A Brief History

My father, Jim Stevens, as one of the soldiers of the 601st Tank Destroyers, was on active duty for the entire engagement of the North African Campaign and The European Theater of Operations in WWII - for over 4 years. He experienced 546 days of actual combat. While he fought at the Kasserine Pass and El Guettar in North Africa and then in France and Germany, it is the Italian Campaign that I have chosen to focus on. Jim has often said that he would have liked to return to Italy. For him it would have been a ritual journey allowing him to reconcile the brutality of the war he fought with the people, culture, beauty and history of the country that he also experienced. At 91, he cannot take that journey so I am taking it for him.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Capri and Sorrento


A view of Capri with Sorrento and Vesuvius in the distance




This is a little roadside grotto, they are all over Sorrento.



This woman is selling fruit, vegetables and lots of peppers at a roadside stand. It would take me a year to use a string of those peppers!

We spent the day visiting Capri then Sorrento. Capri was gorgeous! We enjoyed the beautiful blue water, hillside homes and shops along the lanes. Unfortunately, it was cold and blustery so the blue grotto was closed to visitors. We were told that Capri NEVER gets cold like it was today - go figure! We road a jet boat across the Bay of Naples back and forth to Capri, the boat ride itself was a delight. We walked the streets of Sorrento, exploring the shops selling hand painted tiles, inlaid wood designs and lots of limoncello. This area is known for its lemons the size of grapefruit and ceramics beautifully painted with lemons, olives and intricate designs. There is a beautiful church on just about every corner in both Capri and Sorrento - lots of opportunities for prayer and reflection.

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4 comments:

  1. MarianOctober 17, 2011 at 12:33 PM

    Hey Susan, glad to hear you are enjoying my posts!

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  2. MauraOctober 17, 2011 at 6:00 PM

    So sorry to hear the blue grotto was closed--I know that Dad was really looking forward to that! I hope you had some Limoncello to cheer up :)

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  3. JenniferOctober 17, 2011 at 8:42 PM

    It has been so enjoyable to follow you through Italy. I really look forward to each Post! Thanks so much for your writings each day!

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  4. MarianOctober 17, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    Maura R, yes we did enjoy the limoncello, along with red wine wherever we go and with lunch and dinner. Jennifer, we had you and JIm on our minds as we toured Rome. This experience is just all around wonderful. I am presently sitting in our hotel room in Sorrento. Our room has a balcony with doors that open to overlook the bay.The breeze is delightful. It doesn't get better than this :)

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