20-23 Maggio 2019

We left Palermo, driving to Messina to catch the ferry back to the mainland. Not many photos of the ferry ride because we are now veterans of the experience. The drive to Cosenza, our stopover before Sorrento, consisted of many galleries (tunnels) and beautiful countryside. Not much to say about Cosenza because it is a working town and we only stayed overnight. There was probably a baroque church, but we did not go looking for it.

Our next destination was Sorrento where we had arranged to meet California cousins Leonard and Kathy and their friend Kathyrn. The drive to Sorrento went through rolling hills with well-kept olive orchards, peach/nectarine orchards, and vineyards. The autostrada took us up the middle of Italian peninsula crossing through a national park where the mountains took on incredible shapes—some conical, some with steep vertical sides. We were impressed at how green the countryside is in these regions of Italy, although the wildflower season has come and gone.

This drive also had plenty of long tunnels. One five kilometers. Robert described to Bonnie the vistas they could not see. That helped for about five minutes.

We arrived at the old Hotel Minerva in Sorrento about four. Its wide terrace affords incredible views of Sorrento, Mt. Vesuvius, and Naples. It was a wonderful spot for late afternoon drinks.

Sorrento is the stereotype (in a good way) of the Italian coastal town—steeped in great vistas and tourists. The town is a stark contrast to the working neighborhood where we stayed in Palermo. The whole economic machine here is running in high gear to service the tourist trade. Lots of buses. Lots of tour vans. Lots of restaurants. Lots of shops…with scarves for Bonnie

We plan to come back in the fall.