Massa Lubrense

Buona festa della mamma a tutte le mamme e a coloro che hanno ricoperto il ruolo di mamme.

We are having a lovefest with Sorrento. Today we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day thar contrasted the local weather reports. We started the day with a substantive breakfast on the rooftop terrace of the Inn. The service here is generous and friendly.

The city plazas were bustling with tourists from cruise ships. Jim C went to view the Roman ruins (circa 150 A.D.) where Queen Giovanna escaped the summer heat. I remained at the inn and we met at one of the main plazas at noon.

While waiting for Jim, I overheard a woman switching from Italian to English, as she tried to explain to her Italian companions the phrase "to put on lipstick as they attempted to repeat it. At one point, I laughed while this exchange was happening, and the woman asked if I spoke English. I told her that I was from the states, and she explained that she was originally from Torinto. She complimented me on my ability to speak English and she told her friends in Italian that I was a good English speaker. I guess nearly 64 years of practice has some benefit.

I didn't know that Mother's Day is also celebrated in Italy (and many other European countries), and it was fun to see tourists and locals alike celebrating their mothers. The market where craftspeople were selling their wares was lively and packed.

Jim and I people watched and drank cappuccino freddo, a really delicious blended ice coffee layered on top of cappuccino. We also sampled French fries with a lemon pepper cheese sauce before heading off to wander the city streets.

On our walk, we discovered a lemon and orange garden where a vendor offered limoncello and other liquors. We purchased a bottle of mandarin- flavored digestive, and we hope to share it with Jim's sisters next week when they join us in Tuscany.

We decided to check our David's Gelateria who Rick Steve's billed as producing the best gelato in the city. We can offer no dispute- the flavors were amazing. Jim C has become partial to coffee/pistachio and I have really loved the fruit flavors like strawberry and mango.

After returning to our room, we enjoyed a long nap, and then we watched the changing sky, a spectacular rainbow and the setting sun.

We wrapped the evening with an extended dinner at Donna Sofia, a restaurant dedicated to Sofia Loren. We were seated in a courtyard; the food and ambience were lovely and relaxed.

We had a sweet walk home, and we enjoyed the quiet streets as we made out way back while noticing lightning flashes from moody Mt. Vesuvius across the bay. Buona Notte, friends.Read more