Heading to the Coast

Friday, June 3
The international news this morning is featuring the flooding in Paris.  Evidently they've had to close the Louvre and move much of the art work. I'm hoping that they won't realize that we are responsible for bringing those storms to their lovely city.
Today we say our good-byes to Jamal and head to the Ligurian coast, to the lovely resort town of Santa Margherita.  We made sure to book a hotel on the beach with seaside rooms.  This is the leg of our Italian journey that I've been most looking forward to.  A leisurely boat ride to nearby seaside villages. Blue skies and an even bluer sea. Walks on the beach; a swim in their beautiful pool.  Birre and calamari at an outdoor cafe.  Ahhh...sounds wonderful, doesn't it?  But, for us, more rain is in the forecast.  I'm sure we'll still enjoy ourselves.
We arrive and Santa Margherita is every bit as charming as we had hoped...even with overcast skies. Larry and I enjoy a lunch of frito misto (assorted fried seafood) and are in our happy place. Then we decide to have a drink poolside. Because of the gray skies...we have the place to ourselves and make the most of it. Occasionally we see...can it be?...sunshine!  We bask in every moment of sun that we can get!  It is so relaxing in our little bit of sunshine that we fall asleep. Ahhh!
Our hotel has recommended a nearby trattoria for dinner. The food is fabulous!  We have Veal Piccata and Veal Marsala as well as Spaghetti con Vongole (with clams). Absolutely delicious!  But the service....very slow. I've read that in Italy slow service is good service so I keep repeating that mantra in my head, "slow service is good service; slow service is good service."  But all the other tables around us have received their food even if they ordered long after us. We realize that many of the other tables are filled with locals, so we try to understand that the regulars would get better service. But time has marched on. John finally signals our waitress, who doesn't speak English, and then she looks flustered. Food starts arriving rapidly. I think they actually forgot about us. But that's o.k, cuz the food is fabulous.