Showing posts with label August 2014. Show all posts
Showing posts with label August 2014. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Church in Napoli

August 31, 2014


An interesting thing happened on the way to church.  We had never been to this church before and had heard it was difficult to find.  We allowed extra time to get there just in case that was true.  It was.  We set the GPS unit and started on our way.  Everything seemed to be going okay until we got into the heart of Naples.  Suddenly the GPS quit working and the GPS on the phone couldn't get reception either and we didn't have a clue where we were.  We pulled into a parking spot on the street we were on hoping we could figure out where we were.  While we were playing with the GPS, the back door of the car opened and a couple started to get in our car.  President said "no, no, no" and they quickly backed out and said they were sorry--in English.  President rolled down his window and said "At least you speak the right language.  Where are you from?"  Turns out they were from California and were visiting their son who was stationed in Naples.  They were waiting outside of his apartment while he got the car so they could go to church.  They were on their way to the Mormon Church and said we should just wait two minutes until their son got there and we could follow them.  Unfortunately, they were going to the church in Pozzouli thirty minutes away.   We had spent the night just a few meters from there and knew exactly where that church was.  The son said he had lived in Naples for two years and still hadn't found the church there and that's why they went to Pozzouli.  Even when we got very close to where the church actually was, we still couldn't find it and eventually called the missionaries and they came out to the street and guided us back in to where the church was.  We never would have found it.  By the end of the month, the Branch is moving into a new building in a more central location.  We hope we can find it!



Amalfi Coast

August 30, 2014

Italy's Amalfi Coast
By:  Rick Steves


Sorrento, wedged on a ledge between the mountains and the Mediterranean, is an attractive resort of 20,000 residents and — in the summer — as many tourists. It's as well-located for regional sightseeing as it is a pleasant place to stay and stroll. The Sorrentines have gone out of their way to create a completely safe and relaxed place for tourists to spend money. Everyone seems to speak fluent English and work for the Chamber of Commerce. Spritzed by lemon and olive groves, this gateway to the Amalfi Coast has an unspoiled old quarter, a lively main shopping street, a spectacular cliffside setting, and easy public transportation.

The Amalfi Coast offers one of the world's great bus rides: The coastal trip from Sorrento to Salerno will leave your mouth open and your film exposed. You'll gain respect for the Italian engineers who built the road — and even more respect for the bus drivers who drive it. As you hyperventilate, notice how the Mediterranean, a sheer 500-foot drop below, twinkles.

Cantilevered garages, hotels, and villas cling to the vertical terrain. Beautiful sandy coves tease from far below and out of reach. Gasp from the right side of the bus as you head toward Salerno, and the left on the way back to Sorrento. Traffic is so heavy that in the summer local cars are allowed to drive only every other day: even-numbered license plates one day, odd the next. (Buses and tourists foolish enough to drive here are exempt from this system.)

The Amalfi Coast towns are pretty but generally touristy, congested, overpriced, and a long hike above tiny beaches. The real Amalfi thrill is the scenic drive.

If you need a destination, consider Positano, an easy day trip from Sorrento. Specializing in scenery and sand, the town of Positano hangs halfway between Sorrento and Amalfi town on the most spectacular stretch of the coast. A three-star sight from a distance, Positano is a pleasant (if expensive) gathering of women's clothing stores and cafés, with a good but pebbly beach. There's little to do here but enjoy the beach and views and window-shop.




The Amalfi coast is probably best known for its colorful handmade ceramics from Vietri.


















































Amalfi is known for it's hand-made thick paper which is called bambagina.  It is made of cotton and they say it will last 1000 years.