Venice to Naples to Sorrento

We woke up this morning around 6 AM local time, and surprisingly felt pretty good. None of us seem to be suffering from jet lag. Even though Lori wanted to throw things at me for suggesting it, waking up at 5 AM and going to bed early over the last week in preparation seemed to work.

The complimentary breakfast at Pensione Gueratto started at 7, and we got there right at 7 because we had to make our way to the airport. The fresh croissants and cereal were fine, and the coffee was strong and excellent.



To get back from the airport we took the Vaperetto and the bus, just like yesterday's trip, but in reverse. It was a bit sad to say goodbye to Venice after such a short stay.

The airport was crazy. We had read that queueing in Europe was less "neat" than back home, and the check-in line for Alitalia was our first glimpse at that. After we got past security, we found a coffee bar and had cappuccino. My sister learned her lesson from yesterday about not overtipping and left just a little change. Yesterday she had left a 3 Euro tip, which was promptly scooped up by an old Venetian guy who bought himself a caffe at the bar.



For the kids, taking a bus from the terminal to the plane and boarding outside on stairs was a new and fun experience. The flight was short, but exciting as we flew past Venice, Rome, and Mount Vesuvius and had great views of all of them.









When we arrived in Naples, we met the rest of our family who was flying in from New York via Frankfurt. They arrived a half hour after us. By the baggage claim, there was a whole flight of people who looked like an angry mosh pit. They were "queueing" to make baggage claims because United Airlines has put an entire planes' worth of luggage on the wrong plane. It reminded me why we like to travel with carry-on bags only.



My parents had arranged a private transfer from the airport to the Bed and Breakfast in Sorrento. We had great views of Mount Vesuvius from the minibus, and awesome views out over the Bay of Naples as we got closer to Sorrento.



Villa Adriana is amazing. Andrea greeted us warmly as we arrived and took us on a tour. Wow! Every room is beautiful, the pool and garden area are wonderful, and there's such a nice warm, welcoming vibe here. The kids saw the pool and immediately wanted to go swimming, so we hung out by them pool for a while.











After showering, we walked into town to a place that my sister Jayne and brother-in-law Drew had been to and recommended. Drew lead the way and we pushed a few tables together to fit the 11 of us by the back wall. I had a seafood risotto, which was delicious. We all tasted and shared each others' food, and everything was excellent.





After dinner we felt the need to compare the gelato in Venice to the gelato in Sorrento, so we walked to Antica Gelateria Sorrentina. The owner welcomed us in like we were family, shared stories of how each flavor was made, gave us samples, and chatted with out kids. I loved her. Also, her gelato was far better than the stuff we had in Venice. We'll be back there this week.








We ended the night by wandering down to the cliffs that overlook the Bay of Naples. Amazing! Then we strolled back to the villa through the town.


















It was another fantastic day. I can't wait to see what we'll find tomorrow.



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Location:Via Sant'Antonio,,Italy