Gordon ... the Gin?

...or Gordon the Dachshund?  Here's a little story to start my mid-week Italian blog. Last night, we were having our pre-dinner Aperol Spritz at our hotel bar, waiting for the sunset. Down the stairs came a beautiful Dachshund, off leash, followed by an older man, who was clearly his owner.  The Dachshund, although leading the way to the bar, was glued to his human like you wouldn't believe. The man sat down, with his dog, and eventually his wife joined him, with friends.

We were mesmerized by this dog, who never left the sight of his owner but remained very watchful of everyone around him. Dachshunds are known to be good watch dogs and very loyal.  As we were getting ready to leave for dinner, we couldn't help ourselves and had to stop by and say hello. It was then that we found out the dog's name, Gordon, named after the older man's favorite brand of gin.

This morning at breakfast, we spotted Gordon and his owner.  Gordon was off leash again and truly looked like he owned the place, but never left his owner's side.  I wanted to take a photo but the man seemed to be on a mission so I let it go. I now wish I had.  Off we went for a two hour walkabout in town. When we returned, we stopped at the hotel lounge for a little pre-lunch Prosecco (what can I say, that's what people do in Italy). The lounge is filled with a lot of art pieces so there is a quite a bit to take in. As I was sipping my wine, I suddenly noticed a wall unit filled with Dachshund art pieces....as I took a closer look, I realized that they were all about Gordon. Coincidence maybe, I didn't think so. Being the inquisitive person that I am, I asked the concierge about Gordon and found out the reason why the eight year old Gordon was acting like he owned the place....his human is the owner of the hotel, Giovanni Russo. Now, I truly wish I had taken a photo of Gordon. Such a cutie! They were at our hotel for the night and left this morning to go back to their summer home on a private island. It so happened that we saw Mr. Russo's private island the other day on our way to Positano, photo below. So this is my story about Gordon. Maybe our paths will cross again one day.

The past few days have been wonderful. Monday, we went to Positano and Ravello. We were gone for the whole day. Positano is a beautiful place but crazy busy with tourists. Ravello, on the other hand, much more quiet and very quaint. The scenery is spectacular in both places.  Our day ended with a wonderful display of fireworks right in front of our hotel room, which marked the end of a week long celebration of Sant'Anna Festival.

We spent the past two days relaxing, walking around town and lots of time at the  beach. We swam in the Tyrrhehian Sea, the water is so soothing and refreshing.

So, this is our last night in Sorrento. Tomorrow, we're off to Rome, then fly to Toronto on Friday. It's been a great vacation and a wonderful 60th birthday celebration. I have lots more to share in blogs to come. For now, I leave you with a few photos. Ciao Ciao!

Gordon...the downward Gin dog!

An  artistic impression of Gordon.

A tribute to Gordon..long may he roam,  Belleveue Syrene.

The Summer home of Mr. Russo....the private island in the
distance on the Amalfi coast..Gordon owns Mr.Russo.

A view onto the beach in Positano.

The Positano coast is stunning.

Another view into Positano.

Positano is built into the walls of the hills.

Sant Anna fireworks display...our front row seat as seen from
the balcony of our room.

The show never stopped.

....and the finale!