Sorrento Vibes

Happy Sunday from Sorrento, Italy! I am writing this blog on the balcony of our hotel in Sorrento, facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. The weather is warm, a bit hazy at the moment. I can see people swimming in the sea as I'm typing. It is 3:45 pm local time. 

All is good with us. We arrived in Rome last Tuesday. Our travels were uneventful. Flight was on time for the most part and we didn't lose any luggage. Russell's suitcase was the first to be thrown on the belt, mine was literally the last, one hour later. For a second, I thought I would have to go shopping for new clothes LOL!

We spent three nights in Rome at Hotel De La Ville, 400 meters away from the Spanish Steps. A beautiful hotel with amazing staff and a wonderful roof top terrace. The weather has been spectacular. 

We roamed around for three days. Having been to Rome many times before, we knew our way around. The first order of the day was to do a little pilgrimage for our friend Diana and retrace her steps to where she used to stay. Things don't change much in Rome, so much history and beauty. On our second day, we did a three hour guided golf cart tour of the city. We discovered areas that we had never seen before. Such a great way to see the city!

On Friday, we made our way to Sorrento. We are staying at the same hotel we stayed at five years ago, Bellevue Syrene. We recognized some of the staff from back then and they remembered us. Our room is on the top floor which gives Russell the best views for photos.

This hotel is filled with amazing art, from traditional to modern and funky. On our floor, in the hallway by our room, there are two seagulls which we have named Cooper & Spicy. My blog wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention our two pooches so there you have it. We think of them all the time and miss them terribly. Lucky for us, there are lots of dogs around so we've been indulging ourselves in patting many and talking with owners. There are many Pomeranians in Italy.  There is a gorgeous Irish Setter staying at our hotel and we got to pat him last night. It goes without saying that we show photos of our duo every chance we get 💖

All flowers are in full blooms in Sorrento. Our hotel has a beautiful Wisteria which smells delicious. The lemon trees are also full of lemons, some amazingly big. Italy is truly a beautiful country. 

We will be in Sorrento for another six nights then going back to Rome for two before flying home on May 8. Lots of time left still to enjoy Italy. On Tuesday, we will be doing a cooking class. That should be fun. Wednesday night, we will be enjoying the Sorrento Three Tenors at a historical museum. A night that promises to be amazing. All in all, it's been a wonderful vacation so far. We've been eating well, hydrating well and getting more than our share of steps in. It's all good!

That's my blog for today. I wish you all a great week. I will write again next Sunday from Rome. 

Cooper and Spicy...Italian style!

The Spanish Steps lined with flowers
and full of tourists.

Retracing Diana's steps to Via
Sansebastianello.

Courtyard of Sansebastianello.

Piazza della Trinita dei Monti.

The view Westward from our balcony at the
Bellevue Syrene in Sorrento.

Looking North toward Mount Vesuvius from our
hotel.

View from Piazza Tasso looking 
down at Via Luigi de Maio to the port.

Looking up from the port, our hotel is the 
fourth one from the left.

People watching at Fauno Bar in Piazza Tasso.

Piazza Tasso city center.

Lemons of all sizes abound at this time of year.

A Sorrento city street view decorated
to celebrate the Naples soccer team
championship of Italy.

The fragrant wisteria in blossom over the 
dining terrace at the Bellevue Syrene.