Italy plus Adventure with T, Alan, and Gail - April 1, 2026 - May 15, 2026

 April 1, 2026 - Marietta - Atlanta - Rome

T, Alan, and I took Lyft to the ATL International Airport in record time, checked into Delta, and began the dreaded TSA line, only to spend less than 30 minutes in line. Our gate was changed to the E Concourse, so we took the plane train one stop and went to the Delta Sky Club where we enjoyed lunch.  We relaxed while waiting for Gail Rouen to arrive from New Orleans. Reunited, we cheered, finished lunch, and walked to Gate E11 to board our flight.  We settled in and in no time the flight landed smoothly in Rome.

 The first thing I spotted on the runway was an Israeli El Al plane.

April 2, 2026

Security at the Rome airport was a complete nightmare.  They are trying a new kiosk in-processing system that electronically submits your passport and fingerprints, but sadly, it did not work.  They we stood in Disney-style snaking lines for over an an hour only to have the second new digital system fail for some of us (ME!) which resulted in a third digital scan.  Oy!  

But, on the brighter side, our luggage arrived, and we quickly received our leased vehicle.  The traffic was pretty congested on the outer beltway of Rome, but Alan patiently maneuvered around the aggressive drivers. We stopped for coffee before entering the main road to Sorrento.

We arrived in Sorrento, found our parking garage, discovered it was locked, and T contacted our landlord to help. The landlord directed Alan to a different parking garage while Gail, T, and I checked into our Vanna House apartment. We unpacked, took quick showers, and walked across the street to the supermarket for food supplies. Next, we walked to one of our favorite Sorrento restaurants, il Leone Rosso for a delicious dinner. I ordered my favorite dish, lemon chicken and a mista insalata.  It did not disappoint. 

After dinner, we walked to our favorite bar, Ercolano, for drinks to enjoy during the Easter procession.

 Sorrento's procession is attended by folks from all over the world.  The participants are dressed in black robes with white pointed caps which symbolize anonymity, humility, and penance.  The crowd is silent, and the procession is quite moving.

Following the procession, we returned to our apartment, successfully staying up past ten to help reduce jet lag. 

April 3, 2026 - Sorrento

Our morning abruptly began when the NEXT Easter procession passed our apartment around 0500!! The band jolted me out of a sound sleep, as well as T and Alan.  We stood on our balcony to watch this procession wear the hoods were now pale blue and the priests were chanting.  This procession represents Mary searching for her son and his captors. Luckily, we were able to return to sleep until our 0730 alarm. After quickly dressing, we went out to take a beautiful morning walk along Sorrento's shore. The scenery was stunning.

Breakfast was earned, so we strolled over to "Rodeo Drive" to one of our favorite breakfast spots for delicious omelets and heavenly Italian coffee. Next, on our agenda was to check on Mass times for T and Gail for Easter Sunday. That job completed, we returned to the apartment to freshen up before beginning our Sorento shopping.

Sorrento is one of my favorite places in the world to shop!! I immediately found most of the items on my shopping list, and even persuaded Alan to buy a new pair of shoes at my favorite shoe store! We walked down many little alleys and actually found the shop where Alan had purchased a cameo for T years ago.  The shop owner was there, and shared so many delightful stories. Needing a little recharge, we returned to our breakfast spot for a snack. Returning to our shopping agenda, we continued until it was time to freshen up for our happy hour and dinner reservations at Da Gigina's. Alan reminded me about the amazing lemon veal on the menu.  It takes just was wonderful as it looks~

After dinner we returned to "our" bar - Ercolano's in hopes of getting a decent seat to watch the last Easter procession.  The sweet manager remembered us, and gave us the best table for viewing the festivities! Tonight, the participants are dressed in black from head to toe to symbolize the death of Jesus.  Again, the solemn mood of the crowd is quite moving.  There are probably over a 100 participants, including small children.

By the time we returned to our apartment, it was after midnight.  We've definitely adjusted to our new time zone.  

April 4, 2026 - Capri/Anacapri, Italy

Today was a warmer, gloriously sunny day, perfect to visit our beloved Capri.  Truthfully, Capri is probably my favorite city on Earth. I am beyond excited to enjoy this day. We trekked down the many steps and narrow (dangerous) passage to the ferry. Tickets were 28 euro each, a bit less than summer tickets, and we boarded the 0955 ferry for Grande Marina, Capri.  All of us napped, since we still weren't quite rested from the previous day. We purchased tickets for the funicular, but decided that the line was too long, so we took a taxi to central city. 

Central city was crowded due to Easter weekend, Spring Break, sunny weather, and it's Capri!!  It was coffee time, so we briefly paused for coffee.  The others had pastry, but since it's Passover, I am not eating breads, pastas, pizzas, etc, which being in Italy, is a true sacrifice; however, I will still have plenty of weeks left after Passover to make up for these few days! We stopped at the Capri Watch store where (shock) I purchased another watch.  I admit that I'm addicted to their watches, and lately, each time I visit a destination, I treat it as if I will never return again, so I indulged my whim.  I could hear Rob encouraging me. Next, we strolled to the gardens.

Anacapri was our next destination, so we took another taxi ride! By this time, it was after one, so we stopped for lunch!  Again, the food was heavenly.  I had cod fish, probably the best I've ever eaten! We strolled along the walkways enjoy the beauty of this gorgeous island!

Sadly, it was time to take a final convertible taxi ride back to Marina Grande for our 1605 ferry back to Sorrento.  Since the ferry ride is only 40 minutes, we took power naps!