Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Sorrento in the Rain

The announcement was made Tuesday night that because of expected high winds we would not be going to Amalfi/Positano, but would be diverted to Naples.   Amalfi is a tendered port, and we could dock in Naples.  I wasn’t particularly disappointed since Naples looked to be the easier port for Dwight to visit.  In fact, they offered a shore excursion available to mobility impaired (a rarity) that was only a bus drive to Sorrento.  The tour offered a panoramic view of the Italian Riviera, two hours of free time in Sorrento, and an early return which would allow me time for a nap before the evening’s presentation.  It was a good idea only spoiled by the constant rain which accompanied us.  Sorrento is a pleasant little town.  We dodged the obligatory visit to a shop featuring inlaid enamel and found shelter under the awning of a coffee shop on the main square which also offered free Wi Fi.  It was actually fairly pleasant given the circumstances.  The heat of last summer’s voyage is beginning to look good.  I’m grateful I bought a rain jacket in Cannes.  We hope Greece will be warmer and drier.

Mt. Vesuvius

I had invested a lot of worry into the evening’s presentation because it really didn’t have much to do with our next destination—Taormina, Sicily.  I’ve never heard of Taormina, Sicily, but it was originally settled by the Greeks and one of the main attractions are the ruins of an ancient Greek/Roman theatre, so I took advantage of that to combine a talk on Dionysus with the history of Western Theatre.  It was well received by the sparse crowd, and I was looser than I was for the first presentation.   Maybe I’ll actually make it through this first cruise.  The last two lectures are ones that were planned for the outbound portion of the next voyage at Corfu and Venice.  At least the Venice one actually concerns Venice. 

After the talk, a man came up to me and asked, “Are you a humanist?”  Being wary of my response, I told him that I’m a Christian/pagan/humanist.  He then said, “Let me just ask you directly, Are you a Unitarian?”  He’s a nice guy, a Unitarian from Vermont.  I guess I’m unmasked.