Day 34: Capri

We went down to Marina Piccola this morning to catch a ferry to Capri. We've used the marina and the ferries three days in a row now in Sorrento. A very good way to get around the area.

We didn't go to Capri last time we were here because we heard the crowds were so bad. We took a chance this year and it was lovely. It's the end of the season, so many restaurants and hotels were closed, but it made it perfect for wandering around. The photo below is not mine, but a good look at the Capri rock formations.

The views are stunning.

There are lots of small streets to explore.

I also found a few wall ceramics around town.

We ate lunch by the harbor. This is Spaghetti alla Limone. It was delicious and they used one of the many lemon plates we everywhere.

Another great trip to Italy.

 

Day 33: Napoli and the National Archeology Museum

We got on a ferry again this morning--this time from Sorrento to Napoli. I'm not sure why we didn't use ferries when we were here last year, but they are a great and fast form of transportation.

Last year we went to Pompeii--it was amazing. Nearly all of the frescos, mosaics, and statues that were uncovered there are in the archeology museum in Naples. The day we were in Naples last year the museum was closed, so it was on our list for this year. And it did not disappoint. There are thousands of statues there. Here are a couple.

The frescos were wonderful. The way the wealthier citizens of Pompeii decorated their walls was stunning.

Here is a floor of one of the houses.

These two dudes had water coming out of their mouthes as part of fountains.

If you look closely at this urn, you can see how the whole thing was pieced back together.

One of the things that surprised me most was the glassware that was present in 79AD. Not sure why I thought they didn't have it.

And maybe  most stunning were the mosaics. They were absolutely beautiful.

When we got back to Sorrento, we saw the first cruise ship of our trip. It is great to see Vesuvius from here.

 

Day 32: Amalfi

We took a Ferry to Amalfi for the day. It was a beautiful trip.

The ferry stopped in Positano, which is also a lovely coast town.

Amalfi has mosaics all over town on the walls.  Here are a few.

We wandered the town and the beach area.

And ate a delicious lunch at Lido Azzurro, a seaside restaurant away from the hustle and bustle of the town.

We had a lovely sunset on the ridc back to Sorrento.

 

Day 31: The Port

 Today we walked down by the port. We took an elevator down since it is such a steep cliff.

We looked at the ferry schedules for trips tomorrow and Sunday. We then wandered the town along the cliffs.

We found a new bar overlooking the sea. Lovely!

We had a very lazy and relaxing day.

Day 30: Sunny Sorrento

I am reminded why we came back to Sorrento. It's a lovely seaside town that is less crowded than other Italian cities we have visited. Every morning after breakfast we go and sit by the pool to enjoy the morning sun.

There is a wonderful art museum in town. We visited the Villa Fiorentino and discovered (like last year) an exciting artist with whom we were not familiar.

Antonio Ligabue had a very troubled life from a young age. He was raised by adoptive parents, sent away from them, had mental disturbances, was incarcerated in institutions, and still became an amazing artist. 52 of his oil paintings were on exhibit.

Here's one of his many self portraits.

And this Leopard was on a huge canvas.

After the museum, we wandered the narrow streets of Sorrento.

We had dinner at the Terazza Sirene--it has some of the most beautiful views of the coast.

And the bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius.

And the port below.

 

Day 28 & 29: Travel to Sorrento

It took a full day to get from Siena to Sorrento. We started with a taxi from Siena to Florence, then a train from Florence to Naples, and finally a hotel car from Naples to Sorrento. It was a long day, but fairly easy. We are staying at hotel we've stayed at before, Antiche Mura (Ancient Wall). Since it was late when we arrived, we just went to the end of the block to a cafe in Piazza Tasso.

In the morning, we had breakfast next to a lovely garden with lemon trees everywhere.

This is part of the ancient wall our hotel is named for.

At the end of the block is the sea.

It's wonderful to be back in Sorrento.