It was another spur of the moment things for picking Sorrento - i have no guide book, and i really hadn't had much Internet access. I'd picked a converted monastery for my digs - good reviews and i could actually afford it. This is an expensive town.
I love the guest house though - whitewashed walls and yet it's oozing character. The town is pretty nice - although full of tourists, and more holidays places than residential ones. It has a nice old town with the usual winding streets - it's all decked out for Xmas and it looks really good. There is by walking through the old town a marina, which i think is a bit of a kept secret - it's lovely though, and was full of working fishermen, repairing and unwinding their nets and lines. The one that most people see is the port, where you can catch several ferries, including one to Capri. I was going to stay on the island, but decided i liked the guest house too much. Now i wish i had stayed on it.
The ferry turned out to be a huge car carrying one, and the return trip was an expensive €17.6 - it only took 35 minutes to cross. Like Sorrento is full of tourists, and it's all postcard perfect - but i loved it. I spent several hours wandering around little streets and lanes, viewing some of the ruins and secluded bays - staying away from the main tourist traps. It was great, it has SO much character and is just lovely to look at. Flowers and fruit everywhere. It is however a bit of a trek - lots of steep climbs and steps - most of the town is perched on the cliff side. I even walked to Anacapri which is the main town on the other side of the Island, and that's a bit of a trek too - but it gave me great views over the town of Capri. It was a great but tiring day trip. I waited for the ferry by eating a swordfish/salmon/tuna dinner with a glass of red. I can still hear my sigh now...
I had to see the Amalfi coast, and the weather has just turned glorious for a few days. So i decided to hire a scooter again seeing as i looked so goood on it last time ;) Last time i nearly crashed it 3 times, this time i have to drive on a very winding coastal road, and they give me a 125cc motorbike. I'm pretty sure I'm not legal to ride this thing, im pretty sure it can easily do a ton. This is not good...this is great!
What a great day, the coast is fantastic. I kept stopping, taking photos, calling in at the bigger towns. I even got to have a laze on the beach and regretted not taking some swimming gear - it wasn't that cold. Amalfi was a a fair sized town, perched on the cliffs with a great Cathedral and a nice bit of beach. Very touristy of course, with lots of shops selling ceramics, and this lemon liquid stuff that's famous there. Positano really is perched on the cliffs - there's one road for going in and one road for going out, and it's a fair old walk if you haven't got a ride. The town isn't as big as Amalfi but is still a really nice place to visit. The sun was just a couple of hours away from setting by the time i stopped there - perfect to watch from a restaurant while enjoying a seafood risotto and a glass of red. I hear another sigh coming...
