Sorrento - Bay of Naples

Sorrento – Bay of Naples

Sorrento is a town on the Bay of Naples. You can see Naples straight opposite the bay, especially at night-time when the lights are all twinkling.

It is on the coast and has houses up on cliffs, though not like the Amalfi coast. We stayed in a hotel close to the town square (good for shopping). Our room was hilarious – it was on its own, across a garden patio area where people sit in the sun, sunbathe, drink coffee etc. It was two-story, with the bed up the top mezzanine floor area, and a single bed and toilet, shower, bath etc. down stairs. Only problem with that is if you want to go to the toilet during the night you are carefully going down this windy staircase that squeaks on each step! Also rather dangerous in the dark!

The first night we arrived we had a dinner up in the hills of Sorrento, up this windy, narrow road that our bus driver did amazingly well to negotiate. The restaurant was run by a family, so Mama and Papa came out to introduce themselves (Mama is my height, twice my girth). It was a great night. We had a guy singing with a guitar with a tenor voice. Then he launched into these American songs which the Americans loved and joined in. After a few wines it was all up and dancing (even Dave) in any small space by the tables! The waiters were just shaking their heads as they tried to get past us all with plates of food. I was just hysterical at hearing Elvis, country songs, all sung with this very Italian accent! All in all a good night.

That night there was a major thunderstorm – and I mean loud, lots of lightning flashing. Because we were out on our own our room was surrounded and shaking each time thunder boomed! Then the lightning flashing like some scary movie! (You try going down a staircase in the dark, every now and then the room shaking and then lit up like a flash going off!) Needless to say I was rather scared, and got no sleep.

This didn’t bode well for the next day. I was knackered. Unfortunately it was the tour of Capri so I really wanted to go. Luckily it was a gorgeous day (admittedly with a few rather large puddles!) The island of Capri is just off the coast of Sorrento – we got a fast jet boat (rather large, holding about 300 – 400 people). It took half an hour so it was moving! Then we got into a small boat to go out and around the coastline of the island. I loved it! Lots of waves, and up close to cliffs to see caves and houses high up. Dis you know it also has a hole in the rock like Bay of Islands? We went through it in our boat.

After that it was taking a group taxi (convertible cars – quite cool sitting in the back like the Queen!) up to the township of Capri, which is up in the hills. We went for a walking tour up and down the town (neat photo shots of the view). Apparently the Roman emperors. Like Tiberius, and Caesar liked to come and stay 2000 years ago. Sophia Loren has a house there (is she dead yet?) and Krupp family had this huge mansion with gardens (of which they donated the gardens to the township for all to enjoy). Krupp was the German family who made big money in ammunitions, esp. during the 2^nd world war. Then it was a fenecular (you know like the song) which is a little cog train down a steep hillside to the port at the bottom, back on the ferry again.  

Later on in the day I went on a coast road ride along the Amalfi coast. (Dave refused to go cause he had seen how windy the road was last time we were there!) So I went with our New York and Boston friends. The road was very windy and sheer cliffs down one side. I made sure I was on that side of the bus to take photos. We drove to the town of Postino which was a town very much up, down and no cars allowed in the township. (You leave them in parking garages up the town and walk down). It was quite lovely with little arty shops under clematis  walkways, lots of narrow steps etc down to the sea. That was a bit disappointing – the sand was very much imported in, and pebbles were part of a beach further out. Would be quite picturesque in summer. However it started raining! First time really on how whole trip so far so shouldn’t complain.  Thank god for the pergolas and coverings of vines over the walkways. I had my photos by then so didn’t really mind. (Slept the whole way back – about 45min).

That night was another dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Bay of Naples, all twinkling lights. Quite lovely – Dave made friends with a waiter (gay?) who thought Dave was really funny, and kept bringing on the red wine! Talk about funny watching Dave’s face! I actually went home early after having no sleep the night before. Walked by myself through Sorrento about 9.30pm and it felt so safe. In fact we have not had any problems with dodgy types so far (touch wood!)

Another thunderstorm that night but I think I slept through it all!