An American In Italy: May 2014: Day 7
5/14/14: Up early to bus down to Marina Grande and catch the ferry to Sorrento. A big car ferry arrived first, and we endured the traffic jam from hell on the narrow docks! Yikes! The bay was choppy, and the crossing was a bit rough.
Sorrento is beautiful. Methinks I know where I want to stay now on my return trip just to explore the region around Vesuvius. Sorrento marks the end of the Circumvesuviana train line that stops at all the major archaeological sites around the volcano. Perfect! Our hotel is also beautiful, but had one major shortcoming: no A/C in the spring, and my one small window didn't let in nearly enough air. The entire fifth floor was stifling. I left the window all the way open (five floors up and rather tucked away in the side of the building, figured it was safe enough), and there was a special key card just to activate the electricity in the room. Took me a few tries to figure out how to use it.
We deposited our bags and took a walking tour led by GP, since this is his hometown. Very fun! The cameo store, Bimonte, run by Christian with the demo of carving was terrific. Oh, I lusted! The limoncello tasting I skipped, but most of the others gave it a taste. More spectacular views across the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius were to be had from the overlook above the marina.
The weather was almost as erratic as Florida in the morning. First sunny, then cloudy, then drizzly, then sunny again. But it cleared up and was absolutely perfect for our drive down the Amalfi Coast. Lots of hairpin turns and a few hair-raising close calls followed in our big bus. This is not a drive for the faint of heart, but the views and sights are sooo worth it! We spent an hour-forty-five in Amalfi, and GP recommended a 45-minute boat tour back up and down the coast. Very worth it, even worth the sunburn I got on my arms for forgetting to reapply sunscreen beforehand. At least I'm not red in the face (that I remembered!) After the boat tour, we had time to shop in Amalfi and take pictures of the facade of its beautiful church. The girls and I bought lovely sandwiches to munch as we browsed.
The walking food was a definite hit today. We were hungry in Sorrento before the drive, and I was in the mood for pastry, so we went to a little pasticceria around the corner from the hotel. I came out with a honey-glazed brioche and a little chocolate tart. Yum!
It's not possible to take the buses back along the coast the same way, so we went through the Milky Mountains through a town known as Little Switzerland. Its actual name is Agerola. It's really beautiful. We also passed through Bidemont and several others until we reemerged east of Sorrento on the Bay. Vesuvius dominated the glittering Bay in the sunlight as we all scrambled to get a clear picture from a moving bus. Even the ones that came out don't capture the beauty and majesty of those views.
Dinner at the hotel was a vast improvement from Capri: beef canneloni followed by roast pork and gravy (not quite on par with my Da's, but very tasty) mashed potatoes and peas, and chocolate covered profiteroles full of whipped cream instead of custard. Yum! The girls and I elected to shop, and Lolita's inadvertent reference to "street walking" led to raunchy, juvenile jokes and hysterical giggling from us Americans all night. We were joined by Joanna and her mom Helen and returned to Bimonte, the cameo shop, for much browsing and lusting. I bought Mum's Mother's Day present there. ;-D Passed through the square under a full moon, shopped our way back to the hotel.
Tomorrow, Naples!
Sorrento is beautiful. Methinks I know where I want to stay now on my return trip just to explore the region around Vesuvius. Sorrento marks the end of the Circumvesuviana train line that stops at all the major archaeological sites around the volcano. Perfect! Our hotel is also beautiful, but had one major shortcoming: no A/C in the spring, and my one small window didn't let in nearly enough air. The entire fifth floor was stifling. I left the window all the way open (five floors up and rather tucked away in the side of the building, figured it was safe enough), and there was a special key card just to activate the electricity in the room. Took me a few tries to figure out how to use it.
We deposited our bags and took a walking tour led by GP, since this is his hometown. Very fun! The cameo store, Bimonte, run by Christian with the demo of carving was terrific. Oh, I lusted! The limoncello tasting I skipped, but most of the others gave it a taste. More spectacular views across the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius were to be had from the overlook above the marina.
The weather was almost as erratic as Florida in the morning. First sunny, then cloudy, then drizzly, then sunny again. But it cleared up and was absolutely perfect for our drive down the Amalfi Coast. Lots of hairpin turns and a few hair-raising close calls followed in our big bus. This is not a drive for the faint of heart, but the views and sights are sooo worth it! We spent an hour-forty-five in Amalfi, and GP recommended a 45-minute boat tour back up and down the coast. Very worth it, even worth the sunburn I got on my arms for forgetting to reapply sunscreen beforehand. At least I'm not red in the face (that I remembered!) After the boat tour, we had time to shop in Amalfi and take pictures of the facade of its beautiful church. The girls and I bought lovely sandwiches to munch as we browsed.
The walking food was a definite hit today. We were hungry in Sorrento before the drive, and I was in the mood for pastry, so we went to a little pasticceria around the corner from the hotel. I came out with a honey-glazed brioche and a little chocolate tart. Yum!
It's not possible to take the buses back along the coast the same way, so we went through the Milky Mountains through a town known as Little Switzerland. Its actual name is Agerola. It's really beautiful. We also passed through Bidemont and several others until we reemerged east of Sorrento on the Bay. Vesuvius dominated the glittering Bay in the sunlight as we all scrambled to get a clear picture from a moving bus. Even the ones that came out don't capture the beauty and majesty of those views.
Dinner at the hotel was a vast improvement from Capri: beef canneloni followed by roast pork and gravy (not quite on par with my Da's, but very tasty) mashed potatoes and peas, and chocolate covered profiteroles full of whipped cream instead of custard. Yum! The girls and I elected to shop, and Lolita's inadvertent reference to "street walking" led to raunchy, juvenile jokes and hysterical giggling from us Americans all night. We were joined by Joanna and her mom Helen and returned to Bimonte, the cameo shop, for much browsing and lusting. I bought Mum's Mother's Day present there. ;-D Passed through the square under a full moon, shopped our way back to the hotel.
Tomorrow, Naples!