Sorrento

Today was a day of contrasts. Sorrento is so different than Rome. It's really a 
small town sitting on a cliff hanging over the ocean compared to a large city 
situated inland. Sorrento reminds me a little of Orvieto but with a few more 
tourists (and nicer views out across the water). My main man Rick hooked me up 
with a great hotel. The picture looking out across water toward the mountain 
(that's the volcano Mount Vesuvius) is the view from my balcony! The other major 
contrast on the way here was the difference in trains I had to take. The first 
train was a very nice, relatively new, super-fast train (180 MPH) from Rome to 
Naples. It was plush and comfortable and hardly any one on it and it didn't stop 
at all. I then switched trains in Naples and had to take this slow little 
commuter train to Sorrento that was jam packed with people and stopped in every 
little village. It was interesting but I made it here safely. 
 
Sorrento also like Orvieto has lots of small little alley ways and side streets 
that were ripe for exploring today. The town is sort of split in two. There's 
the more commercial part with shops and restaurants up on the cliff and then 
down below at the shoreline there's a fishing village and boat ramps for trips 
to Capri and other islands. One of the main fruits grown in the region is 
lemons... check out the HUGE lemons in the picture! One of the fun products they 
make from it is a liquor called limoncello. There are a bunch of shops, all in a 
row, trying to sell the same limoncello product, so they all give free samples 
to get you to buy theirs. Needless to say, the walk around town is a lot more 
enjoyable after all the samples! 🙂 
 
So it seems like I've got a lot of the Hawaiian themes following me here. I've 
already seen several palm trees, there's a volcano here, and today I included a 
picture of a waterfall I found... but of course in Italy, it would have the 
Virgin Mary next to it! 
 
Well that's all for now. Hope everyone had a good Monday.