FUN-photos: Rimini to Palermo, Italy

November 11, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-photos: Rimini to Palermo, Italy 

We arrived in Rimini the afternoon of October 15th. We were there for the TTG Incontri Travel & Tourism Industry Show where Susan spoke. On the morning of the 19th we picked up another car and headed south with our first stop in San Marino and then on to Sorrento for 3 days where we visited Capri, the Blue Grotto, Pompeii & Herculaneum. We continued south along the Amalfi Coast with stops in Positano & Amalfi and spent the night in Tropea. We drove to Villa San Giovanni where we picked up the ferry to Sicily. Our first stop there was Taormina for 2 days, then off to Ragusa for 2 days with stops on the way in Giardini-Naxos, Siracusa & Noto. Our last 2 nights were spent in Terrasini, a small seaside town next to the airport since we had a very early flight out on the 29th. We stopped and saw the Greek ruins in Agrigento & Segesta as well as seeing the fabulous church in Monreale on the outskirts of Palermo.

If you click on the first picture it will allow you to create a slide show. And it turns out they are in ascending order (in other words, the first is actually the last) So if you click the back arrow you will see them in order. Enjoy!

FUN-travel: Sorrento, Italy – Full Day 1

October 27, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Sorrento, Italy – Full Day 1 

Day 35 – Sunday, October 20 – Sorrento, Italy – Day 1 – full sun – high 75 – low 59

Capri, Italy 2013 6

Capri Port

What I LIKE

Sorrento, Italy 2013 4

Sorrento

  • 7:00 – wake up
  • 7:15 – machine cappuccino – so so
  • *9:40 – breakfast
  • 10:20 – begin Sorrento adventure
  • **10:45 – walk down to dock for boat to Capri
  • 11:15 – arrive
  • find ticket booth for boat to Blue Grotto
  • ***11:45 – boat reservation
  • 11:55 – takes off
  • +12:15 – arrives Blue Grotto
  • ++1:00 – transfer to smaller boat – only holds 4 + driver w/oars
  • wonderful – sings opera inside w/other guide/drivers
  • clearly enjoying his job!
  • 1:15 – head back to port
  • +++1:30 – arrive & thirsty
  • get funicular tickets – talk man into taking $12 US
  • 2:10 – beer break
  • 2:30 – short walk around town
  • 3:00 – funicular down
  • #3:15 – boat reservation back to Sorrento
  • 3:45 – arrive
  • walk back up to Sorrento town
  • 4:00 – late lunch/dinner @ Aurora Restaurant on Piazza Lauro – 2008 Sole di Sesta – sicily syrah $30 – caprese salad & diavola pizza – not the best – $53 Euro
Capri, Italy 2013 14

Blue Grotto Entrance

  • 5:15 – walk around shops
  • 7:00 – back to room for happy hour on balcony
  • more unbelievably beautiful twinkle on the bay!
  • not hungry – so another cheap food day
Capri, Italy 2013 17

Blue Grotto

 What I DON’T LIKE

  • *no fresh fruit – only canned
  • **costs $70 Euro for 2 – only cash
  • ***costs $27 Euro for 2 – only cash
  • +there’s a big back up of boats waiting
Capri, Italy 2013 25

Capri Town

  • ++park entrance fee for grotto is $25 Euro for 2 – only cash
  • +++out of cash – just blew through $122 Euro!
  • ATM in Capri @ top of hill – over 30 min walk & don’t have enough time
  • #not enough time in Capri – should have booked the 4:30 back
zCapri, Italy 2013 27

Capri City Center

FUN-fact – Unlike the other islands in the Gulf of Naples, Capri’s origin is not volcanic but sedimentary.
More FF – One of its first fans was the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who spent the last years of his life here.
Not so FF –And rumor has it he liked to be “entertained” by little boys in the blue grotto.