A whistle stop tour. After an early flight into Naples we were keen to get to our destination as soon as possible so jumped into a taxi which took us the to train station at breakneck speed, but did rip us off. After some confusion at the station we then jumped on the Circumvesuviano and 45mins later pulled into Sant’Agnello, and then it was a 10min walk to our hotel, Villa Garden.
This is a small boutique hotel which as the name suggests used to be a classic Italian villa and it’s perched right on the cliff for a gorgeous view out to sea, and back up to Naples and Mount Vesuvius. We were quick to dump our bags and head straight for the lovely pool area and of course an Aperol spritz or two in the glorious sunshine.
After a relaxing afternoon we walked down into Sorrento which is about 25min, hitting the main square we were keen to find a bar and watch the world go by. We settled on La Pergola which is a fairly swanky joint carved into the dark rock with purple wisteria cascading down the walls and soft jazz playing in the background. The waiter promptly brought over the free snacks which seem to come with all drinks in Italy and suggested we go for the daily special, lemon spritz, which sounded good to us. I can’t quite bring myself to say how much we paid for these but safe to say they were pretty much the most expensive drinks we’ve ever had and we learnt a valuable lesson to always check the menu first, but we had a lovely time so it wasn’t so bad.
It was getting pretty late by now so we walked round to La Cantinaccia del Popolo, a well recommended pasta place and joined the queue. It was around a 45min wait but the main guy who we affectionately named ‘Big T’ brought everyone wine and cheese which was cute. Once sat down it was tough to decide as everything looked so good so I went for half aubergine pasta and half lasagna while Dan had meatballs and spaghetti and it was absolutely delicious, honestly the best pasta we’ve ever eaten, so rich and sweet, as well as amazingly cheap!
The next day after a hearty breakfast with mimosas on tap, looking out to sea wondering who was on the fancy yachts, we set out for Positano. Now you can get the local bus but reports weren’t great so we went for the tourist bus which although slightly more expensive at €15 each return you were guaranteed and seat and there was aircon, so well worth it as far as we were concerned. Less than an hour later we were snaking our way into the town and enjoying our first views of the picture postcard houses built into the cliff.
We jumped off the bus and made our way down the pretty cobbled streets jam packed with shops, bars and hotels, stopping for creamy and delicious gelato. Once at the bottom we picked a spot on the busy pebble beach and watched the action unfold. After a quick dip we decided to walk along to the nearby Fornillo beach, which was a little more relaxed and had several beach bars in which to enjoy a cold beer! Eventually we wondered back up the hill stopping off for gnocchi and melanzane parmigiana which were, you guessed it, delicious! The bus dropped us of near our hotel and we jumped straight into the pool to cool of and ordered a bottle of fizz! As the sun began to go down we moved on the the terrace and watched the most beautiful sunset with some cocktails, it was glorious.
A little merry by this point we stomped down to Pizzeria da Franco another place which came highly recommended, this time for its pizza. A no frills place the pizza comes in metal trays and despite unbelievably managing to order a white pizza they were very tasty.
The next day we opted for a pool day which was super relaxing and I even had a pina colada, ideal. That evening all dressed up and me wearing heals we opted to get the bus into town and then walked down to Marina Grande on the west side of Sorrento, this looked lovely as the sun was setting and the fairly lights started to twinkle over the water. We headed to Soul & Fish for a bottle of local fizz on the terrace before moving into the restaurant for dinner. Our waiter was awesome and helped us pick out a fresh seabass to share which he later filleted at our table! A superb meal before the long walk home.
Up next was the island of Capri! A 25min ferry ride later we docked at the port and were instantly swamped by tourists and sales pitches for boat trips. The most famous attraction is the Blue Grotto, a cave in which the sunlight refracts beautifully through the water but I’d read that although this may be quite the sight, perhaps not worth the time spent queuing. Instead we headed straight for the funicular and up to Capri Town. After an iced coffee in the square watching the beautiful people go out their business we grabbed a gelato and started to wander. This place is so beautiful, designer shops galore but everything is just so picturesque. We walked to the other side of the town to visit the Gardens of Augustus but unfortunately a lack of cash meant a quick (and sweaty!) dash back to the ATM for Dan! Worth it as the view from here is truly spectacular.
Heading back down we had a pricey but welcome beer at the harbour, great for people watching, then grabbed a few more cans and headed for the beach to relax and go for a dip. We got lucky with the ride home as this time we boarded a sailing boat with sun loungers on the top deck, perfect! After a couple more drinks back in Sorrento enjoying the last of the days sun we opted for a restaurant called Guarracino for dinner. Sharing steak tagliata and ragu along with a bottle of red wine before heading back home, shattered!
Our last day, a lazy morning in the sunshine, in and out of the pool before getting the train back to Naples. Our b&b was right next to the station so after dropping of bags we headed to nearby L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele very excited to try their world famous Neapolitan pizza. We got a table straight away and it was just so so good, best pizza ever. Stuffed we pottered around the streets of Centro Storico stopping for €2 euro Aperol spritz and silky cannoli! By the time we got down the the waterfront we were definitely ready for a sit down so ducked into a bar. The plan was to go to Gino Sorbillo’s for another pizza but still full we decided to head home and after a rather unhelpful detour from google that was Naples!
A brilliant holiday, with a LOT of walking. Italy delivered again on the delicious food, drinks, weather and stunning vistas. If we had more time there are lots of other towns to visit along the coast and it would have been great to do Pompeii and Vesuvius, although perhaps in a slightly cooler month! Until next time…
If you like Piña Coladas... 