Trips With JamesAmalfi Coast

The Splendor of Florence and Milan

It was near the end of my month-long tour around Italy, and I was headed back to Zurich, Switzerland to catch my flight back to Atlanta. I had spent the last week on the Amalfi coast sightseeing and unwinding from what had been a very tense time for me during the Pandemic. When Europe started to open again, I saw a flight for Switzerland in November and knew from there I could catch a train all the way down to the Amalfi coast. And now I was on my way back but there were still two stops that I wanted to make before I thought my trip would be complete.

The first was to make a stop in Florence, also known as Firenze in Italian. I visited Florence once before during the summer of 2005, and everything they say about the crowds and the congestion and how hard it is to get around is absolutely true. It is very crowded. When you are visiting Florence during the summer bring your patience and your camera because the architecture, the art and the scenery are magnificent. You just must wait in line for everything.

Waiting in the rain to see the frescos of Florence Duomo Cathedral

This time I was making a stop just to see one of my favorite pieces of art for the second time. It is so impressive to see live that I wanted to do it again. It is (the) David statue sculpted by Michelangelo. Sculpted from white marble that he went up into the mountains to select himself, this statue is incredibly beautiful. Based on the biblical figure of David, the statue is a masterpiece of renaissance sculpture standing 17 feet tall and weighing over 6 tons. It was sculpted by Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504 and when completed was placed in front of the City Hall of Florence where it stood for well over two hundred years before being moved inside and replaced with a replica. The statue is currently housed at the Galleria dell’Accademia which is in the city center of Florence.

A replica of the statue of David — The Replica of David outside Florence City Hall

Florence is considered by many academics to have been the birthplace of the Renaissance, becoming a major artistic, cultural, commercial, political and economic center. During the time that Michelangelo sculpted the David, the city was filled with the artistic and cultural elite of Europe. Imagine walking down a Florence street in the early 1500s and passing the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Raphael, and Niccolò Machiavelli, writer of the political handbook The Prince, which is about ruling and exercising power. All these artists and intellectuals were drawn to Florence by the power of the Medici family who ruled Florence and Tuscany and influenced Rome and the Catholic Church for well over three hundred years. The city attracts millions of tourists each year, and UNESCO declared the Historic Centre of Florence a World Heritage Site in 1982. Due to Florence’s artistic and architectural heritage, Forbes ranked it as the most beautiful city in the world in 2010.

View of Florence at Sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo

One of the most beautiful views of Florence is across the river and high on a hill that overlooks the city, the Piazzale Michelangelo. Offering spectacular views of the city especially at sunset as the fading sun reflects off the roofs of the city giving it a golden glow, the Piazzale Michelangelo is located in the Oltr’Arno section of the city (means literally ‘the other side of the river’) is an easy bus ride up into the hills and home to one of the famous sculptor’s three versions of David, offers stunning panoramic views of Florence. There are also restaurants, cafes and bars here, so you can enjoy a drink and a meal while you breathe it all in, often to the soundtrack of local musicians playing in the square. It is difficult to think of anywhere better suited to the quintessential Florentine experience.

DAVID by Michelangelo at the Galleria dell’Accademia

As you can tell from the photographs of (the) David by Michelangelo it portrays a naked man. During the Renaissance in Europe many paintings and sculptures portrayed naked women and men, or naked angels and saints. The human body was seen as something beautiful not something to be hidden away. I was reading recently where a teacher at a junior high school in Florida who had shown photographs of the David to her students was suspended for a few days when one or more of the parents complained about her showing one of the greatest works of European art to her students. The parents were upset that the statue was of a naked man. When the directors of the Galleria dell’Accademia heard about the American teacher being suspended, they offered her and a guest two business class round trip tickets to Florence so she could see the statue for herself for the first time. I am often confused by people who equate art showing naked people with pornography. These are two separate things. The human body by itself is not pornographic. It is beautiful. If you believe in a God, then that is how we were created. To take offense at having a teacher show a photograph of a world famous 600-year-old statue to her classroom, I think is ridiculous but that is my opinion. All I can say is if you are ever in Florence, the statue of David is worth standing in line to see. I have done it twice and I would not trade the experience for anything. It is truly a magnificent work of art.

The next morning, I got on a Euro-Star train which took me to the train station in Milan. The Milan train station (Milano Centrale) is a hub for travel for all of Italy and Europe itself. Located in the northern part of the country, if you are coming from Switzerland or from Germany or France you always stop in Milan to change trains to go to Rome, Naples or anywhere further south. Yet, I was not just coming to Milan for the train station, I was coming to spend time in this amazing city.

Milan is the second-most populous city in Italy after Rome. The city has a population of about 1.4 million. Its outer suburbs even stretch into the nearby country of Switzerland making it the fourth largest in the EU with 5.27 million inhabitants. According to national sources, the population within the wider Milan metropolitan area (also known as Greater Milan), is estimated between 8.2 million and 12.5 million making it by far the largest metropolitan area in Italy and one of the largest in the EU.

The city’s role as a major political center dates back to the late antiquity, when it served as the capital of the Western Roman Empire. Milan is recognized as one of the world’s four fashion capitals; many of the most famous luxury fashion brands in the world have their headquarters in the city, including: Armani, Prada, Versace, Moschino, Valentino and Zegna.

Milan is also a global center of tourism, receiving millions of visitors every year with museums and art galleries that include some of the most important collections in the world, such as major works by Leonardo da Vinci. In the field of sports, Milan is home to two of Europe’s most successful football teams, A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. The city will host the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2026.

Some of the most famous sites to see in the city (of so many to see) are:

The Milan Cathedral also known locally as “The Duomo.”

Milan Cathedral is an artistic monument, well known for its stunning architecture. Also known as Duomo di Milano in Italian, this cathedral is one of the most iconic structures that is also serves as a symbol of Milan. This magnificent cathedral is noted for its Gothic-style architecture and impressive look. The structure was built over a period of six centuries, it is also known for being the third largest church in the world.

On the same plaza is world’s oldest shopping malls, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

One of the major landmarks in Milan, it was first opened back in 1877. The iron-and-glass architecture of the gallery is particularly notable as it was unprecedented in any shopping gallery of those days. It is home to many iconic stores and coffeehouses.

The Policlinico of Milan also known as Ospedale Maggiore di Milano, is one of the oldest hospitals in Italy, founded in 1456. It is a monumental complex which now lies mere steps from the Milan Cathedral and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in the heart of the historic city center. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was decided that the hospital needed to be moved. This move coincided with the founding of the University of Milan. The University took over the historic building complex and it now serves as one of the ten campus buildings spread throughout central Milan. The University is one of the largest universities in Europe, with about 60,000 students, and a permanent teaching and research staff of about 2,000. The Ospedale Maggiore di Milano today it is a modern hospital with nine hundred beds, with wards for adults, pregnant women and children. During the first COVID-19 breakout in March 2020, 300 of those beds were readapted for COVID-19 patients.

La Scala Opera House is considered one of the greatest opera houses in the world on the same scale as the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Inaugurated in 1778, this legendary opera house is known for hosting the finest operatic artists in the world. Most of Italy’s greatest operatic artists, and many of the finest singers from around the world, have appeared at La Scala. Its impressive repertoire of music directors includes names such as Arturo Toscanini.

Mural – The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

The Last Supper is a mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci, dated to c. 1495–1498, and is considered one of his major works. The painting represents the scene of the Last Supper of Jesus with the Twelve Apostles, as it is told in the Gospel of John – specifically the moment after Jesus announces that one of his apostles will betray him. Its handling of space, understanding of perspective, treatment of motion and complex display of human emotion has made it one of the Western world’s most recognizable paintings and among Leonardo’s most celebrated works. Due to the methods used, a variety of environmental factors, and intentional damage, little of the original painting remains today despite numerous restoration attempts, the last being completed in 1999. Housed in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. Reservations are required all year and tickets can only be booked up to four months in advance but usually sell out very quickly. The official ticket site, Cenacolo Vinciano, releases tickets for sale for periods of two to four months in advance. If you just show up to see it, you will be turned away.

On your next or first trip to Italy, make sure to give yourself time in each place to enjoy the amazing history, art, architecture and glory of these ancient and historically important modern cities.

All photos by James Carey, except the photo of The Last Supper @Wallpaper Cave.

Some information is provide by Wikipedia.

TripswithJames.com is a trademark of Carey On Creative, LLC

The Queen of Napoli’s Secret Bathing Pool

The place where she meet her lovers while ruling for 40 years.

Outside the town of Sorrento, Italy, the Gateway to the famous Amalfi Coast is a hidden natural swimming pool with a natural arch that leads out to the sea. The pool is a beautiful bluish green color. It’s a beautiful and romantic protected cove and you can understand why the Queen of Naples would come here to relax and have fun in the sun. At one time there was an old Roman temple here (I do not know which God or Goddess it was for), so it has been an important place since before the birth of Christ.

Cliffs for swimming and fishing at Cape Sorrento

It was a moderately warm but drizzly day in Sorrento where I was staying for a few days as I toured around Italy. I had already walked all over the city, eating amazing Italian food, taking a wild bus ride along the cliffs of the Amalfi coast to Positano and I needed something to do on this gray day. I was not going to stay in my hotel room just because of a little rain. I had heard of Queen Giovanna’s bathing pool, so I decided to go see it for myself.

The swimming hole of Queen Giovanna is not actually a secret today. It is quite a famous tourist attraction during the summer months along the Amalfi coast because of its wonderful views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius, the cliffs and the swimming. This spot along the Cape of Sorrento has been a popular destination for the rich and famous since the start of the Roman Empire. The ruins of a sprawling Roman villa called – Villa Pollio Felice – dating from the 1st century BC. still stands and can be visited. You can go down into the foundations of this Roman villa and hang out if you want. Many people do as evidence from the graffiti covered walls, the empty beer cans and wine bottles, and the odor of weed that lingers in the air. The original owner of this Roman villa could have never imagined that what is basically his basement would become a party place over 2000 years later.

The area around Bagni Regina Giovanna (or translated to Queen Giovanna Baths) is an archeological site and park but in true Italian style it is not protected like an American archeological site. It is a secluded spot located off the beaten path and there is no supervision or guard on duty so you can do whatever you want here on the cliffs above the bay. You are free to wander around, swim or sunbath, fish, have a picnic or cliff dive if you want. Yet, you must be careful because the paths are very rocky, and some are in disrepair, so it is easy to slip and fall to the rocks below. A staircase leads down to the pool. It is shallow and perfect for swimming.

How To Get There –

The baths and ruins are easily reached by bus with a short walk and climb. Begin on Via Capo from Sorrento, staying on this street until you reach Traversa Punta Capo. You can reach the road by cab for about 20 euros from city center you can also hop a bus here as well. There is a store where you can buy water, sandwiches, and basic supplies very close to the bus stop. Walk a few yards along Taversa Punta Capo and off to the right you will see what looks like an old Roman road with high walls along each side. You will follow the road down towards the Bay for about 20 minutes. You should take good walking shoes and the climb back up by this road can be tiring because it is uphill all the way, so you need to be in decent shape or take your time.

You will be passing old villas and homes – some lived in and several not, but on the other side of the walls are olive and lemon groves that seem to have been farmed for centuries. The road is wide enough for a small car or truck to pass by and the road is very old. It is paved but rough walking in many places.
You will eventually come to a staircase that will take you down into the park area. The trails in this area are in rough shape and the stairs down to the pool look unsteady but they seemed safe. You will find the Villa ruins here with its sweeping views, you can sneak down into the foundations if you want. You can make your way along a path that leads to a stony beach for swimming in the bay or take another staircase down to the bathing pool. I did it in November, so it was not crowded at all, and it was cool. During the summer months it will be much warmer and much more crowded so just follow the people.

Who was The Queen of Naples?

Regina Giovanna or Joanna (1326–1382) was a legend before her time. She inherited the kingdom of Napoli from her grandfather at 17 years old during the time when it was extremely rare for a queen to be the ruler of any Kingdom. It was assumed by everyone that she would give up her authority to her husband as soon as she married. Her first marriage took place when she was seven years old, and she married her cousin from Hungary who was six years old. His name was Andrew and of course they did not consummate their marriage until she was 18. Giovanna was smart, ambitious and spent most of her life defending her right to be queen from all the medieval men who kept trying to take her throne. She was married four times, lost both of her children, and had to defend herself from the Pope, her Hungarian relatives and her own family members who were determined to take her throne. Yet in a time of male dominance and when the entire political system was turned against her, she managed to stay on her throne for over 40 years. In the end she was betrayed by one of her Hungarian relatives who invaded Napoli, laid siege to her castle, imprisoned her and finally put her to death.

Unfortunately for Giovanna she is not remembered for her determination to stay on the throne, but instead for the legends that accuse her of murder, ruthlessness, sluttiness and general bad behavior. Whoever she was and whatever she did, it is no wonder that because of all the political intrigue and drama that took place in her palace that she needed a place to get away too. That place was this secretive but beautiful protective cove which allowed her to escape the worries and cares of ruling Napoli. According to legend, the Queen spent much of her time at these baths where she and her ladies-in-waiting waded around the waters with their various lovers. Call it scandalous, or call it sexy, either way this paradise stays, and today the Queen is honored in her favorite place in Naples by thousands of visitors each year.

All Photos by James Carey

Positano, Italy: City on a Cliff

Before I start my account about Positano, I owe my subscribers a bit of an apology. I promised this story to you almost three months ago and yet here it is the first time you’ve heard from me since August. My professional life has gotten very busy recently but that’s not an excuse. I just got lazy. Between directing a show, pre-production for a film, some acting jobs and being asked to write a film for a producer here in Atlanta, I just kept saying I’ll do the Positano story tomorrow. And of course I’m just getting to it now. So please pardon me and expect a lot more articles on Trips With James in the coming weeks.

Positano is the first village that you come to as you leave Sorrento, Italy on the Naples side of the Amalfi coast. It can be reached by bus along the cliffs, or you can take ferries from Naples and Sorrento to reach it by sea. Positano is a layer cake of houses and shops and churches built on a cliff side that reaches all the way down to the Bay of Naples.

The photographs and the short film that are part of this article describe much better than I can in words how beautiful and colorful Positano is. There’s one highway that comes into Positano and connects you with the rest of the Amalfi coast, and there is one road that goes through the village all the way down to the shoreline. Yet Positano is a city of steps and stairways that lead in all directions as you walk through the village. These steps and stairways and paths lead to plazas, elegant shops, beautiful homes, small churches, large cathedrals and everywhere restaurants. Each one of these places has a magnificent view of the Bay of Naples.

I have two brief tales of things that happened to me as I entered Positano. As some of you who have read this blog before know I am scared of heights. Not ones made by nature, but ones made by man himself. I am perfectly fine standing on a cliff or mountain but flying in an airplane or riding over a high bridge scare me stupid. Taking the bus from Sorrento towards Positano, I had climbed on board and sat on right side of the coach. The Italian roads around the Amalfi coast are very narrow but the bus drivers speed around those corners and curves like it’s the Indianapolis 500. To get from Sorrento to Positano you have to cross over a mountain and come down the other side and the views are incredible, but you are literally traveling on a road that is suspended over the ocean anywhere from 500 to 1000 feet above the Bay of Naples with all the views on my side of the bus. There was literally nothing next to us. We were completely supported on this tiny narrow road by man-made construction. There had never been a road there before and there really should not be a road there now. It was breathtakingly beautiful and incredibly scary as we whipped around those corners in this 30-foot bus.

As we arrived in the village an incident that took place was right out of any classic Italian genre comedy. What took place was so cliché that you almost would not believe that it happened, but it actually did. As I stated before the highway is very narrow and in the villages people actually park on both sides of the highway in many places so there’s only enough room for one car to get through one at a time, but Italians don’t wait for anybody they just keep going. As we pulled into the village there was a small pickup truck in front of our bus traveling in the same direction and coming from the opposite way was a very large Mercedes-Benz. They both arrived at the same place at the same time and neither one of them would move out of the way for the other. What ensued was 10 minutes of Italian drivers standing in the middle of the road screaming at each other and waving their hands around in that secret language of Italian hand gestures that only they understand. Our bus driver also got involved as he got out of the bus twice and went over to the group of screaming Italian men. He proceeded to yell and scream while jumping up and down a bit and then came back to the bus. With the cars stacking up behind us on the busy coastal road, drivers from 5, 6, 7 cars away would get out come to join the loud discussion and then walk back to their cars shaking their heads. Not knowing the language, I could only guess what the argument was about. It seemed that the driver of the Mercedes-Benz, a very elegantly dressed older man, seemed concerned that his Mercedes would get scratched by the pickup truck. The driver of the truck didn’t care and that seemed to be the main concern. Finally after 10 minutes of this comedy of errors in Italian, the elegantly dressed man got back in his Mercedes and actually could drive past the pickup truck. There had been really no reason for this entire kerfuffle to take place, but it was exciting to see that the cliches that you think happen in other countries like Italian drivers screaming at each other in the middle of a road actually do take place. No one pulled a gun, no one threw a punch, no one tried to stab anybody else, there was just a lot of yelling and screaming and gesticulating about who was supposed to go first or get out of the way.

It was a bright, clear and warm November day as I took my time wandering through Positano down staircases, across plazas, entering shops and the large cathedral there as I made my way down towards the shoreline. Arriving at the shore of the Bay of Naples, I turned around and realized what an amazing feat of architecture this was. It was a layer cake of colorful houses and shops, churches and plazas that are all built on top of each other. Places where people live and work and shop and eat and live their lives. It is incredible to behold, yet you wonder who was the first person to decide that we could build an entire village on a side of a cliff?

At the bottom of the cliff, the shoreline was filled with expensive eateries and restaurants that serve fresh seafood and amazing Italian pastas and wines. After lunch, of course, it took me a bit longer to go up the staircases to the road then to come down them. I almost missed the bus back to Sorrento because while there is a bus schedule it’s a little bit flexible in an Italian way. Most of these villages don’t have a bus station there’s just a place where people gather and if you miss the bus you may be there for another hour or so before one returns.

Positano is beautiful, colorful, and certainly worth the visit.

A Day in Positano, Italy: A Short Film

A short travel log about Positano, Italy

Positano (Campanian: Pasitano) is a village and comune on the Amalfi Coast (Province of Salerno), in Campania, Italy, mainly in an enclave in the hills leading down to the coast.

A Day in Positano, Italy

TRANSPORTATION TO POSITANO:

Positano can be reached by the SS163 Amalfitana national road, or by the SP425 provincial road. The nearest airports are the Napoli-Capodichino (NAP) and the Salerno-Pontecagnano Airport (QSR) and they have shuttle buses to destinations across the Amalfi Coast, including Positano. Ferries link Positano to other towns including Capri, Naples, Salerno, and Sorrento for transportation. The Sita bus links Positano to Amalfi and Sorrento.

Next Blog will be about Positano!

Film directed and edited by James Carey. All photos are by James Carey. Sources for the information are from Wikipedia and journals of James Carey. The film and this blog are copyrighted by CareyOn,LLC 2022.

Sorrento: Gateway to the Amalfi Coast

Sorrento is an ancient town on the Bay of Naples in southern Italy that dates from the 8th century BC. Sorrento is one of two towns that serve as gateways to the Amalfi Coast. Obviously, one is Sorento on the western side and Salerno on the east. Both of these towns are relatively small. Sorrento had a population of 17,000 in 2007, but if you are traveling by car or bus they’re the only ways to get to the Amalfi Coast. The only other way would be to come in by sea on a ferry or private boat.

From the cliffs surrounding Sorrento you can see Mt. Vesuvius which exploded and buried the city of Pompeii in tons of ash and lava in 79 AD. To the north directly across the bay is Naples the largest cosmopolitan city in the area and to the West is the famous island of Capri.

Sorrento has been a famous tourist destination since the 1700’s and before. Such famous people as Lord Byron, Frederick Nietzsche, Goethe, Keats, Henrik Ibsen, and many other famous people have either lived in or visited Sorrento through the years. Pizza and Neapolitan ice cream are two of the famous food items that supposedly were created in the area. Neapolitan was the original language/dialect spoken by the inhabitants of the area.

While people have been living around the area for almost 3000 years, legend has it that Sorrento was founded by the grandson of Ulysses and Circe, both figures from Greek mythology. It is probably certain that at one time it was a Greek colony or fishing village as its harbor is beautiful and safe, and the oldest archway that leads from the beach up the cliffs towards the city above was built by the ancient Greeks. The village soon came under the control of the Romans as their empire grew and its Roman name was Surrentum.

The other legend that dominates Sorrento’s history are the Sirens, also a famous staple of Greek and Roman mythology. The Sirens were three dangerous mermaid-like creatures who took up residence near Punta Campanella and sang such beautiful songs that they enchanted the sailors on passing ships to wreck their ships on the rocks in the surrounding waters. Even the legendary Ulysses had to figure out a way to resist the deadly song of the Sirens.

As I left Lake Como in northern Italy, I traveled by train through Milano to Naples. The train ride took about 7 hours as I boarded a Eurostar high speed train. Once arriving in Naples at the main Naples train terminal, I boarded a local tram at the same station and after about 10 stops I found myself at the Sorrento train station. Sorrento has no hostels; it only has local hotels or Airbnbs. I chose a small hotel about two blocks from the train station that actually put me right in the middle of the town.

The center of Sorrento, Italy is quite compact, closed to the traffic and easy to explore on foot. Near my hotel was the Piazza Tasso, Sorrento’s main piazza, the best place to catch an expresso or drink and people watch. Piazza Tasso isn’t a particularly historic square…it dates back only about a century. It was built above the gorge which was once home to a number of mills. In the 1800’s, instead of cafés and shops, you would have seen local women hand-washing their laundry in the stream which ran from the hills behind down to the sea below. If you look down from the Piazza, you can still see the gorge known as the Valley of the Mills and, at the bottom, a number of abandoned mills which were powered by the force of the rushing water; unfortunately, the mills are closed to visitors.

The main thoroughfare off the Piazza is Corso Italia lined with fashionable shops, boutiques and the eateries and cafes where both the tourists and the locals eat. While there are some cars and Vespa’s that occasional use the walkway, it’s mostly a pedestrian walkway where at night Italian families and tourists stroll up and down looking in windows, drink espresso in the cafes, smoke cigarettes and talk to each other about family, Europeans football, the weather or Italian politics.

The town is filled with back alleys and small streets and winding walkways that lead off of the Corso Italia toward the cliffs above the Bay. Here you will pass tourist shops, art galleries, more restaurants, chapels and cathedrals. It’s very easy to get lost in this rabbit warren of small back alleyways between the main drag and the cliffs. Most of the town lies on the cliffs above the Bay. As you near the cliffs you will find a few walkways that lead down the face of the cliffs to the beach and Marina below past buildings that have been there for more than a few hundred years. It is an old town with its own history and its own culture and its own way of doing things, and it’s delightful.

One of the most famous products that Sorrento produces is limoncello, their famous liqueur made from lemon rinds, water, sugar and alcohol. The lemon groves are throughout the town itself. There were two of them directly across the street from the hotel that I checked into, and you can find them everywhere in the town where they grow their own lemons and then they’ll sell you the limoncello right there.

Lemon grove right in the town, fruit not ripe yet.

I found Sorrento to be an extremely cordial town. Maybe it’s because they’ve been dealing with tourists for over 500 years or it’s just the small-town feel. While I was traveling by myself I spent five days based in Sorrento as I traveled around the area, and I totally enjoyed my entire time there, and given the opportunity I would go back in a second.

Plus I felt it was a perfect place to explore at least most of the Amalfi Coast without having to be on the coast. You can reach almost any of the small towns along the coast by bus which can be a harrowing experience as they travel at high speeds along the cliffs high above the Bay, making you feel sometimes like there is literally nothing underneath you. Or you come in by ferry or hydrofoil from either Sorento or Salerno. Each one of the separate villages along the Amalfi Coast have their own different feel and thing for which they are famous. You can find books and articles and travel blogs about what each one of those towns specialize in whether it’s their beach, food or their party or family atmosphere.

If you’re looking for a slightly larger town then most of those small villages along the coast that has plenty of places to eat and a lot of things to do not only for kids but also adults, Sorrento is perfect place.

Source information in this blog comes from James Carey journals, Wikipedia, www.sorrentoinfo.com. All photos and short film by James Carey.

A DAY IN SORRENTO, ITALY – A SHORT FILM

A SHORT FILM – A DAY IN SORRENTO,ITALY

A SHORT FILM – A DAY IN SORRENTO,ITALY

Sorrento, Italy is a town overlooking the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. Sorrento is a coastal town in southwestern Italy, facing the Bay of Naples on the Sorrentine Peninsula. Perched atop cliffs that separate the town from its busy marinas, it’s known for sweeping water views and Piazza Tasso, a cafe-lined square. The historic center is a warren of narrow alleys that’s home to the Chiesa di San Francesco, a 14th-century church.

Looking across the Bay of Naples toward Mt. Vesuvius.

A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located within easy access from Naples and Pompei. The town is widely known for its small ceramics, lacework and marquetry (woodwork) shops. It also serves as one of two gateway cities to the famous Amalfi Coast. From Sorrento you can have views of Naples, Mt. Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri. The Amalfi Coast Drive connecting Sorrento and Amalfi, is a narrow road along the high cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea. Ferries and hydrofoils also connect the town to Naples, Amalfi, Positano, Capri, Ischia.

The city is also famous for its Limoncello, a liqueur made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar, which is grown in lemon groves right inside the town.

My next blog will be about traveling to Sorrento and things to do there.

Film directed and edited by James Carey.

All photos are by James Carey.

Sources for the information are from Wikipedia and journals of James Carey

Tag: Amalfi Coast

The Splendor of Florence and Milan

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A DAY IN SORRENTO, ITALY – A SHORT FILM

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