C'est La Belle Vie: Mediterranean ~ Day 6, Part I

Day 6 of our Glorious Trip and Day 5 of Excursions

This will be our last day of touring Italy...and boy was it a DOOZIE!

All aboard the Paul and Shark to head to the fabulously beautiful city of CAPRI!

Capri can only be reached via boat

Capri is a breathtaking area of natural beauty in the Bay of Naples. Its seductive charms already attracted a great many visitors for thousands of years.

There was a cool fog backdrop

The streets are very steep and narrow...and full of shops!

more laundry...

Our Traveling Amico's (friends in Italian)

Instead of ugly white paint numbers on cement, homes were adorned with hand painted pottery

Limoncello stand

Back in the late 1800's it was customary that Vincenza Canale, one of the island's first hoteliers, offered clients at her guest-house "Mariantonia" a glass of Limoncello. Vincenza's original recipe has remained unaltered over the past century, and her descendants continue to produce the liqueur known throughout the world as Limoncello di Capri. Limoncello is very easy to make, requiring only four ingredients: lemons, vodka, sugar, and water.

Skinny lil' busses we took up the insanely curvy and steep road - once again, notice the brand!

The style of home in Capri

Ahhh...God's Glorious Creation!

hand made sandals anyone?

I SO wanted to go have an authentic *Capri Salad, but time did not allow :(

Capri is known for very high end shopping

And everything is almost twice the price here...not fun for the bargain shopper!

The hotel where celebrities stay when they visit

After the gleaming shop windows and glamour of Capri, the Gardens of Augustus, towards the top of the island, are a retreat into a natural paradise, complete with unforgettable panoramas. The garden's tranquility and natural beauty is nothing if not therapy.

All I could think about is that the Garden of Eden JUST HAD to resemble this!

The beauty was breathtaking!!

From the vantage point of the Gardens, splendid views of the sea

The Faraglioni rocks rise from the blue of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Time to take the cable car back down to aboard the ferry for our next stop

All Aboard!

On our way to Sassy Sorrento!!

Situated on a terrace overlooking the splendid Amalfi coastline, Sorrento is imbued with charm and echoes of the ancient past. Its position is perfect, affording a stunning panorama of the bay of Naples, but its list of attributes is replete. Parks, villas, orange, lemon and olive groves, picturesque narrow streets and resplendent weather, have ensured a steady stream of visitors to the town throughout the year and over the centuries.

Once again, we were awestruck by the beauty of Italy - truly like nothing we had ever seen!

It was like looking at a movie set - it didn't even look real

And these buildings have been here for years........

According to the Roman historian Diodorus Siculus, the ancient city of Sorrento was founded by Liparus, son of Ausonus, who was king of the Ausoni and the son of Ulysses and Circe.

Sorrento became an archbishopric around 420 AD. In the following centuries the authority of the far Byzantium empire faded, Sorrento became an autonomous duchy. It fought against the neighbour/rival Amalfi and the Saracens, and in 1133 it was conquered by the Norman Roger II of Hauteville. On June 13, 1558 it was sacked by elements of the Ottoman navy under the command of Dragut and his lieutenant Piali, as part of the struggle between the Turks and Spain, which controlled the southern half of Italy at that time

Sorrento entered into the Neapolitan Republic of 1799, but in vain. In the 19th century the economy of the city improved markedly, favoured by the development of agriculture, tourism and trade. A route connecting Sorrento to Castellammare di Stabia was opened under the reign of Ferdinand II (1830–1859).

In 1861 Sorrento was officially annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy. In the following years it confirmed and increased its status of one of the most renowned tourist destinations of Italy, a trend which continued into the 20th Century.

Big G got *Shot Gun due to overcrowded Bus...I couldn't stop laughing!

The drive up Sorrento...just like Capri, absolutely beautiful!

Along the coast, high up on the cliff, the scenery of what is around you is amazing.

The drive itself scary - the roads are very small, and doesn't allow for personal space. Euro drivers and seasoned Italians have no problem coming within an inch of your car doors, and that includes drivers of tour buses. I had one heart stopping moment after another.

Sorrento's charm lies in part in its sun drenched rustic simplicity. Quaint artisan workshops packed together onto a maze of medieval alleys, with the inevitable mix of locals and tourists bustling through the centre.

An Italian staple: motorcycles

Time for Pranzo! (lunch)

Our guide, who referred to herself as "Mama" boldly marches us down into an amazing covered outdoor eating area

The most scrumptious lunch was served.

Cannelloni (Italian: large reeds) are rectangular pasta sheets that are rolled into a cylindrical shape encompassing a filling. After a pasta sheet has been boiled, it is typically filled with a savory stuffing which may include ricotta cheese, spinach, and various kinds of meat. It is then covered with a sauce, typically a classic tomato or béchamel sauce.

George lends his electronic device for us to "check in" via Facebook

This was by far are most tasty and most fun lunch date!
It gave us the feeling of "vacation" after a grueling sight seeing schedule all week.

This helped make that happen :-)

(Wine is traditionally served at lunch...it doesn't have to be 5:00 p.m. there! lol)

To our surprise for the 3rd day in a row, our pasta dishes were followed up with the meat, veggie & potato entree. I thought I had finally wised up and learned not to eat too much of the 1st dish to make room for the 2nd dish...but oh no, I ate all of both!