Boy oh boy...you all are in for a very special treat on today's VACATION FRIDAY! I realize we should be celebrating America all weekend and all the wonderful places to travel in America...there are SO many! However, today, we are headed to the coast of Italy. A trip I dream of taking one day and one that my good friend, Hilary and her husband, Nick, took for their honeymoon. Hilary has graciously shared her trip details and some amazing pictures with us! Thank you, Hilary, for allowing us to escape to an amazing place today...the
Amalfi Coast!!
Our journey begins in...
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| Hil and Nick arrive to Sorrento! |
Hil and Nick spent 3 days in Sorrento. They took the train from Florence down to Naples and then a ferry ride from Naples to Sorrento. Hilary describes Sorrento as beautiful and quaint with gorgeous hotels and architecture lining the cliffs, overlooking the crystal blue water. Beaches are rare in Sorrento, but hotels make up for them with very nice pools that overlook the water.
Hil and Nick stayed at the
Grand Excelsior Vittoria. Pictures of the hotel are below...you can see for yourself how beautiful the grounds and the views are and how incredible the building is...old world charm at it's best. When they arrived they were greeted with homemade mimosa's, made with fresh squeezed orange juice from oranges picked from their fruit tress in the garden! What a way to welcome guests!
The mimosas were delicious and refreshing, but Sorrento is really known for their lemons. There are lemon orchards all over the city and everyone drinks limoncello after dinner (yum!). If you have never tried limoncello, it is something you must do when you visit Italy!
One very important thing I have yet to mention about my friend, Hilary, is she has a very deep love for PIZZA! I am trying to convince her to start a pizza blog because she is seriously a pizza connoisseur. As soon as she gets the blog started, I'll be sure to share it with all of you! Lucky for Hil, Sorrento had some of the best pizza she has ever had. So, when I visit, I will eat pizza for every meal:)! Hil plans to head back to Sorrento and take a pizza cooking class and I can't wait to see this dream of hers come alive! Sorrento is easily walkable and the town square has some cute shops and many pizza places, so be sure to explore!
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| YUMMY! |
Hilary describes the ferry ride out to Sorrento as beautiful and breath-taking...the water is an inky blue color and the hillsides are covered in gorgeous buildings. Hil and Nick did not have the time to do this, but mentioned that taking scooters and driving along the Amalfi Drive to Amalfi and Positano is a good thing to add to the "to-do" list when we visit.
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| Mt. Vesuvius in the background |
Our next stop on the Italian coast...
CAPRI!!!
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| Boat ride into Capri! |
Hil and Nick took a day trip out to Capri on a ferry from Sorrento. Hil describes Capri as absolutely gorgeous and very ritzy. Designer stores filled the sides of the cobble stone streets...Hil says, "It's like being on the Italian Rodeo Drive." Their most memorable experience in Capri was taking a boat ride around the island and taking a tour of the Blue Grotto. The
Blue Grotto is a sea cave that you travel into via a tiny canoe.
You can only get into the cave when the tide is down and just at the exact right moment when the water receeds. This sounds thrilling!!! The entrance is so small, you have to lay down in your boat on the floor of the canoe when it's going through.
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| Hil and Nick preparing to enter the Blue Grotto! |
Once inside the cave, it's completely dark except for the reflection of bright blue water relfected from the sun below. A guide leads you around the grotto for a few minutes before making your way back out. Guides sing "Il Sole Mio" and other italian songs that echo in the cave to make the trip even more memorable and entertaining.
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| the Blue Grotto |
Hil's words about the coast of Italy..."We felt completely relaxed and refreshed after a few days of living "la dolce vita" along the Amalfi Coast. Ciao!" This is what coastal living and coastal travel is all about!
Hil, thank you SO much for sharing your wonderful coastal adventure with us...I can't wait to go!
Everyone have a WONDERFUL 4th of July and thank you to all the soldiers, for all you do for our country! We are off to Charleston and Kiawah tomorrow and I will blog when I can with some beautiful pictures and experiences from the "low-county!"
Ciao!
Hil and Nick stayed at the Grand Excelsior Vittoria. Pictures of the hotel are below...you can see for yourself how beautiful the grounds and the views are and how incredible the building is...old world charm at it's best. When they arrived they were greeted with homemade mimosa's, made with fresh squeezed orange juice from oranges picked from their fruit tress in the garden! What a way to welcome guests!
The mimosas were delicious and refreshing, but Sorrento is really known for their lemons. There are lemon orchards all over the city and everyone drinks limoncello after dinner (yum!). If you have never tried limoncello, it is something you must do when you visit Italy!
One very important thing I have yet to mention about my friend, Hilary, is she has a very deep love for PIZZA! I am trying to convince her to start a pizza blog because she is seriously a pizza connoisseur. As soon as she gets the blog started, I'll be sure to share it with all of you! Lucky for Hil, Sorrento had some of the best pizza she has ever had. So, when I visit, I will eat pizza for every meal:)! Hil plans to head back to Sorrento and take a pizza cooking class and I can't wait to see this dream of hers come alive! Sorrento is easily walkable and the town square has some cute shops and many pizza places, so be sure to explore!
Hil and Nick took a day trip out to Capri on a ferry from Sorrento. Hil describes Capri as absolutely gorgeous and very ritzy. Designer stores filled the sides of the cobble stone streets...Hil says, "It's like being on the Italian Rodeo Drive." Their most memorable experience in Capri was taking a boat ride around the island and taking a tour of the Blue Grotto. The Blue Grotto is a sea cave that you travel into via a tiny canoe.
You can only get into the cave when the tide is down and just at the exact right moment when the water receeds. This sounds thrilling!!! The entrance is so small, you have to lay down in your boat on the floor of the canoe when it's going through. 
1 comment:
hi lovely pics..somewhere i'd love to go one day. funny..my niece has just been to amalfi coast. she said she has some photos for my blog : )
cheryl x
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