An off the blog comment has prompted these notes!

The use of the Italian language at various points was used to portray to the reader, the excitement of adapting to the new language.

The author assumes that bus biglietti, would be interpreted as bus tickets, as well as bus fermata, bus stop. The tobacconist, or tabac, is where bus tickets are generally purchased in Italy.

It may not have been obvious that an albergo was a hotel, and from way up the mountainside, there was always a fear falling into the sea, or al mare!

The Bagno is the bathroom!

Willem’s rueful look, and the reference to his confinement of the previous day, was intended to leave the reader wondering as to what were the circumstances!

The street level entrance to Hotel Pupetto is shared with that of another hotel, and as it is well above the hotel itself, there is a small lift to transport guests and luggage down to a closer pathway, but still a good walk to Hotel Pupetto.

The fabulous four had crammed into the lift, and just as the lift door closed, Linda made the remark that, “Maybe one of us should have remained behind to make sure the rest made it down safely”!

Willem, a control freak at heart, asked Linda, who is also not enamoured with confined places, once we had exited the lift after a slow and lengthy descent, whether her remark, in the lift, was really necessary!

The promised reward at the end was in fact Santa Lucia, and not a massive cheque as hoped for by another off the blog commentator!

I hope the above clarifies any vagueness, had there in fact been any!

Vorrei in Italian is the polite form to use when ordering your meal, drinks or your needs from any supplier! It means I would like.

Bring me Prosecco is my own interpretation, and gives a more English understanding to what I am asking of the waitress/waiter!

Vorrei Prosecco

Bring me Prosecco to slake my thirst

For my limbs, they truly hurt

Today I conquered Sentiero degli Dei

The tempest turned me back, yesterday

I saw the sights the ancients saw

Tho’ our modern world has added more

The oars and sheets of ancient galleys

Replaced with trails of speeding ferries

The tricky paths with awesome views

Breathtaking sights at each turn

Soul now slaked at journey’s end

Bring me Prosecco, my dry throat to tend

Dan Varoy 2014 10 06