CET Student Correspondent News: Andiamo a Sorrento!

By Courtney Rogers

I can’t believe it’s already mid April and high time that I fill you in on Sorrento! I took the train from Naples to Sorrento and then a cab ride up to Agriturismo La Lobra, which is on the westernmost part of the peninsula. It was after 7 when I finally put down my bags and I was absolutely drained. The people of La Lobra were so nice to me, “the American girl.”

That first night, they made dinner for the guests and asked me if fish was okay. Not wanting to be rude/ not having the energy to protest, I said, “Sure!”. We were literally down the street from the fisherman’s marina and you’re supposed to try new things when you study abroad. I was fine with the pasta course, which had mussels but they were delicious. The second course, however, nearly made me a become a vegetarian. They brought me a plate that had a whole fish, eyes, tail, the works. Not only did it look like it had just been pulled from the ocean, they had even posed it so that the fish appeared to be swimming in the sauce!! I couldn’t even look at it and all I felt just like Sebastian watching the crazy chef from "The Little Mermaid". True, I wasn’t being cooked, but I just stared at this fish and didn’t even know where to start. They asked if I wanted something else, but I thought that would be the ultimate lame American move and said I was fine.I finally nudged the bread basket so that it blocked my view of the fish’s blank stare. Apart from the fish, every meal I ate there was amazing and flawless with fresh salads, wonderful pasta dishes, and home made pound cake for breakfast! They even made their own limoncello, which was the best I’ve had in Italy.

"I’m not a huge fish person, it’s just not how I roll, but we were literally down the street from

the fisherman’s marina and you’re supposed to try new things when you study abroad."

On my first full day back in Italy, I decided to explore a bit and walk into Massa Lubrense for the afternoon. As you can see, the walk was gorgeous and the weather was so nice; hooray for shorts. I had a delicious lunch in town and my waiter was very nice. He brought me “presents” of complimentary bruschetta and fresh orange juice and he kept asking me where my boyfriend was. Had I known enough Italian vocabulary, I would have replied, “You know, I’m not sure. I’ve been looking for him everywhere but I just can’t seem to find him.” Later in the day, while I was back in my hotel room, the innkeeper rang my doorbell and when I opened my door, she had a bouquet of roses in her hands! It turns out I must have made quite the impression at lunch, as the waiter asked to see me again. I hate to burst the bubbles of all the romantics out there, but I didn’t end up seeing him again. Blame it on the movie “Taken” but as a girl traveling alone, it seems like pretty common sense to not wander off alone with some local guy you’ve just met. But nonetheless, the roses were very beautiful and an extremely flattering gesture.

"The view from my room ... lemons everywhere!"

My time at the lemon farm was both restorative and challenging. I have never traveled by myself anywhere except to and from Vanderbilt, so it was a lesson in being prepared and completely self-reliant about travel plans. I can’t say it didn’t get lonely, but by the end of it, I realized that being lonely is a choice. You can choose to not talk to anyone and spend your day doing solitary activities, or you can strike up a conversation with other guests and make new friends. It can be intimidating when you’re alone and everyone else is in groups, but I found some of the nicest people to spend time with and they were more than willing to let me crash their vacation for mealtime. Most importantly, I felt so accomplished after traveling alone. Being a girly girl, it’s easy to let other people step in, make the plans and help you every step of the way. But Sorrento? That was all me. I planned it, I did it, and I had a lot of fun.

Courtney Rogers,
CET Florence, Spring 2010

NB: Check out some of Courtney's freelance fashion writing at http://blog.blush.com/