Simply Stunning Sorrento

May 27-30, 2011

Sorrento is the gateway to the Amalfi coast and a truly lovely resort town. It was the perfect setting for Rick and I to celebrate our 38^th anniversary. In addition to exploring Sorrento, we also toured Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, and the lovely and chaotic island of Capri.

Upon our arrival in Sorrento we went immediately to Piazza Tasso, the square that divides the old town from the new, and walked along the Via San Cesareo which has loads of shops selling and producing various products made from the giant lemons grown in this part of Italy. After admiring the beautiful and colorful pottery brightly decorated with lemons we sampled cookies, candy, and all types of lemony treats….the limoncello is irresistible!!! And if all that is not enough, there is always gelato!

Bright and early the next morning we went to Pompeii, the port town that was once home to more than 20,000 before the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. This is the “granddaddy” of all ruins and we have seen tons of ruins in our travels but nothing compares to Pompeii. Many of the buildings are preserved as nearly complete structures so visitors do not need to rely on diagrams and descriptions to imagine what life was like in this ancient yet technologically advanced city.

From Pompeii, our travels took us to Ravello, a small town, perched 1,000 feet above sea level where we toured a 13th century villa and a lovely cathedral before continuing on along the Amalfi Coast. Amalfi has attracted visitors since the Middle Ages and continues to be a tourist filled coast line of incomparable beauty! The views were truly breathtaking as we traveled the coastline suspended more than 500 feet above the Mediterranean Sea.

On Sunday, we left the port of Sorrento to travel by ferry to the island of Capri. From the Marina Grande Port, the Funicular took us to the center of Capri and from there a bus took us to the tiny village of Anacapri. There we enjoyed the less touristy streets and trattitorias plus St. Michael’s Church with its 18^th century majolica floor. Then we rode the chairlift to Monte Solaro for breathtaking views of the Bay of Naples, the Fraaglioni Rocks and the surrounding islands.

We hope you enjoy our photos as much as we do: https://picasaweb.google.com/alysehirsekorn/Sorrento_2730May2011?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPWX1bG2kKTI9QE&feat=directlink

Not Just for Golf....

May 20-22, 2011

St Andrews, Scotland is not just the world’s best known and oldest golf club. As you will see from our photos, it is where Will met Kate while attending the University of St Andrews and it is the home of Scotland’s largest cathedral and the castle which served as a palace for bishops and archbishops since c. 1200.

When our dear friends, Anne and Stuart, began planning their trip to visit us in London, playing golf at St. Andrews was at the top of Stuart’s list. Together we traveled to Edinburgh, then Dundee, and on to St. Andrews to fulfill Stuart’s dream of playing a round of golf at the "home of golf", The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, founded in 1754. In typical British fashion, the day was grey with showers and a few bright spells. It was also chilly for the middle of May but with all that said, Anne and I managed to entertain ourselves by exploring the town of St. Andrews and the ruins of both the castle and the cathedral while Stuart and Rick enjoyed their 18 holes on the Jubilee Course.

Here is the link to enjoy our photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/116669901425376505238/StAndrewsScotland?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOrg_JeahYnmZQ&feat=directlink