After a rather busy first day in Naples (you can read that post here), we set off early the next morning for a train to Sorrento, which we’d been told could take anytime up to around 1 hour 45, depending on whether we chose a fast or a slow one. As luck would have it, we picked a slow one – stopping at every station and completely jam-packed, so much so that I was rammed underneath one rather smelly man’s armpit for the first leg of the journey. Delightful.
However, as soon as we pulled into Sorrento, I knew our trip was about to get ten times better! It was world’s apart from where we’d just come from, the streets were calmer, the people were friendlier and we managed to walk to the hotel without fearing for our lives from passing mopeds.
We arrived a little too early for check-in at our hotel, Grand La Favorita (which I’ve written a full review of here – I’d recommend a peek just for the pictures, as the hotel is very pinterest worthy!) so we dropped off our bags and went on a hunt for yet more pizza. We found a small (but perfectly formed) little restaurant tucked away in a side street with enormous pizzas for 5euros. You can’t really go wrong for that!
You’ll have to excuse the make-up free face – the train was too unbearingly hot to wear any kind of make-up!
We also ordered chilli bruschetta and garlic bread to share – which just about lasted for a few snaps.
Before the main course arrived, Sion’s delicious cheesy delight – and my slightly sad looking marinara, emphasised by one meek leaf. I promise it tasted far better than it looks! After cutting out dairy several months back, I actually find pizza tastes so much better when it isn’t smothered in cheese. I very rarely get that bloated feeling afterwards, nor do I feel greasy – plus of course, it makes things much healthier without it! The fresh tomatoes and flavoursome tastes of the pomodoro sauce really come through when you have it plain – I’d definitely recommend giving it the benefit of the doubt, it’s delicious!
With a little more time to kill before our room was ready, we passed the hotel again and made for the sea – where we stumbled across a couple of newlyweds! What a gorgeous place to get married.
I annoyed Sion by asking for yet more photographs (he finds it very tedious as I’m very fussy about lighting) – however we had to make the most of this gorgeous view! It’s not everyday you come across somewhere so stunning!
After lunch, we unpacked and chilled by the pool before slowly getting ready for an evening stroll and scout of the area (where we were also on the hunt for a place to eat dinner). We took the slope in the cliff down to the ‘beach’, which is quite a tough walk in flip flops but we made it – and the views were so worth it! The areas by the sea are a number of ‘beach like’ clubs with places to eat, play table tennis and sunbathe. In our opinion, everything was a little overpriced and worn here, so although we did come back – we didn’t stay any longer than necessary to admire the beautiful views.
We followed our way through the winding path next to the cliff, coming out at a marina – where the boats set off for Naples and Capri. We did want to book a trip to the island of Capri, as it looked incredible from the pictures but unfortunately, time and budget permitting, we weren’t able to on this occasion. Instead, we admired from afar.
I wore my new Boden dress, which actually isn’t supposed to be strapless – but I decided I preferred it this way. It’s so super comfy and although slightly baggy (I ordered it a couple of months back, pre weight loss), I do think it’s actually really flattering. I love this kind of enlarged gingham pattern and the colour combination, despite including navy – is perfect for summer!
After working up an appetite, we decided to find somewhere for dinner – which proved a harder task than we initially thought since there was so much choice. Eventually we settled on a quaint little courtyard restaurant, hidden away from the main hustle and bustle of the town (we almost would have walked past but saw the menu at the last minute). Full of trees, vines and flowers (you couldn’t even see the sky for all the lemons growing above us), it was a really quiet yet pretty setting to tuck into another Italian feast.
I rather adventurously, decided to go for yet another pizza – this time, with pineapple and ham added in (what a daredevil!) while Sion opted for spaghetti bolognese. As we ate, the place started to fill up – with a wedding party, families and couples alike. It was a people watching haven!
With our carb fix for the day finished, we strolled (or in my case – waddled) back to the hotel and into the rooftop terrace bar and pool, where we watched the sunset with a glass of champagne in hand – and some accompanying nibbles. In my eyes, the perfect end to the most beautiful first day in Sorrento. In hindsight, I probably could have done without the second pizza, but when in Italy…
Have you ever visited Sorrento – if so, what did you think? Is anyone planning a visit?
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