#positano is so beautiful but everywhere was packed of people

[rainbenrry23]

Americans making an aesthetic out of Italy is so funny to me

[shalomanna]

Are you planning on vosit Italy?

We stayed in a gorgeous small town called Atrani, which is next door neighbours to Amalfi. There is a pedestrian bridge through the mountain between the towns and is about a 5-8 minute walk - highly recommend staying there if you want to be in the centre of the coast, but away from the bus loads of tourists. Plus they have the famous arches under the roads that you can see from the beach!

Before arriving at the coast, we stayed 2 nights in Sorrento. We took the train from Naples which was about an hour and a half. Beware that it is not a big regional train, but similar to a small metro so it will crowded, have limited seating and will not have any kind of storage space if you have suitcases/backpacks.

Sorrento is beautiful in itself and you can explore the town in a day. We did a day trip to Capri from here which was about a 20 minute ferry ride. Capri is gorgeous but you also only need a day to explore it (full day, not half day). You can also do day trips to Capri from all the different towns though so it’s not a dealbreaker, it’s just close to Sorrento!

To get from Sorrento to towns like Positano, Praiano, Amalfi etc you need to take a bus or taxi or private car. The buses fill up super quick and they pack people on like there’s no tomorrow- if you are travelling by bus, go early as possible. If you are staying in Positano, coming from the direction of Sorrento, get off the second stop for Positano as it is closer to the town centre. If you are coming from the opposite direction, get off the first stop. Also be mindful if you are getting on the bus elsewhere than the major towns, often the buses are so full that they will drive straight past the people waiting at bus stops. We did not take a taxi but saw them advertising prices between 70€-100€ to go to the Amalfi coast.

You can also take a ferry but we didn’t have that option the first half of the time we were there because they were doing works on the pier in Positano.

When you arrive- there are stairs everywhere! Most buildings (unless it is a hotel) will not have lifts e.g airbnbs and bed and breakfasts. To help with luggage you can hire luggage porters that is generally 15€per bag and 5€per person where they will drive you to your location from the town square and will carrying your bags up to your accomodation for you.

If you would like peace and quite on the coast, don’t stay in Amalfi or Positano as even in the ‘off season’ it is still crowded with people. If you like that vibe, then they are both definitely beautiful places to stay.

If you are planning on hiring beach umbrellas don’t make the mistake we did and assume that they are all the same area/company. We just went to the first one we saw on the beach and paid 45€for two umbrellas to find out that there was no cafe or restaurant or bathrooms attached to this ‘place’ and it actually shared the space with the public beach where it was rocky and there was everyone running lose hahaha.

Definitely recommend doing a sunset boat tour! 10/10 worth it. Most of them come included with champagne.

If you want to visit Ravello there are stairs from Atrani but we have heard it takes about half a day to climb them. Taxis will take you but most (not all) will charge you anywhere from 10€-20€per person for a literal 5km trip.

On that note: if it hasn’t been said before, the Amalfi coast is expensive! You can definitely do it on a budget, but just be aware that a lot of prices are jacked up to take advantage of tourists (see taxis) so definitely do your research beforehand and look into private companies and drivers.

I would only recommend hiring a car or scooter if you are a SUPER confident driver. Those roads are no joke. They are windy, twisty, narrow, sharp and there are no footpaths so you have pedestrians constantly walking along them.

If you want to travel to nearby towns, check both ferry and bus options as some are cheaper than others. If you buy tickets online that’s all good, but if you buy them in person you cannot buy them for any days in advance, only on the days, even for the bigger ferry’s to major cities like Napoli.

On the return trip we took a ferry from Amalfi to Naples and would definitely recommend this over the train as it was less stressful, less crowded and just generally more pleasant, however we did have to change boats (layover in Capri) but the route you take will depend on how many people have booked for that day.

Overall we did 2 nights in Sorrento and 5 nights in Atrani. We visited Capri, Positano, Amalfi, Praiano, ,Ravello, Cetara and viewed minori and Māori from a cruise. A week is definitely enough time to see the coast but I wouldn’t go for any less time (but I could just be biased).

[ineloqueent]

from sea to stars

Brian May x Reader

synopsis: from sea to stars, the world is ours.

warnings: brief allusion to depression

word count: 2.6k

a/n: happy birthday sofie ( @drivenbybri​ )!! i hope you have a wonderful day, you absolute star. this is inspired by the moodboard you made me of holidaying with brian in italy <3

⭒

1992

The sun had gone down hours and hours ago, and yet, Positano was only just awakening.

Twinkling lights and narrow, cobblestone paths wound down the cliffs until the land dispersed and gave way to water, and the starry sky sparkled above a sea shining beneath the newly risen moon.

The tables were being set out for dinner, shop owners returning from their midday naps that had lasted long beyond their prescribed time allotment, elderly women gossiping as they hung up their washing, fishermen returning from the ocean to play their parts in the family scene.

There were young people too. Lovers and lone wolves alike, friends and proclaimed family, they laughed as they ambled half-tipsy down the streets of their village, or shouted to one another as they ran between the alleys and dodged adults who had the mind to complain about the noise.

It was by no means a quiet night in Positano, but then again, no nights were ever quiet on the Italian Riviera, with such a lively population, driven by music and a little bit of madness.

Or those were Brian’s words anyway.

He’d said that as the two of you had wandered along the low wall by the water, and you’d smiled fondly at him as he’d swung your hand in his own, enunciated his words in that particular manner of his, with that slightly-distracted air, which gave way to rapt attention once his thoughts had been spoken.

“A people, a village, driven by music, and just a little bit of madness.” He’d laughed then, a soft, breathy sound, one that you only ever heard when it was just the two of you, shrouded in the intimacy of solitude, where you felt like you were dreaming because you felt like you were standing at the centre of the universe.

And right now, there was nothing more to the universe than Brian’s hand clasped with your own. The lights of Positano caught on his ringlets as he smiled beneath the glow of the full moon.

Somewhere along the way, he pulled you to the side of the path and stopped beside a bush full of crepe-pink flowers. He broke one off from an overhanging branch and proceeded to brush the hair from your face with light fingers before he placed the flower behind your ear.

You smiled up at him again, because how could you not— this gentle soul with his wandering mind and ever-generous heart, who swore he loved you more than you loved him.

But you wouldn’t— you couldn’t— believe him when he said that, because surely, he could not have felt any love greater than the one that overwhelmed you, bubbled and overflowed from your heart, when he smiled at you, when he so much as simply looked at you, and you found yourself falling in love all over again. Surely there were limitations as to how much one person could love another, and surely you had reached those limitations with the way you loved Brian. Except for the fact that each day you spent with him made you love him just a little bit more.

There was always something new to learn about Brian, how he had a different frown for different types of concentration, whether it was music or mathematics, and how he hummed to himself when he thought no one was listening. He could be a grumpy sod sometimes, but otherwise, he had a mild temperament, and his darker moments always yielded far sweeter ones. He was stubborn, but somehow, he always came around when you laid your head on his shoulder and took his hand in yours. He would talk and talk about what was bothering him, hardly taking a breath, quite often on the verge of tears, but then you would look to him and nod.

“I know,” you’d say.

It was hard these days. But you promised him that better ones lay ahead.

He would sigh softly and kiss your forehead, and the two of you would sit together quietly for a little while longer before going about the day.

But here, in Positano, the world seemed to spin more languidly than anywhere else, the sun lingering high in the heavens, unperturbed by its winter curfew, and time was felt much more as a construct than a reality.

At nine o’clock, you and Brian sat down to dinner at a little place that overlooked the bay, mid-way up the cliffs and boasting the best scenery in the village, secluded beneath the lemon and pine trees, with a clear view of the rolling waves and the boats that rocked atop them.

“So,” said Brian, setting down his menu to look at you, “what is it to be?”

“Hmm…”

“Pizza or pasta?” he joked, as the two of you had done since you’d arrived in Italy two weeks ago. You were beginning to like this modified routine of lying in the sun and squealing like a teenager when Brian tossed you into an oncoming wave, winding your fingers through his curls as you kissed him beside cyprus trees, tasting homemade wine on his lips and seeing the sunlight brighten his eyes anew.

“I think it’s a pasta kind of night,” you replied, and within a few minutes, Brian had ordered for the both of you in haphazard Italian.

Somewhere, there was somebody strumming a guitar and whistling, and the sound echoed softly between the close-packed buildings of the village, reminding you of another time. Exactly what other times you were reminded of was unclear, but there was a certain nostalgia to the old architecture, old families, old memories of Italy, and you closed your eyes to drink in the music as Brian’s hand found yours again.

“Someone’s playing guitar,” he said, and you murmured a response. “Makes me want to write a song. Maybe I will.”

You opened your eyes.

Brian hadn’t written in ages.

He associated writing with his bandmates, and, rightfully, found the idea of writing quite painful, without them.

But here he was, saying he wanted— no, that he would— write a song, and you felt the world grow a little lighter.

You tugged on his hand. “Will you write one about me?” you said.

A smile broadened his pretty lips. “I’d write you a thousand songs if you asked.”

“Oh, please,” you scoffed. “There’s nothing about me that warrants two songs, let alone a thousand.”

Brian lifted your hand to his mouth and pressed a tender kiss to your skin. “That is utter rubbish, and you know it.”

You had nothing to say to that, so you settled for a blush and a smile, and glancing down at the table, at heart still the teenager you’d once scorned, but had now come to love for her belief in the goodness of people, for the purity of her love toward those who loved her in return.

You weren’t old, but god, Brian made you feel young.

Young enough to believe that everything would eventually work out for the best, young enough to imagine that the sea and the stars went on forever, and that happiness came to those who deserved it.

It was all very unrealistic, but then again, you had never thought that someone as beautiful and kind as Brian could exist in this world plagued by human cruelty.

“Love?” Brian’s voice called you from your thoughts. He was looking at you concernedly, the crease between his brows for once revealing his age, some of the tragedies which he has lived through. His normally cheery smile hid these little sadnessess, but suddenly, they were as plain to you as the moon shining down from the gradient of the Italian summer night sky. “What are you looking at? Have I got something on my face?’

He lifted a hand to his cheek, but you beat him to the chase, running your thumb softly over his chin.

“No,” you murmured, staring into those endlessly hazel eyes. “Just you.”

His smile melted you. He pressed a lingering kiss to your fingers and said nothing more.

The food came and went, and after the two of you stayed a while longer, as was custom to do in Italy, you rose and ambled down the winding paths of Positano again.

It was an aimless sort of wandering, but that was the beauty of it all. There was nothing to be done, no task to be completed or deadline to be met. There was simply you and Brian, and the hidden corners of a foreign city, begging to be explored.

One such hidden corner involved a bookshop, and Brian was quick to pull you inside before you walked on by it.

You had almost not seen the place, shrouded by overgrown shrubbery riddled by the night-blooming jasmine. Indeed, Brian had not seen it either, but had noticed the aroma of the jasmine, and had glanced over his shoulder to catch sight of the rickety little shop.

Inside, there were books everywhere, stacks on the floor that stretched toward the ceiling in winding towers, shelves overcrowded with books both vertical and horizontal, tables and chairs occupied by novels and fairy tale collections in place of people.

Brian navigated the maze of the shop with purpose, and you smiled bemusedly.

“Anything in particular?” you asked him, as though you were the shop clerk.

He stopped briefly to wink at you. “Poesia,” he said.

You left the shop only ten minutes later, Brian with a tattered book beneath one arm. He led the way down the cliffs, until at last the sea shone before you once more, and the sand sparkled with moonlight like it was made of stars.

As the waves washed ashore and the sea breeze drifted in to accompany them, you looked up at Brian, who cast his eyes about the beach.

“Please tell me we’re not going swimming,” you said, to which he laughed.

“No, it’s a bit too dark for that. And with the way the waves are cresting right now, I’d say we would easily be carried out to sea, from one moment to the next.”

You blinked, puzzled. “So what are we doing?”

“Absolutely nothing at all.”

“Nothing?” you said, considering the purposeful way he had surveyed the beach.

“Well,” he stepped into the sand and pulled you with him, “not quite.” He smiled again, that lovely, secretive smile that was yours alone to witness; he never smiled that way for anyone but you. “Come on.”

He turned to his right, and you perceived a calmer swell of tide, mitigated by a small outcrop of rock which shielded the shore from the wilder waves.

Brian sank down into the sand and drew you with him, easing you down so that your head rested in his lap, and his hand in your hair.

You closed your eyes, as he opened the book and began to read softly, the hum of his words drawing you close to dance with your imagination, to see the lights and colours of the stories he spun, because even if you could not understand the language of which they were made, you could hear the intention, the emotion, of which they had been composed.

It occurred to you then that the most beautiful sound in the world was that of Brian’s voice. It was a striking thought, yet the realisation was so simple to you that it brought tears to your eyes to think that you should have been so lucky as to hear it. He spoke more beautifully than the wind could have hoped to speak, in its whispers through trees, more beautifully than the rush of the ocean could have dreamed to emulate, in its effervescent, ever-changing beauty. You would have given up anything, everything, to listen to him forever, for there was such love in the pensiveness with which he chose his words, such care in the fluidity of his speech, the melody of his song.

But then the lilt of his voice became suddenly unfamiliar, and you opened your eyes to find that he had diverted from the script of the book in his hand, and as his fingers ran through your hair, you realised that they were trembling.

“Brian,” you began softly, sitting up to take his hands in yours. He had stopped speaking entirely, and worry gripped you at the expression on his face— the bitten lip, the watery eyes. “Brian, what—”

But he shook his head, shushed you gently, and you closed your mouth, though your concern did not subside.

With a shuddering sigh, he began anew.

“Il mondo è bello,” he recited, “dal mare alle stelle, e se mi salvi, sarà nostro.”

“I don’t understand,” you murmured despairingly, but he pulled his hands from yours, and your gaze followed his movements as he picked up the book once more.

“Quindi, salvami, amore mio, e sposami.””

The pages fell open then, and at the perfect time, too, because you had been about to question him further, to impress upon him just how little of the Italian he spoke made any sense to you.

But betwixt the pages of the book, as answers often do, lay the only answer you needed.

A little jewel, shimmering atop the circle of a thin silver band.

A ring.

Your eyes abruptly filled with tears, and if you had been able to see more than blurry shapes before you, you would have sworn that Brian’s eyes did too.

His voice nearly failed him when next he spoke, a stutter in his throat to match the one which pulsed in your heart.

“The world is beautiful, from sea to stars, and if you save me, it will be ours. So save me, my love, and marry me.”

You could not speak, for the emotion that had thickened the air in your throat.

Maybe it was the ease with which he had spoken the words, because though he had stumbled through the Italian, there had not been even a glimmer of hesitance in his eyes as he had bid you marry him.

Maybe it was how he gazed at you now, the way you had never imagined anyone would gaze at you, or how he looked ready to surrender himself to shame, should you have said no.

Maybe you were just amazed. Amazed at how he loved you. Amazed by how little you understood of the world, in contrast with how certain you were that nothing would make you happier than to spend the rest of your life with Brian May.

“Will I marry you?” you repeated, as the smile flooded your lips and the tears your cheeks.

Brian nodded silently, his chest rising and falling in a way that betrayed his quickened heartbeat.

You nodded in return.

Brian drew nearer to you until the two of you were leaning forward in the sand, until his fingertips ghosted the sides of your face. “Please,” he murmured. “Please, will you say it?”

Your eyes fluttered closed and the world sank into darkness, for but the lightness of his touch. The word fell from your tongue.  

“Yes,” you said.

As the ring found its home upon your finger, the world spiraled out of touch with reality, for surely you must have been dreaming. The salt of your tears sweetened the taste of his mouth as he kissed you, with a tenderness even more beautiful than his words.

Yet, when you opened your eyes again, you knew that you could not be dreaming, because Brian still knelt before you, beneath the midnight moon of Positano.

And suddenly you understood what he had meant.

Because with your promise and his still tingling upon your lips, you knew that from sea to stars, the world would be forever yours.

⭒

a/n: my sincere apologies to anyone who actually speaks/understands italian. i neither speak not understand the language, but i had someone who does look over the grammar. i’m still not 100% sure that it’s right, but hey, i tried :)

[ourlittleorganiclife]

A trip to Naples and the Amalfi Coast makes an exceptionally special holiday, either as a family vacation or as a romantic holiday – even as a honeymoon. And while you don’t see too many children around – particularly the Amalfi Coast towns – its also a very child friendly place to visit, so you shouldn’t hesitate to travel there with a child.

1. Naples

Naples itself is an absolute gem of a city, despite its rough reputation. We started our journey to the Amalfi Coast by flying into Naples and staying overnight there, allowing some time to explore the city. We stayed at one of the city’s elegant old seafront hotels which still served afternoon cocktails and our grand room had excellent views of Mt Vesuvius across the Bay of Naples.

This city’s architecture is haunting in its faded grandeur and there’s no better way to get your bearings than to take one of the Hop-On, Hop-Off City Sightseeing bus tours which has routes that take you far further than you’d ever venture on your own and you can see some some of the grand, crumbling old villas and spectacular vistas up in the hills above Naples.

Its actually quite hard to go wrong eating in Naples, we found, as nearly every small restaurant offered excellent homemade pizzas, pastas and seafood (we went shortly before I became vegan) and it was all very inexpensive. Just follow the locals. There is an element of roughness to Naples but in all honesty, we found it to be the best food we had on our trip and the people were so friendly.

2. Positano

We based ourselves in Atrani, just a few minutes walk from Amalfi which made an exceptional base for exploring the rest of the coastline via the frequent, reliable and cheap ferry services. Positano is spectacular, although much pricier than Atrani or Amalfi. The shopping in Positano is great too with lots of (tasteful) lemon-themed souvenirs and its also home to my favourite beachwear company, Antica Sartoria.

The beach is quite sharp and rocky so I recommend taking a pair of swim shoes with you to save your feet being shredded.

Positano is definitely a great place for lounging around, people watching and enjoying an Aperol Spritz or two, while admiring the architecture and walking up winding streets to check out the beautiful ceramics and handicraft shops.

3. Atrani

Our balcony had a spectacular view of the town – pretty much the same view as the cover of the Lonely Planet guide. We rented an apartment so we could keep our 15 month old daughter to her usual routines. Most of the restaurant food we tried was okay but felt like a bit of a letdown after the food in Naples, so we mostly cooked our own food in the apartment, shopping in the little local shop for our ingredients. The basil leaves (as shown below) looked nothing like the basil we buy here in the UK, but tasted amazing and the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella (my pre-vegan days) were both so simple and delicious, so we mostly lived on insalata Caprese and the local pasta, scialatelli. The central square in Atrani is quite peaceful and picturesque – we were there one evening as it was being set up for a wedding. All the locals in the apartments above the square hung out beautiful linens off their balconies to make the square look more wedding-ey and rose petals were strewn everywhere. We lingered for a bit to gawk at the wedding preparations as our daughter ate freshly cut up ripe red strawberries – the local cafe owner was always giving her little cups of these as a treat. As evening drew in, hundreds of little candles were placed everywhere on the ancient steps and as it looked like guests were arriving, we disappeared to our temporary home, far enough away to have a quiet night. While there is nothing specifically to “see” or “do” in Atrani, it is simply a beautiful and peaceful spot where we would happily return in future.

4. Ravello

Ravello is a town with an unworldly feel about it – like a Hollywood imagining of Italy, its so perfect. Perched high in the mountains above Amalfi and Atrani, it is accessible by a terrifying bus ride which feels like it takes a ridiculously long time considering its only around 7 kilometres away. The winding mountain roads mean the journey is roughly half an hour, but is completely worth the effort. The beautiful unspoilt town is famous for its carved cameos, but there are many other artisan shops there as well, although you get the feeling much of the town really is there for tourists. We went on a Tuesday, which was market day. The market itself is fairly unremarkable – practical things for the locals to buy, a bit like a travelling Poundland – but there are also lots of food producers and we would have bought some fresh fruits and vegetables if we weren’t planning to hike back down to the coast. I think Ravello would be a beautiful place to stay for a night or two as the town is immaculate and the views from some of the small private resorts just outside the town are breathtaking.

5. Valley of the Dragons (Valle del Dragone)

The Valley of the Dragons is an amazing walking route (perhaps more of a hike really) between Ravello, way up in the mountains all the way down to Atrani. We chose to walk down the valley rather than up, which I recommend you do, but the walk was simply spectacular. We packed our 15 month old daughter into the Ergobaby carrier and strapped her onto my husband’s back and after a morning walking around Ravello, we gently made our way down the path, through the splendid lemon groves (covered in black netting) where many of the famous Amalfi lemons are grown, and down into the labyrinth of ancient streets of Atrani. Take a simple picnic (a sandwich or protein bar and lots of water) with you if you can and stop somewhere under a lemon tree on your way down to enjoy the view. Although there are lovely stairs for the first part of the journey down the hill out of Ravello, most of the route is dusty and there aren’t really any designated picnic or resting spaces. But it’s fairly relaxed and you won’t see many people on your walk, so just take your time, enjoy the beauty of the place and stop where you need to. I’d recommend this only for hikers with good mobility as it is quite steep and fairly rough and rocky in places.

6. Amalfi

There are three things you must do in Amalfi.

You must rent a beach chair on one of the private club beaches along the waterfront. There is a public beach, but its not a very sandy beach, and it can get hot in summer, so I suggest spending the €10 to rent a beach chair and have access to clean loos, changing rooms and a waiter to bring drinks and snacks to you at your convenience.

In the late afternoon, head up to the Piazza Duomo, near the fountain and head into pasticceria Andrea Pansa to buy a box of sfogliatelli. These heavenly pastries (again, so NOT vegan!) come in lemon and orange flavour and are a local specialty. We sometimes ate them in the square with a cup of coffee, but often would take a couple back to our apartment to have after dinner.

Finally, take the time to check out the beautiful Amalfi Cathedral (Duomo). It costs around €3 to go inside. I didn’t take photos because I don’t really like taking photographs inside churches, but the inside of the church and its garden is absolutely spectacular (showing that Amalfi was once an extremely wealthy town) and it’s worth putting aside around 45 min or for this visit.

7. Capri

You don’t absolutely have to go to Capri. But why not see the spectacle while you’re there? Its not part of the Amalfi Coast, rather Campania state, like Naples. The food is all horribly overpriced and not particularly outstanding. But there is a charming old Hollywood style glamour there, reminiscent of Monte Carlo, with a slight hedonistic atmosphere, so if you like that 1950’s glamour vibe (think big Sophia Loren hats) then make the time to go. Unlike the other destinations we travelled to along the coast, we plumped for a more expensive boat trip this time, but they took the time to go around the island and pause at the beauty spots for photographs, which we felt was worth it. You can just get a cheap ferry there, however, if your budget is limited. I’d recommend that if you are on a tighter budget that you also take a picnic lunch with you to eat on a park bench somewhere, as you’re going to spend around €10 on a cup of coffee, and restaurants are prohibitively expensive, although that being said, we did splurge on a nice lunch out.

The ferries arrive in at Marina Grande and there is a funicular which takes you up to Capri Town.

I enjoyed seeing the local designer clothing shops which were utterly unique compared to the usual designer chains (which you can also find plenty of in the town).  The highest concentration of shops is along the Via Camerelle.

Our favourite part of our visit was actually getting away from the main part of the town and just wandering amongst the old streets with glamorous villas and gardens tucked in behind.

8. Salerno

Salerno isn’t strictly speaking on the Amalfi Coast but its easy and inexpensive to get there via ferry boat and I think makes for a fun change from the constant near-perfect imagery you experience in the Amalfi towns. Salerno is a bit gritty and not really so much focused on tourists, but it has a vibrant buzz and it feels like a real place where real people live.  As ever, take a ferry there. Once you get past the tired marina, you’re welcomed by a lovely seafront garden promenade.

There are lots of lovely places to stop for delicious food, wine and gelato, and the city has a vibrant historic centre with crumbling old architecture, laundry hanging across alleyways, palm trees and all the lovely typical Southern Italy stuff you expect. Unfortunately we were there on a Sunday and the city really was quite closed for business, except for one outstanding seafood restaurant we found by accident in a square which we could probably never find again if we tried! (Actually I did write down the details in a journal somewhere which I have misplaced and when I find it, I’ll update this post with the address.)  You just rock up at a table and they bring you plate after plate after plate of food – no menu, no ordering.  I think the whole meal with wine came to no more than €45 for the two of us and our daughter just nibbled off our plates.

Make some time to visit the Norman built Salerno Cathedral dedicated to St Matteo, which is considered by many to be the most beautiful medieval church in Italy.

The church is guarded by these lions at the Porti dei Leoni at the grand 12th century entrance to the cathedral. I feel for the poor mama lion on the left!

9. Sorrento

Sorrento is the sunny, cheerful buzzy gateway to the Amalfi Coast. We stopped here for one night before heading back to our flight home from Naples. We arrived via the harbour to this glorious welcoming view.

We chose to make the steep, winding walk up the hill with our luggage (we are light packers) and our daughter’s stroller (what were we thinking?) but there is also a set of stairs taking you straight up to the town. And there were also taxis to take you up the hill too, obviously.

Once you get to the top, this lemon bright almost kitschy town awaits with lots of coffee shops, touristy alleys selling all things lemon-related you could imagine – tea towels, soap, limoncello, magnets. But there are also some artisan shops selling the beautiful marquetry music boxes for which Sorrento is so famous. We didn’t buy anything but really enjoyed the whole vibe of the town.

We stayed at the Plaza Sorrento which has some eco-credentials (I have no idea what those were meant to be as it seemed fairly conventional to me) and it was very clean, comfortable and conveniently located with a lovely rooftop bar and pool with spectacular views. They also set up a lovely little cot for our daughter to sleep in. I think I’ll finish by saying that we ate a lot of gelato on that trip. A lot. Every. Single. Day. But this gelato below at Gelateria Zini was by far and away the best we had – all made by the owner and sold with passion by the owner who let us try lots of her amazing flavours.

So where next? We are off to Canada and then Europe again this summer to spend some time in France and Germany (and possibly Switzerland), but after that we are thinking somewhere a bit further afar. Depending on finances we might go on our current dream holiday to Costa Rica but have also been looking at some cheap Thailand Holiday Packages for 2018/2019. If you’d like to learn more about how we travel, check out our other articles for eco-friendly travel tips.

This post was a collaboration with Destination2.co.uk 

9 Hidden Treasures of Naples & The Amalfi Coast A trip to Naples and the Amalfi Coast makes an exceptionally special holiday, either as a family vacation or as a romantic holiday - even as a honeymoon.