Fourth Trip to Italy, February 1998

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After the fabulous trip of August 1996, we did not return to Italy until February 1998 during my "February Recess". Since we had canceled the Sorrento part of the last trip in order to stay in Florence 9 days instead of 5, this trip would focus in some part on that area of Italy. I also missed Rome, having not been there since 1992, so that would be there also. But as always, Florence would be the primary goal, returning to "my second home" as I now liked to call it. So the plan was to land at Rome's airport, spend almost 2 full days in Rome, then take the train to Naples and stay somewhere near the station for an afternoon tour of some of that city, and then taking what is known as the Circumvesuviana (a train that runs around the base of Mt Vesuvius) Railroad to Pompeii, and if we had time a bit further to Sorrento, the end of the line. I realized that we would probably not get to take the famous bus along the Amalfi Coast, or take a boat to Capri, but this was sufficient for now. It became obvious to me that now I could very well expect to get to Italy on a regular basis, so cramming stuff in wasn't necessary. We would stay in Florence for 5 days, and leave for the airport in Rome from Florence, as the flight wasn't scheduled until 2:30 PM, giving us plenty of time to take a train to Rome, and then another to the airport. I did have some unfinished business with the hotel, Croce di Malta, as I had written a letter to the General Manager, Massimo Cammunci, complaining that we had been charged for beach towels we never used. He told me that we would be compensated upon our next visit (even he knew we would be returning soon), and that when I made my next reservation, I should contact him directly and he would give us "special consideration". Well, we made the reservation through him and awaited what he had in mind. I hadn't met Massimo at that time, but he seemed sincere. Now the only thing we hoped for was no snow storms or bad weather to impede the trip. Someone I knew told me when I was planning Italy Trip # 1 back in 1992, that he had been to Italy 4 times. I found that astounding, but now here I was making MY 4th trip !