A palace, beautiful architecture, marvelous marble, lovely staircase settings framed by arches, art…read moresculptures, art exhibits, a gigantic golden clock - all in one palace... Estremamente bellissima! This is eye and brain candy for the artistic minded and admirers. A perfect place for other artists to set up their work, too. Napoli is a hub for such beings. Gotta check this palace out if you visit Napoli. It's nicely located on Via Toledo near many munchies and window shopping. I got in for €5. But if you make it on the first Sunday of the month, museums are FREE!

I am in love with this store!!!! A quiet but funky bookstore near the castle on the island of…read moreIschia. They have a ton of novels in Italian, but also a section of English written novels for the traveler to enjoy. One of the best things about this place was the fact that they must own their own printing press. Whoever is in charge go super creative with their business cards. I wanted to grab one of each kind that they had printed. They themselves are works of art. I am going to frame all of them together. Don't miss on the shelf next to the register their line of bookmarks they made. If you need a gift for someone, check out their prints for older books they have available. Also, grab a map of Ischia that they have in frames, or rolled for easy transport. Loved it here. If I ever go back to Ischia, I plan on stopping in again.

The city of Sorrento is perched on a cliff overlooking the Bay of Naples and views for miles,…read morequaint cobblestone streets and shop filled alleys, detailed historic architecture and lemon & orange trees everywhere, I instantly fell in love! With the casual vibe of a seaside town, friendly people, exquisitely delicious food and fabulous local wine, it's impossible not to love Sorrento! My eight days there, whether exploring Sorrento itself or the surrounding areas, were glorious and already I want to return! The sherbert colored buildings, centuries old wooden and iron doors and detailed architecture line the streets and are a feast for your eyes. Make sure to walk along Via Correale with the upscale hotels and the best views of the pools and hotels built into the cliffs going down to the beach. To access the beach you need to take a lift from a hotel or on the west end of town, a public lift for $1 euro each way. It's totally worth it! There is also a path of switchbacks that takes you down. The beach is rocky and there are floating docks with recliners and stairs to the deep aqua blue waters. Lots of cafes down at water level, too. Views from the top are like a postcard or in todays terms, Instagram worthy. Treat yourself to lunch or dinner at one of the hotel restaurants. The food is fabulous and the atmosphere transports you. I recommend the Lorelei and it's outdoor patio with tables under white umbrellas and unparalleled views of Mt. Vesuvius. Or at the opposite end, sit under the lemon tree covered pergola at a table overlooking the cliffs and bathing docks below, the blue sky and the blue water of The Bay of Naples merging into one. Both meals were memorable and I will definitely be going back to both! In the heart of the city is I Giardini de Cataldo, a lemon grove with an entrance on the sidewalk of Via Corso Italia. You can wander and explore for free and try their limoncello and gelato, both available for purchase. Past the Piazza Tasso, the central square, there are narrow streets filled with shops, cafes, churches, museums, restaurants, and bars. The gorgeous centuries old doorways framed by hanging plants, bougainvillea, iron window boxes spilling over with geraniums, with and flag pendants and laundry hanging above. It is as charming as you have imagined, even better! Go down to the port and catch a ferry to the island of Capri where the boats in the harbor and pastel buildings great you. Many high end shops, restaurants and a boat ride to the blue grotto will be a full day. Hire a tour guide to drive you down the Amalfi Coast with stops in Positano, Rovello and Amalfi Town, each with their own beauty and charm. And lots and lots of steps and steep roads! The drive is incredibly beautiful but do leave the driving up to the skilled and experienced drivers. We also did a day trip to Salerno to visit a buffallo Mozzerella farm and have a farm fresh lunch; to Mt. Vesuvius to hike up to the crater; an afternoon taking in the wonders of Pompeii and this preserved ancient city; and a day in Naples where they truly have the worlds best pizza. Really! Even with all that, I had four full days in Sorrento and never ran out of things to do. There are cooking classes, which I highly recommend. Various tours. Lots of shopping. And too many restaurants to name! The food is some of the best in the world and it was surprisingly affordable especially the wine. Delicious pasta dishes for $10 and a bottle of wine for $8. I could live here! If Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast are not in your bucket list, they should be! Best time to go is early April or October as the summer months are super hot and the streets overflowing with tourists. We were there the last two weeks of October and it was sunny, 75-80 degrees, and blue skies every day. Plenty of people so you didn't feel like the town was isolated but never too crowded. Sorrento is a beautiful place in every way. Can not wait to return!

It's time for some travel inspo!…read more While Sorrento isn't an island, its location sits at a viewpoint of the Gulf of Naples and the surrounding iconic beauties of Southern Italy, like Mount Vesuvio. Here you'll find lemon and orange giardini (gardens), zig zags staircases, cobblestone roadways lined with lemon and orange trees, and beautiful historic architecture - all in a seemingly busy, however relaxed seaside lifestyle. With outdoor bistros and lots of conversation, you can't miss out on delectable food! I'll take you on a picture tour of Sorrento's residential streets, bayside, cliffside, shopping alleys, and some fun food. For the best experiences, when the countries open up, GO VISIT! (All my travel photos were taken 2019 pre-covid)

The trip from Naples ferry dock to Procida was terrific. Nice weather, calm seas, gorgeous day out…read more The Caremar ticket agent at the office and ship's crew were nice and helpful. The third-party online ticket reservation company, Mr. Ferry, however, has been a disaster. I booked two round-trip tickets for a ferry trip from Naples to Procida, the island near Naples for Saturday October 11. The 10-digit/numeral reservation number was available on-line. The actual tickets were not issued for the ferry trip. When I arrived at the ferry embarkation office, the ferry operator Caremar refused to honor the reservation number alone--he expected a ticket. I have used the published 'trouble' procedures -- not working. The promised calls/messages to my phone did not show up. Phone was working just fine; I checked. Calls to the published customer service number were not helpful, were not returned, did not allow messages to be left, and ultimately have not helped at all. Still waiting. Refund request steps, published by Mr. Ferry itself, on their website, do NOT work. My advice: never use Mr. Ferry for booking trips like this. Tickets purchased at the embarkation dock office were less expensive than on-line, and dispatched easily with credit card as payment.

Italy has islands! Beyond the high-heeled boot are tiny islands and big ones. In Southern Italy…read morefrom the ports of Napoli, you can hop onto a large ferry at Molo Beverello. There are several that'll take you to different little islands. For this review, you're going to Procida. Procida - how do you pronounce it? Stress on the first 3 letters, use short vowels, make the letter C sound like CH. Through the Gulf of Naples in the Tyrrhenian Sea the ferry totters you towards the Campanian Archipelago. You'll be greeted by beautiful multi-colored buildings consisting of restaurants, hotels, and storefronts at the marina. On the island itself, there are walking, hiking, running, and biking trails. We walked in a hunt for vistas and beaches. This is one of the islands scouted for movie filming. The islanders are proud of this, and have framed a post of the events from The Talented Mr. Ripley. As any island vacation would be, you'll find the likes of fresh seafood. In Italy, of course. your carbohydrate fantasies are fulfilled. Don't forget to grab a cappuccino at the BAR, "before" 11 am ;) Being a tourist attraction, you may sit and sip upon your preference. However, know that Italians stand and take "shots" of their coffee, followed by a little acqua effervescente. Later, bring a cup of gelato with you while soaking up the Mediterranean sun. (Additional review is on Procida Mare in Procida, Italy)