Relaxing at the Esperidi Resort

We finally ran out of gas, I guess 8+ hours at Pompeii will do that to you. We decided that we would not leave the resort today, which was tough with so many great sites and things still to do in the Naples area.

The "resort" we are at, the Esperidi, has a huge contrast from one side to the other. The little cottages are old, and we joke that we are camping since the one room is not much bigger than a tent! All part of the fun, especially since this is the least expensive place we have stayed so far.

Two things that we are starting to figure out; one, we should be booking one of the cheapest hotels in what looks like a nice area of a city. We were at first concerned about the neighborhoods of some of these places we are going, but we are finding out that most of the places are much safer than most American cities. There are so many people, young and old alike, that live life outdoors here. They spend time with neighbors talking in front yards or on the side walk, so crime seems to be not as random as in the U.S. The second thing is that we book the first few nights, then figure out if we want to move to a new hotel or extend the stay at the current one. Plus, we are not sure how long we need to stay in each destination, so shorter hotel commitments are better when you have no idea what you are doing from day to day!

Back to the Esperidi. The other side of the resort is beautiful, with a new "clubhouse" bar, restaurant and cooking school. We thought the cooking school with be a lot of fun, until we saw the price and didn't want to blow the entire week's food budget in one night. Behind the clubhouse, there is a huge pool, with incredible views of the mountains of the Sorrento Peninsula behind. Not a bad place for a day of rest. The days have been very warm, so it has been nice to be staying at a hotel with a pool.

This little guy started visiting us daily after we spoiled him with ziti pomadoro. We would wonder each day if he was going to show up, and like clockwork, there he was at our front door.

One of the interesting things here is that they take there afternoon "siesta" very seriously. They work in the morning, from 8 or 9 am to noon. From noon to 4pm, they take lunch and nap time - how awesome is that? Then, most businesses will reopen from 4pm to 7pm. (we can not figure out why they don't work 60 hour weeks and worry about work the rest of the time like we do). Anyway, the afternoon is meant for relaxation, and they make that clear to the travelers here with a big sign at the pool that reads, "We observe silent time at the pool from 2 to 4 p.m. With respect to others, please; no loud talking, no radios, no splashing, no being obnoxious, it's not all about you. Thank you." OK, that last part was not in there, but you get the point. The sign was not in Italian, it was in English, and that told the story right there!

In all, this has been a fun place to stay, with many interesting characters who work here. Daniel and Grazianna, bartender Luciano, and a quirky restaurant staff all keep it interesting from day to night. And don't forget the 5 a.m. birds with the random song lists! We would love to camp here again some day!