As promised, I did nothing but laze about (okay, and gift shop) yesterday. My feet hurt more than any time I can remember. I am completely 'holiday'd' out.
I look forward to this 9 hour flight home. It will truly force me to just sit and relax.
Cheers to all and talk to you soon.
Ciao,
A Pink American
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
May 26, 2008...Remembering the Wedding and Sunday in Sorrento
May 24….The wedding 
After a semi-hectic morning of running last minute errands for Martina, I was finally able to get ready. To my horror, when I emerged from the bathroom (in robe and head towel) the photographers were there. He tried to take my picture! I put an end to that. Good lord, only the bride (who is stunning all day with a team of design artists) should be photographed getting ready.
All the guests loaded onto buses, which were to take us to easy walking distance from the church. Due to the overwhelmingly number of weddings that day, the police nixed the closer bus drop off area (though we had prior permission) and the whole wedding group had to walk at least ½ mile to the church (and later back again). You’ve never seen so many women limp and totter from foot pain as they navigated along very uneven cobbled roadways. In many places a gooey tar was set between the stones. Many a heel was caught.
I wore flats J
Despite the so-termed ‘march of death’ (thanks Olivia), all other aspects of the wedding were fantastic!
Here’s the church, set for the ceremony:
The bride and groom just moments after seeing one another for the first time that day:
About the time of the ring exchange:
For the reception the whole group boarded a hydrofoil to
As we walked to the shuttles to the reception we were greeted by the bride and groom:
Grand Hotel Cocumella was a picture prefect setting for the reception. Appetizers and wine were bountiful on the terrace, with an amazing backdrop view:
After a brief repose, I was called back to bridesmaids duties, which allowed me a chance to take these two gorgeous snaps:
We headed up to the dining room for a three course meal and more wine:
Then back down to the terrace for an outrageous dessert buffet. I can’t even begin to describe the amount and variety of treats they had. Needless to say, I tried a bit of everything which meant a completely full plate (twice). Thank goodness I had the other girls to help me out.
Martina and Marco had their toast, cut the cake and then outdid everything with a show of fireworks over the Bay:
They did a very sweet jive-type dance for their first dance:
Finally, it was time to relax and just have fun:
The music went on till nearly 12:30, but by
I and all the other bridesmaids and American girlfriends were booked at the same place (Villa Elisa), so we were shuttled over. None of us were tired and the Piazza Tasso was hopping, so we changed and walked over for wine and cappuccinos until 2:30.
Sometime just after 3:00 I dropped into bed and slept stone solid until the next morning.
May 25...Sunday in Sorrento
The clang of church bells and tinkling of spoons against coffee cups woke me in the morning. I still felt a little drunk, though oddly more so than when I went to bed.
Our little group of merrymakers regrouped in the courtyard around 11:00. As I stood dazed, I enjoyed this little nymphette statue nestled among the ivy leaves on the courtyard wall:
Our group made the short walk over to the famous O’Parruchiano restaurant for the day-after brunch.
Along the way, I met the bell clanging culprit:
Inside the restaurant, there are beautiful gardens all around, as well as a glass covered atrium area inside.
I finally got a snap of ALL the girls on my camera:
Libby,
Here are some of the delicious things we ate:
Libby said it best when she described her stuffed feeling as ‘being pregnant with a food baby’. I’ve been eating for days, but I haven’t felt hungry since last Monday morning.
After saying our goodbyes to the newlyweds, we each wondered around for a while. Nathalie and her husband, Jonas, were kind enough to trek with me back to Cocumella to search for my sunglasses. Sadly, my shades are gone.
On the way back, we wandered through a city orange grove:
Later, I explored some side streets as I searched for new shades.
The hand crafted products here are so inexpensive AND lovely (sorry no snaps of that).
When we set out for dinner at La Stalla, we stalled as a processional (the Corpus Domine) went through town. It was interesting, but a little eerie:
We later realized the day-long bell ringing was in conjunction with this event.
Dinner was pleasant, full of feisty political and cultural conversation. This was followed by decaf cappuccinos and welcome sleep.
My last day here will be nothing but rest in prep for the trek home tomorrow.
I hoped you’ve enjoyed this little blog, and I highly encourage a trip to the area, especially
Ciao!
A Pink American
Saturday, May 24, 2008
May 24, 2008...Capri Before and Now the Big Day
Capri...this is a little slice of heaven on earth. Terribly quaint and romantic, once you escape the tourist packed parts. I went over for the day with a co-worker of Martina's and her bosses. All wonderful people to spend a day with.
After a 45-minute hydrofoil ride, we landed at Capri's dock. A regatta is to be held there soon (Rolex is the sponsor if that tells you anything).
The views of and from the island are positively breathtaking.
I felt familiar with this clock tower, which must have been a bunch of movies I've seen, but I couldn't remember any off hand.
Though I took many photos, I'm crunched for time now...so here are a couple:
Random wall with flower growth...
The view from the restaurant where we ate lunch (by the Villa Brunella):
And me filling full from lunch, oh and with this gorgeous view in the background.
Later, Marco and Martina hosted an amazing rehearsal dinner for EVERYONE...her mother brought hundreds of homemade (and beautiful) sweets from Czech Republic.
Me with the lucky girl (I'm a little tired if you couldn't tell)
And today, the big day, greets us with a glorious sunrise outside of the suite we stayed in at Santa Lucia.
Take care and I'll touch base sometime tomorrow or the next day.
Ciao,
A Pink American
After a 45-minute hydrofoil ride, we landed at Capri's dock. A regatta is to be held there soon (Rolex is the sponsor if that tells you anything).
The views of and from the island are positively breathtaking.
I felt familiar with this clock tower, which must have been a bunch of movies I've seen, but I couldn't remember any off hand.
Though I took many photos, I'm crunched for time now...so here are a couple:
Random wall with flower growth...
The view from the restaurant where we ate lunch (by the Villa Brunella):
And me filling full from lunch, oh and with this gorgeous view in the background.
Later, Marco and Martina hosted an amazing rehearsal dinner for EVERYONE...her mother brought hundreds of homemade (and beautiful) sweets from Czech Republic.
Me with the lucky girl (I'm a little tired if you couldn't tell)
And today, the big day, greets us with a glorious sunrise outside of the suite we stayed in at Santa Lucia.
Take care and I'll touch base sometime tomorrow or the next day.
Ciao,
A Pink American
Thursday, May 22, 2008
May 22, 2008...Three Days and I'm in Naples
I hope no one was too worried by my absence for a few days. Internet service is vexing to find here in Naples, especially if one is staying at a residence without the service.
A tiny recap...
Tuesday May 20...
The highlight of the day was meeting with Peter and Lesley:
Saw this fancy Rolls Royce...I don't really see this old school style much in the States.
We made it to Naples safe and sound, and settled into Marco's parent's home. They're lovely hosts.
Wednesday May 21...Cruising Naples...
The weather was miserable when we arrived. Torrential rains, wind, and a chill in the air. The next day wasn't much better. However, time passed well with wedding prep and some touring about.
First we picked up the water bottles for the welcome bags and the reception. That wasn't the cool part the. The cool part was the wine dispensing tanks. I got to taste some of the local red. Not bad at all.
Saw some local flavors such as vegetable sellers and evidence of the trash 'strike'
Marco and his father played tour guide for me as we bustled through the town. All my pictures feature a forefront of rain, so I'll pass on talking about what I saw, for now.
After Martina had her hair and make-up samples done we went to visit the priest at the church where their wedding is to be held.
Along the way, saw this old Greek wall. For some reason this part was left exposed.
At the Piazza where the buses will drop us for the ceremony there's this really tall column/statue.
Let me just say that Naples has a terribly fascinating history. A million churches, lot's of old construction, interesting historically center of business. However, a great deal of stuff is in disrepair. Apparently much of this is due to extremely stringent and punitive laws regarding historical artifacts and the like.
Magic is waiting to happen for these two...
...at this church, San Domineco Maggiore...
Later that night, we went for pizza. Funny story...you can be certain that the wait-staff adheres to first come first served here in Naples...otherwise the night may end in a shoot out.
Thursday May 22...
The pressure is building. Anyone who has been married knows what I'm talking about. Has there every been a stress free wedding? However the day greeted us with glorious sun. And from the terrace of Marco's parent's we saw Mt. Vesuvius.
Overall thoughts on Naples so far: interesting. Oh, and the children here are thugs. I was taunted ( I swear to this) by 8 and 9 year old girls in a church restroom. Later I saw a 10 year old boy scaring people by threatening to hit them with his bike. The weird thing was there were no other kids around to see this. He was being a punk just for the sake of it. Disturbing.
Will try to touch in tomorrow, but it will likely be brief. Will definitely update once more before leaving on next Tuesday.
Peace,
A Pink American
A tiny recap...
Tuesday May 20...
The highlight of the day was meeting with Peter and Lesley:
They are two of the folks pioneering Totga Books with about a doze others of us from across the states and the world. A lovely, lovely time.
After our meeting, I power walked to Buckingham Palace. Not that I needed to see the place, per se, but I hate saying 'no I haven't seen that' about places that folks just assume everyone sees. Plus I needed to burn off lunch. The flag was up, so the Queen was home (guess you can't see it in this snap).
After our meeting, I power walked to Buckingham Palace. Not that I needed to see the place, per se, but I hate saying 'no I haven't seen that' about places that folks just assume everyone sees. Plus I needed to burn off lunch. The flag was up, so the Queen was home (guess you can't see it in this snap).
Guards walking around, but not really changing or anything. Maybe this was a pointless snap.
I boogied on back to the house to catch the car to Gatwick (and Naples) with Martina and Marco. Along the earlier part of the of the drive I saw a few interesting things.
Would you pay 47K pounds (or $90K) for a Chevy Suburban? How about if gas was $6 a gallon?
Would you pay 47K pounds (or $90K) for a Chevy Suburban? How about if gas was $6 a gallon?
Passed over Weaks Bridge...nice little landmark.
Saw this fancy Rolls Royce...I don't really see this old school style much in the States.
A moment of bliss for the happy couple.
We made it to Naples safe and sound, and settled into Marco's parent's home. They're lovely hosts.
Wednesday May 21...Cruising Naples...
The weather was miserable when we arrived. Torrential rains, wind, and a chill in the air. The next day wasn't much better. However, time passed well with wedding prep and some touring about.
First we picked up the water bottles for the welcome bags and the reception. That wasn't the cool part the. The cool part was the wine dispensing tanks. I got to taste some of the local red. Not bad at all.
Saw some local flavors such as vegetable sellers and evidence of the trash 'strike'
Marco and his father played tour guide for me as we bustled through the town. All my pictures feature a forefront of rain, so I'll pass on talking about what I saw, for now.
After Martina had her hair and make-up samples done we went to visit the priest at the church where their wedding is to be held.
Along the way, saw this old Greek wall. For some reason this part was left exposed.
Let me just say that Naples has a terribly fascinating history. A million churches, lot's of old construction, interesting historically center of business. However, a great deal of stuff is in disrepair. Apparently much of this is due to extremely stringent and punitive laws regarding historical artifacts and the like.
Magic is waiting to happen for these two...
...at this church, San Domineco Maggiore...
Later that night, we went for pizza. Funny story...you can be certain that the wait-staff adheres to first come first served here in Naples...otherwise the night may end in a shoot out.
You don't get doggie bags in Naples, so we took the crust and ran.
Naturally we indulged in gelato treats afterwards. Martina insisted I eat extra for her. I call it pre-nup pregnancy: bridesmaids eat for two when bride starves herself.
Naturally we indulged in gelato treats afterwards. Martina insisted I eat extra for her. I call it pre-nup pregnancy: bridesmaids eat for two when bride starves herself.
Thursday May 22...
The pressure is building. Anyone who has been married knows what I'm talking about. Has there every been a stress free wedding? However the day greeted us with glorious sun. And from the terrace of Marco's parent's we saw Mt. Vesuvius.
Yeah it looks like little hills, but this is simply what's left of a once HUGE volcano.
This evening I took a hotel room in the city center of Naples (the tourist area basically). The room has the most lovely view of Vesuvius, plus it gives you a better idea of the base size of the volcano.
This evening I took a hotel room in the city center of Naples (the tourist area basically). The room has the most lovely view of Vesuvius, plus it gives you a better idea of the base size of the volcano.
Overall thoughts on Naples so far: interesting. Oh, and the children here are thugs. I was taunted ( I swear to this) by 8 and 9 year old girls in a church restroom. Later I saw a 10 year old boy scaring people by threatening to hit them with his bike. The weird thing was there were no other kids around to see this. He was being a punk just for the sake of it. Disturbing.
Will try to touch in tomorrow, but it will likely be brief. Will definitely update once more before leaving on next Tuesday.
Peace,
A Pink American
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