For the first time in years, spring break was not tied to Easter week, when I have too many music commitments to go anywhere. This was our chance for the entire family to go somewhere too hot and too crowded to visit in summer: Italy! My husband is still rehabbing his knee from his disastrous injury in Switzerland last September, and uneven surfaces are too risky for now, so he and our Italian dog stayed home, and I, my two daughters, one son-in-law, two grandsons, plus a good friend and her teenage son headed to the ATL airport as soon as school ended Friday afternoon.
By 11:30 AM Saturday, we were landing in Rome, picked up by Rome Chauffeur, and deposited at Termini for our Italo train to Napoli Centrale, booked far enough ahead to get a special rate in Prima Business class for about 21 euros each. Two vans prearranged by our B&B drove us from Napoli to Sorrento. I took the Circumvesuviana train once…and that was enough. Our entertaining Napolitano driver shared the fine points of San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella di Bufula, and top shelf limoncello as we drove. The train is a cultural experience, but we got a history/geography lesson about Mt Vesuvius and a heartfelt plea NOT to buy a giant lemon for a photo-op when we could buy three kilos of delicious edible lemons for the same price.
Sorrento
I skip buzzy downtown Sorrento for the chance to stay higher uphill with a view over the valley and the Bay of Naples at peaceful Villa Monica. https://www.villamonicasorrento.com/en/
Staying here is like visiting an Italian family. Pascal, the owner, knows all the best places, is great at arranging activities, drives you back and forth to town, serves a lovely breakfast, and is just fun to be with. This was my third stay here, and I will be back!
Our first night’s dinner was at our favorite Leone Rosso, where, at the end of a brutal travel day, we ordered most of the appetizers, plates of seafood pastas, bottles of sparkling wine, decadent desserts, and were presented with a shockingly low check for all that wonderful food and kind service. https://www.illeonerosso.it/menu/ristorante
Pascal drove us to the harbor early the next morning to catch our private boat to Capri. It was the eight of us plus two American couples, on an all-day outing organized by Mondo Tours. https://mondoguide.it/city-tours-from-sorrento The captain let all the young ones from my family ride on the bow, which they loved. We headed first to the Blue Grotto, before any tour groups arrived, when the water was calm enough to increase our chances of actually getting through the opening. My family had no idea what to expect as they were packed into the small rowboats, but were all smiles when they came out. Yes, it’s touristy, but it really is fun.
Our captain then dropped us at the main Capri harbor, after passing out Caprese sandwiches and drinks. We had about four hours, and opted to hop on one of the little city buses and go directly to Anacapri. We took the chairlift to the very top of the island for the endless view, then rode back down to the center of Anacapri to visit the baroque San Michele church with its exquisite majolica floors depicting the Garden of Eden with its fanciful animals.
A little shopping, a little gelato, more sandwiches for our teenage boys, then another little bus back to the harbor to our boat. The rest of our day was for cruising around the Isle of Capri. In warmer seasons they stop for swimming. Our day was all blue skies and sun, but definitely not swimming weather yet.
Another extraordinary dinner in Sorrento at Ristorante Zi’Ntonio. I think this one has Michelin mentions. We showed slightly more restraint in ordering but still had a very reasonable bill and friendly service.