When Gary and I travel, we like to see the sights with an emphasis on nature and on art and architecture. That’s why we go on cruises and walks, and visit museums, churches, and palaces. We also like to eat good food! That’s not all we do, though. We like to spend some time relaxing by doing nothing. Gary and I had earlier decided that Friday in Sorrento would be our “do nothing” day. No planned tours or visits, just hanging out relaxing by the pool, chilling. And that’s what we did today.
The weather alternated between sunshine and light rain. Even the rain was great, though, because it rained when the sky was clear overhead! It was the strangest sight, to see that huge open sky overhead, the monstrous clouds high up around us on all sides, but the sun shining down on us as the rain fell in a gentle shower. This didn’t stop us from chilling pool-side; when the rain would start, we’d just go in the lobby until it ended. Gary actually did go for a walk into town, where he discovered Sorrento’s only bancomat (ATM). It was mobbed by tourists, mostly British, complaining that it was the only ATM in Sorrento. It was sort of odd, because all of the shops and restaurants in Sorrento, even those with credit card signs, always asked if we could pay cash when presented with plastic. Gary asked about this at Il Delfino, and said that if they wanted us to pay cash, there should be more bancomats in town. To this the proprietor replied that Sorrento did not need another bancomat! I guess they just expect tourists to walk around with hundreds and thousands of euro in their pockets.
Anyway, doing nothing was the point of the day, and that’s basically what we did. If you haven’t done it, try it sometime. No plans, except maybe dinner, no goal, and no structure. Just lie around the pool or wherever. Sure, read if you feel like it. Chat with other guests. But don’t have an agenda, and just hang out. It’s amazing how seldom we actually do it. You'll look back and think, what did I do that day that made it so great? Oh yeah, I chilled!
Our one plan for the day was dinner. We returned to Il Delfino for a second dinner, something we almost never do, because the food was so incredible. More sea food, this time spaghetti allo scoglio. Scoglio is a rock, like a stone on the bottom of the sea with sea creatures stuck all over it, and this dish features all the shellfish and other critters that live on the sea stones: clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari, and rock lobster, all steamed whole in their shells in garlic, tomato, and wine, then tossed with pasta. Following this was a misto fritto di mare, fried mixed sea food. Sardines, whole baby octopus, squid, oysters, and pieces of sea bass were dipped in a light batter and quickly deep fried, then brought to the table scalding hot and eaten with lemon. Gary has a great picture of me dangling a little octopus by one tentacle into my mouth on Flickr.
Once again, we returned to our nearby hotel and watched the sun set over the bay from our terrace. The golden light turned orange, then red, and the entire ring of the bay’s shore glowed in the late rays of the sun, a ring of fire around the darkly sparkling water. Clouds passed overhead, and an occasional light shower would sprinkle down for a minute and pass. Then evening came, and night fell on Vesuvius and his bay.
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