It is good that we did Sorrento last, I may have not wanted to leave for anywhere else. It's not just the hotel, which is reason enough to stay, but the whole town is a charming italian town on a cliff that caters to the bay front lifestyle. The people are charming, the shops are reasonable and selection is good, dining is Fantastic, and views are relaxing.
Most of you know I am a boater and i could have planted myself right here all day. In fact, just behind the large yachts there is a bar where we did plant ourselves enjoying afternoon GTs and watched all the marina activity.
But there is way more to Sorrento than classic and modern boats, and high speed ferries to Capri.
Great Pizza here.
Mine had 4 different styles to it. My favorite was the mushroom.
Saint Anthony is the patron saint of Sorrento and he has an appropriate statue at the entrance to the town square.
Gratuitous Ferrari shot. It was the only one I actually saw driving around.
To think that for all his troubles and triumphs, he is now a hair dresser.
Limoncello is everywhere. In fact lemon anything is everywhere. You can get soaps, candles, candy, and limoncello that is made in the back of these shops. Lemons are plentiful here and you can easily get 3-4 harvests a year.
Wood work and artistry is another of Sorrento's specialities. When I looked at all the Pinnochio carvings and dolls, it got a bit like clown phobia for me.
Always room for Gellato.
We had some some of the best meals of the entire trip in Sorrento. The first night we ate at L'Antica Trattitoria. Without a doubt the best meal we had. I didn't take the camera so I have no pictures of the food, but it was excellent and perfect proportions. They offered several fixed priced dinners from 3 courses to 5. They also offer it ala carte. I thought I had a picture of the the sign, but it is on trip advisor and highly rated. We went there as our driver from Rome, Giacomo, had recommended it.
Our driver for the Amalfi coast recommended another restaurant where eat our last night, La Donna Sofia. The restaurant is in the hills and they come pick you up from your hotel as you would never find it on your own. The drive alone is an E ticket ride through streets so small that in a small car, you still need to colapse the mirrors to prevent hitting the walls. The restaurant was in a retooled house and had pictures of Sofia Loren everywhere. She used to eat here when in town. There was Dean Martin playing in the background and we decided to eat alfresco on the backyard patio. The meal was delicious but the standout was the truffle ravioli in a mushroom sauce. We had a great local wine Ravello Reserve which I will look for at Total Wines when we get back. To cap it off we had limoncello and a hot sponge cake filled with........ Lemon sauce. Delicious!!!
The drive down the Amalfi coast is breathtaking and I am glad I didn't drive so I could look and take pictures. We stopped in Positano for a nice walk, drove through Amalfi where we didn't stop as it was over run with Cruise Ship passengers and other visitors. It was more densely packed than Venice when the cruise ships came to port. So we drove on to Ravello and had a quiet lunch looking down over the coastline.
This alley and stairs was big enough only for a single person to get through.
The view from our table while we enjoyed a delicious lunch of fresh Calamari in Ravello.
The nice thing we observe any where we travel is that kids are kids. They are universal in their innocence and joy.
And some kids never grow up!
I can't believe its been three weeks since we started our Grand Tour of Italy. Tomorrow we leave from Rome and the Courtyard Marriott at the airport. We have stayed in some fabulous hotels along the way and have come to understand Italy in a way that shared the vibrancy of its people. This wasn't a simple tour of famous places. We leave feeling a sense of belong to a past this also ours. As they say, all roads lead to Rome!
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