BENVENUTI A SORRENTO
Benvenuti a Sorrento. Welcome to Sorrento.
Our first visit to Sorrento and the Amalfi coast was in June 2015. We travelled with assorted family and friends for the wedding of my sister Wendie to her new husband Simon.
The wedding took place in the beautiful Chiostro di San Francesco, St Francis' Cloister, which is an oasis of calm in the centre of the bustling town.
The wedding was perfect. The bride was beautiful. The guests were, mostly, beautiful. The service was beautiful. I had the honour of giving Wendie away, which was a bit nerve-racking; but I just about achieved my primary goal of not falling over.
After the ceremony we walked the short distance to 'The Foreigners' Club' for the reception. The views from the restaurant are stunning. The food, drink and service were excellent. All in all, a perfect day.
Most people from the UK who visit Sorrento will fly to Naples. From there it's just over an hour by road to the town. The views across the Bay of Naples from Sorrento towards Naples and Mount Vesuvius are spectacular. The town is very busy and hot in the summer, but somehow manages to remain friendly and welcoming, and to be unmistakably Italian.
The streets are narrow and busy, with many small shops selling a wide range of local souvenirs, of variable quality. Many of the shops have a limoncello theme, with the assorted soaps, candles and other lemony products lending a distinctive citrusy aroma. I'd recommend buying a half decent bottle of limoncello. It's one of my few holiday drink purchases that actually still tastes good when you get it home.
There are many bars and restaurants. The food on offer is generally of good quality and reasonably priced, presumably as there is so much competition. Naples claims to be the home of pizza, and if, like me, you're a fan of pizze e pasta, you'll be spoilt for choice here.
The best time of day to visit the town is the early evening, when the roads are closed to traffic for a couple of hours and it's a bit cooler. Then it's a good time to browse the shops, and maybe sample a gelato from one of the many excellent gelateria in the town. Also worth a look are the marinas, especially the Marina Grande which, slightly confusingly, is the smallest of the town's harbours.
Sorrento is a good base from which to explore the local area. A trip along the windy road down the Amalfi coast is pretty essential. Lots of spectacular scenery and pretty towns, including the much photographed Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. The locals delight in pointing out illustrious 'landmarks', such as the villas of Sophia Loren and Roger Moore, and the location of the Galaxy 'Audrey Hepburn' ad.
We took a boat trip to Capri, which was fun, but I'm not sure I'd bother again. Full of busy tourist restaurants and very high end shops. Not really my natural environment. Dolce & Gabbana or Versace are not exactly badgering me to wear their gear.
The looming presence of Monte Vesuvio, Mount Vesuvius, dominates the area. Mount Vesuvius is best known for the eruption in AD 79 that led to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The remains of these settlements are definitely worth a visit. I'll devote a separate post to our visits and photos from these fascinating remains.
The last major eruption of Vesuvius was in March 1944. The locals claim that a fresh eruption is imminent, but I got the impression that they've been predicting that for a while. Whatever, the government has an extensive evacuation plan in readiness should a new eruption be anticipated.
We enjoyed Sorrento so much that we returned a year later. The town is hot and busy. You'll spend a lot of time avoiding maniacal Italian scooter riders. It's a great place for a holiday though. We shall definitely be back someday.