Our last location was Sorrento, Italy and Carpi. This was by far my favorite destination as well! After 2 trains and 3 hours later we arrived in Sorrento, Italy. We snaked our way, along with luggage, through the beautiful streets and down MANY steps to our hotel. Our hotel, Hotel Il Faro Sorrento, was located at the bottom of a hill on the port of Sorrento. The hotel was beautiful and we had a great view of the port. We got there earlier than planned so we changed and took the elevator back up the hill. The view was just breath-taking! We admired the view before finding something to eat.

A Night in Sorrento

Upon Arriving in Sorrento, we were feeling adventurous and decided to get sea food dishes. I had a risotto with fish dish and Melanie had pasta with clams. Mine was very… fishy for lack of better words =] but it was very tasty. I hate, or thought I hated clams. However, I tried Melanie’s and once I got past the “slimy-ness”, they were seasoned very well and I ate more of them then Melanie. The waiter recommended a sweet Mascato for us to try. It was BY FAR one of the best wines I have tried and wish I would have asked for the name or brand of it.

A little history of Sorrento, Italy

After letting our food settle we decided to take a tram/train around the city to learn more about Sorrento, Italy. The tour was only 30 minutes, short and sweet. We learned that a lot of famous poets lived and visited Sorrento, someone was buried in one of the walls of Sorrento and so much more.

Finishing the Evening

On the walk back to the hotel we stopped in a modern cafe so I could pick up a tiramisu. It was made with ice cream and delicious! We moved our way through the beautiful streets and made it back to our hotel to get an “early” night.

This was the only place that we stayed for more than one night in Italy. It was nice to know that we would be staying here for another day because it was just so beautiful and relaxing. There had been no street peddlers trying to sell us selfie sticks (which we already had), silly slim worms or other touristy things.

Carpi

The next morning we woke up early and enjoyed the breakfast that was included at our hotel. We enjoyed bread, different meats and cheeses, yogurt, cereals, juice and expressos. We were super excited about our day, we were going on a boat trip to the island of Capri.
The tour guide picked us up at our hotel and we walked down to the marina to get on our boat. We were the first and only two to get on at our location so, we got the prime spot at the front of the boat.

The boat ride was amazing and about ten more people got on at the next port. First, we stopped at the blue grotto but we were not able to go in. In order to get into the blue grotto you have to go through a “cave” that only a row boat can fit through. The waves were too choppy making it dangerous. Melanie was really sad that we couldn’t do it but it did mean that we got an extra 30 minutes on the Island.

Arriving in Carpi

We got on the island and tried to rent a scooter. They wouldn’t let us because we didn’t have experience. We were super bummed but managed to find another fun form of transportation. They have a tram that takes you to the town of Capri were they have more shops.

So we hopped on and once we got to Carpi we immediately took the bus to Anacapri where there were even more small shops. There we found a cable car that takes you up to one of the highest points on the island. I would be lying if I didn’t say I was a little bit scared of this, but once on it, it was very relaxing. There is only one person per seat and you are just alone with your thoughts and the beautiful scenery!

It was partly cloudy but the view was still beautiful, there was only a cafe at the top so after we took some pictures we headed back to the town. In Anacapri we stopped in a few shops trying to decide if we should buy leather sandals, perfume, or Italian pottery.

Perfume

We were drawn into the perfume shop Carthusia, the smells coming from there were amazing. We had a great experience in the store as they showed and told us about all the different scent’s and let us smell them. Both of us selected the same scent, Mediterranean. It smelt different on each of us but delicious. This scent was a combination of green tea and lemon. On me you could smell more of the lemon, where as on Melanie you could smell more of the green tea. I am in love with the scent and it doesn’t make my allergies go crazy which is VERY rare!

Feeling ill

After they packaged our perfumes we got the bus back to the port area. The bus was very hot and crowded causing me to feel dizzy and nauseous. We quickly found a place to eat near the port and I downed a bottle of water. Since I wasn’t feeling great I just ordered a plate of fries and Melanie had spaghetti Carbonara. I realized that I was feeling sick due to all the different motions. So we stopped at the pharmacy on the way back to our boat and I picked up some medicine for motion sickness. Between that and my very bland meal of fries and ketchup, I was feeling a lot better.

Back on the boat we visited the white and green grottos and then stopped for a swim in the beautiful blue water. The water felt great and we were provided with snorkel equipment. We swam, floated and tread for about 30 minutes before the skipper continued to show us around the island. We approached and went through a rock formation known as the Faraglioni. Then, we saw some beautiful HUGE houses where famous people have been known to stay and a beautiful light house. I dosed off taking a nap, soaking up the sun and enjoying the ocean breeze before we returned back to our hotel.

Melanie and I were tired so we took some time to relax before getting ready for dinner. It was pretty early still and by the time we had made the trek back up the stairs it was early evening.

Dinner in Sorrento, Italy

We enjoyed a nice dinner and tried Aperol. I was glad we only ordered one to share because I did not enjoy the taste of the drink.

After our dinner we took to the streets, enjoying the stores, getting some gelato and buying more souvenirs before heading back to Il Faro for the night. I had been wanting to get some hand painted (lemon design) salad serving spoons the whole time we were traveling through Italy. I regret not picking some up in Sorrento, Italy.

We had an afternoon flight the next day which meant we were able to enjoy the small beach and town a little bit more. After the beach and showering we set off, lugging our luggage up the stairs. Two men walking down to the beach stopped and carried our bags up to the half way point for us. Then once we made it to the top a man came out of a restaurant and offered us a bottle of water. This is the kind of thing I love about Italy and the Mediterranean, people helping you and not wanting anything in return. We enjoyed one more Italian meal and of course a gelato, even though we were full!

Thank goodness Melanie had thought ahead and booked us a bus back to the airport instead of the train. The train to Naples was not the greatest. Our bus was comfortable and we were able to admire the ocean views as we passed by. We were sad to leave and wished that we would have done the 6 days in Italy as originally planned but were headed on to Germany! Bye bye Sorrento, Italy… for now!