffs. It was beautiful. I actually wish that I got off to check out the city a little more but I was heading to Amalfi and I already paid a euro or two more to head to Amalfi instead of Positano. I stayed on the boat and just took some photos in the meantime as we were arriving and departing Positano. Check out the photos below.

Finally we arrived in Amalfi, it took just a little over an hour to get there. It was beautiful here as well! I jumped off the boat and headed to the store so that I could pick up a few postcards. I bought a few, wrote them all out while sitting on the ocean front of Amalfi and posted them off! It was great.

I headed off to explore Amalfi a bit more, I didn’t wander too far. Just to the Cathedral di Amalfi which was pretty amazing. I walked up and down the stairs, there were 57 stairs to the top. (Yes, I counted!) I spent a couple hours just wandering around and I grabbed some pizza while I walked.

I was thinking about going to Ravello, but I wasn’t sure what time the buses ran to and I didn’t want to get caught in the middle of Amalfi with no bus, or ferry back so I decided to take a different mode of transportation back to Sorrento. A bus! Now, I have to say it was one of the most insane rides I’ve ever taken in my life. The roads back to Sorrento are on the edge of a cliff the whole entire way. At every twist and bend the driver beeps the horn to let drivers on the other side know that he’s coming around the corner. It was unreal! An hour and 45 minutes of pure terror later, I arrived back in Sorrento safe and sound. I headed back to the hotel and relaxed for a couple hours before heading out again with my aunt and uncle.

We planned on heading to dinner down in Sorrento center at this place called the Foreigner’s Club, a restaurant located on the edge of the ocean situated way high up on the cliff edge with beautiful views of the port. We ordered our food and drinks and didn’t receive our drinks until our last bite of our meal. The waiter was really rude and the service was the worst. One of the worst I’ve experienced yet, but I think my waiter in Prague still takes the gold medal for worst service.

After dinner we met up with a couple that are friends with my aunt for a couple drinks and then we headed back home to the hotel. My aunt and uncle are attending the wedding tomorrow afternoon so I’m probably going to take off to Capri for the day! I’m really looking forward to seeing Capri!

Dublin to Sorrento, Italy!

// June 4th, 2008 // 173No Comments »http://www.pausethemoment.com/2008/06/04/ptm-dublin-to-sorrento-italy/Dublin+to+Sorrento%2C+Italy%212008-06-04+17%3A01%3A30Ryan // Italy, Travel

This morning we had to wake up at 4:00AM after heading to bed around 12:30AM. I was a complete zombie this morning. The taxi arrived at 4:30AM to pick us up and bring us to the Dublin airport. Our destination: Naples, Italy!

We arrived at the airport where we grabbed a quick bite to eat, then headed down to the departure gate to wait for our flight. The flight ended up being just over 3 hours to Naples. It wasn’t too bad. I ended up getting three seats to myself so it worked out quite well. As we walked off the plane we could feel the heat. I was in paradise!

We jumped on a pre arranged coach and took a wild ride to our hotel. I thought the driving was bad in Ireland, it’s nothing compared to Italy! They drive like absolute maniacs here. Even the scooter drivers are nuts. Everyone seems to be in such a rush. More than home, believe it or not. Much more! We arrived at our hotel (Grand Hotel La Pace) just outside the center of Sorrento. The hotel was beautiful, and the rooms are pretty nice too. Much better than anything that I’ve stayed in on my trip through Europe so far. Granted, I’ve been staying in 2 or 3 star hotels for most of my trip. The Grand Hotel La Pace here in Sorrento, is a 5 Star. I can’t say I’ve ever stayed in a 5 Star hotel in my life, nevermind this trip.

After checking in my uncle, aunt and I headed down to Sorrento city center on the complimentary coach that runs from the hotel every couple of hours or so. We grabbed a beer at the Fauno Bar, a great place to chill out if you’re ever in Sorrento. It’s smack dab in the middle of the center so it’s a great place to sit back, relax and people watch if that’s what you’re into. Plus, they must have over 100 drinks on the menu. Everything you could want and more!

After the Fauno Bar we went to a pre wedding dinner at Photo, a higher end Bar/Restaurant which is located a block off of the main square. (My aunt and uncle are here in Sorrento attending a wedding). I went along and we had a few drinks and some food with another couple. We had some laughs, and headed home for the night. Just to warn you, never, EVER take a taxi home from Sorrento to your hotel. They are the most outrageous fares I have ever seen. When you step into the car, the meter reads 7.00 Euro. That’s what the rate starts at! We drove just a bit over a mile and the taxi far was 22 Euro! Unreal! You’re better off walking… seriously.

Tomorrow we’re going to lounge at the pool for the morning then figure out something to do for the afternoon… should be fun!

Three days of relaxation back in Dublin

// June 3rd, 2008 // 170No Comments »http://www.pausethemoment.com/2008/06/03/ptm-3-days-of-relaxation/Three+days+of+relaxation+back+in+Dublin2008-06-03+12%3A29%3A00Ryan // Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Travel

This past Sunday I flew into Dublin from Amsterdam fresh off of a three week, ten country trip across Europe. The last three days here in Dublin have been full of nothing but rest and relaxation before I head off for another three weeks of traveling the south of Italy, and Croatia. These past few days have given me plenty of time to unpack, get all of my laundry done, and repack all of my gear for another few weeks.

Tomorrow I have an early morning flight to Naples, Italy from Dublin. I’ll be staying at a beautiful hotel in Sorrento for five nights called the Grand Hotel La Pace. After Sorrento, I head off on my own to a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea called Ischia for four nights. I’ll be staying in a hostel there called the Ring Hostel. By the looks of the website, and the reviews it seems like it should be a lot of fun!

After spending four nights in Ischia, I board the ferry back to Naples to catch a bus to Bari, a port city on the east coast of Italy. I’ll be staying in Bari with Marina a fellow CouchSurfer/Hospitality Club Member who has been planning to host me for a couple of months now. I’m excited to see yet another part of Italy that I haven’t been to yet. Bari will also most likely be the last city that I visit in Italy on my trip to Europe. At this point I will have covered the following cities in Italy: (Verona, Pisa, Florence, Venice, Rome, Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, Pompei, Capri, Ischia, Bari and maybe even few more!)

From Bari I will be cruising across the Adriatic Sea on a ferry on the 17th of June. I’ll arrive in Dubrovnik, Croatia on the 18th of June where I will meet up with Liz who will be flying in from the States to hang out and vacation with me! I can’t wait! She will be the first person that has come to visit me from the States since I’ve been here and it’s going to be such a good time! We’ll be spending a week overlooking the Adriatic Sea, and the Old Town of Dubrovnik from the balcony of our apartment that lies up on the foothills of the city.

On June 25th, Liz and I will be flying back to Dublin and I’ll spend a day or two showing her around the city before we head over to Galway, Ireland to hang out with my cousin for the weekend. We’ll probably spend two nights down in Galway before heading back to Dublin and we’re thinking about flying to Spain for a few days before she heads back to the States on July 6th. What a vacation this will be for her, and me of course!

This whole trip has been absolutely amazing so far and I cannot wait to see what is in store for me next. I feel like I’m addicted to traveling now. I’ve been asked many times if I’m sick of traveling yet, and the answer is definitely not! I constantly want to be gone. It’s nice to have these couple of days off to do laundry and relax, but I feel like I can’t sit still for too long. After I get back from these next three weeks of traveling, I will have had three days off in 6 weeks of straight traveling. It’s unbelievable! I’m having the time of my life over here and I have so much more traveling ahead of me…

—

Just a few shout outs real quick…

What’s up to… Liz, Eddie, Mark, Veracka, Will, Gonatas, Kyle G, O’brien, Bruno, Juliana, Ryan D, V, Jenna, Aislyn, Anna K, Aiste, Shawna, Mel, Mom, Dad, Grams, Robyn, Kev, Mary and everyone else out there that still keeps in touch with me. You know who you are! Miss you all, and I’ll see you all soon.

If there’s anyone else that I missed just know that it’s not intentional!