After Pompeii, our next stop with my mom was beautiful Sorrento. Despite the bombings of World War II, Sorrento alone was spared, so its old buildings remain intact.
Red flower vines whose names I don’t know ran along the sloping roads, making it feel more like a beautiful countryside garden than a city.
The people of Sorrento looked very relaxed, and motorbikes crowded the narrow roads. We had a simple lunch in Sorrento.
Spaghetti. Italian food is generally very salty, and this was salty too.
The steep road down to the Sorrento beach is lined with more guesthouses and hotels the closer you get to the shore. Despite being very old, so many people visit that prices are high, they said.
Despite being a seaside town, Sorrento had no fishy smell. That’s because the seabed is limestone, so seaweed can’t grow and fish don’t live there. That’s why most residents make a living from yachts, lodging and tourism.
Before tourism developed, Sorrento’s young men left town to earn money. The famous Italian folk song “Torna a Surriento” is said to be the sorrowful song the maidens of Sorrento sang, longing for the young men who had left.
Sorrento, a city like a beautiful garden as much as its pretty sea. If I visit again, I want to stay for a very long time. Torna a Surriento! My mom and I left for Capri Island, Italy’s resort island.
Prices, hours and details in this post are from our visit in May 2018 and may have changed, so check the latest information before you go.