Modern Pompei
by malkin
If you have a little time to spend when you go to the Pompeii ruins try to go a few hundred metres along the road into the modern Pompei. It’s a pleasant town where the hoards of tourists don’t seem to get to. You can eat your sandwiches or whatever in peace in the town square with the refreshing sound of the fountain to help the digestion.
The Basilica and Sanctuary on the edge of the main square are worth a visit - havens of peace.
Fine Dining... For Everyone!
by Jetgirly about L'Antica Trattoria
I really enjoyed my dinner at this restaurant and would recommend it to anyone visiting Sorrento (except for people on extremely tight budgets). I visited for dinner at 8.00 pm and had the choice of a set menu or ordering a la carte. I chose the EUR 30 set vegetarian menu. Here is what I was served (remember, all this for EUR 30!):
1. Homemade bread with olives or almonds, and prosecco to drink
2. "Artfully arranged" julienned vegetables in a delicate sweet-and-sour sauce
3. Insalata caprese (tomatoes, mozzarella and basil)
4. Ricotta ravioli (probably in a sundried tomato oil)
5. Local, tagliatelle-like pasta in broccoli sauce
6. Grilled vegetables
7. Cake made from regional lemons (from a selection)
8. Lemon profiteroles
Add a glass of white wine and water, and my total bill came to EUR 40. They seemed quite keen on giving out little extras (not all of the things above were actually listed on the menu), so be nice to them! The menu clearly stated that the cost of the menu included cover charge AND service, so I didn't leave a tip. The food was all excellent; it tasted very fresh and homemade, and used local ingredients as much as possible. Service was warm, cheery and friendly... they were very kind to me despite my knowing nothing about eating in fancy restaurants! My only complaint would be the timing, in that there was practically no time for digestion between courses but it took more than forty minutes for my bill to arrive after I asked for it. I saw some children there at lunchtime, so I think they are used to catering to diverse crowds. There is indoor and outdoor seating, the inside is mazelike while the terrace is more like a garden.
The restaurant's website shows their menus (both set and a la carte), and also features some recipes invented in their kitchens (in Italian only).
Take a bunch of pictures at Villa Comunale
by goodfish
This public (comunale) park (villa) is right next to Chiesa di San Francesco and provides a drop-dead gorgeous panorama of the Bay of Naples. From your vantage point high above the sea, you can see Marinas Piccola and San Francisco below and Mt. Vesuvius across the bay. In the evening, the lights of Naples and small towns around the mountain twinkle and glow like so many fireflies. I recommend visiting the park at least once during the day and again on your last night in the city - there's no better place for saying arrivederci to Sorrento than from this spot!
Visit Chiesa di San Francesco while you're here, and Basilica di Sant'Antonino (at Piazza Sant'Antonino) to see the crypt of Sorrento's patron saint. You'll pass by the basilica on your way to the park. Remember to dress respectfully if planning to visit the churches - knees and shoulders covered and no T-shirts with slogans or images that could be offensive to others.
See an active volcano
by malkin
Walk on the crater edge of an active volcano or one of the other trails in the VesuviusNational Park.
www.parks.it/parco.nazionale.vesuvio/Eiti.html
www.vesuviopark.it/turismo/index.htm
I can't garantee the snow - this year is the first time they've had any in the last 35 years!
Try to stop off at the old funicula/cable-car station at alt. 780 metres "Terazzo del Paradiso". 75-plus years old Andrea De Gregorio and his daughter run a little souvenir shop there. They are the most charming people and will give you a potted history of the volcano in English, French, Italian and I suspect any other language you can think of. Buy your souvenirs and snacks there. It won't cost you more than elsewhere and you'll get a personal touch that you won't find elsewhere.
See the Naples Bay and die
by GUYON
"More beautiful, you die"
Initially, we wished to stay in Naples but this city is the worst place to drive and the safety is uncertain. So looking at the map, we chose Sorrento which is 40 km from Naples and which is a right base to see the Bay, the vucano (Vesuvius), Pompei, Capri and the Amalfian Coast.
The city is easily reachable by the motorway which goes to Castellammare di Stabia, a city near Sorrento.
"The beach"
Sorrento has few beaches and their dimensions are short. So the people must be placed in serried rows.
The sand is dark due to the neighbor Vesuvius.
Italy has many larger beaches to offer to the tourists.
"The Vesuvius"
The volcano dominates the bay with its 1281 meters high.
It destroyed Pompei, Erculanum and some other cities in August 79.
It is not estinguished and its last eruption occured in 1944, just during the American landing. A ash rain coveredSorrento.
It is permanently checked and the authority has an evacuation plan to protect the population.