Yesterday, after breakfast, our friends wanted to walk back to Marina Piccolo, the small port from where ferries dock and depart, to check schedules and prices for a ferry from Sorrento to Napoli. They will be leaving us in a few days for Napoli, where they will stay for a couple days in a B&B before returning to Germany. Instead of riding a train back to Naples, they have decided to try the ferry option, which should be far more enjoyable. Meanwhile, Dee and I decided to have lunch at the Tavern Allegra, where we had enjoyed a fabulous meal just before we left for the French Riviera a couple of weeks ago. A friend of ours in Florida had recommended this place, and had raved about its food and live entertainment by the owner’s father ... read more

Wet, windy and gloomy weather returned to Sorrento throughout this past weekend, leaving us confined indoors much of the time. We finally got a break yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, when the rain stayed away for awhile. So we decided to have lunch at La Maison Douce. We had not dined here since we departed Sorrento for our interlude on the French Riviera two weeks ago, so we wanted to pay our respects to Nello, our favorite head waiter and consummate schmoozer. As we've mentioned in previous blog posts, Nello is quite adept at schmoozing his guests. In fact, he's refined his technique to such a degree that he full well deserves the sobriquet of ‘Romancer of the Stone’! He now greets Dee with kisses on her cheek, and me with hugs, while cheerfully catering to our every ... read more

Yesterday afternoon we returned to Sorrento after our 10-day sojourn in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, the charming little piece of paradise we discovered on the Côte d'Azur in the south of France. To tell you the truth, we had become so enchanted with Saint-Jean during our stay that neither of us were particularly excited about returning to Sorrento. But when we opened the door to our apartment on Via degli Aranci, which had been vacant and shuttered during our absence, it did feel a lot like a homecoming! After all, we've spent more than five weeks here, so it really has started to feel like home. Our concierge in Saint-Jean, Jean-Pierre, had arranged for a taxi to the airport yesterday at 8:00 AM for our 10:45 AM flight from Nice to Napoli. Just before the taxi arrived, he came ... read more

Yesterday was a rest day for us, following our outing to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild the day before. The walks through the villa's extensive gardens took its toll on both of us, so we lounged around the apartment all day, resting weary legs and doing some household chores. Since our days are dwindling down to a precious few here in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (a.k.a. "Paradise"), late this morning we decided to hike another one of the nature trails recommended by the local tourist office. La Pointe Saint-Hospice is an appendage of the Cap Ferrat peninsula, extending in an easterly direction from the main backbone of the peninsula itself. The walking trail begins at the Jardin de la Paix (Garden of Peace), a cute little pocket-park that lies on the lower section of Avenue Jean Mermoz, about a ... read more

Our tentative plan for today was to visit the famous Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, and its magnificent gardens, located about a mile from our apartment. But we soon realized that the weather was not going to cooperate today, as overcast skies and the threat of rain were in the offing when we stepped outside. Since the villa's outside gardens are the main attraction for us, we decided to postpone our visit until better weather conditions prevail. After we had made a brief stop at the local market, and returned the groceries to the apartment, we decided to have lunch at Le Capitaine Cook, a family owned-and-operated restaurant not far up the street from us. It had been recommended to us by...of all people...the friendly waiter at Le Bar du Port where we've eaten a couple times. ... read more