amalfi coast: sorrento

dear amalfi coast:: you were a highlight of our summer.
you were a spontaneous decision, but somewhere we’ve
been wanting to go so badly. you were sunny and bright
and full of lemons and gelato. your streets were hot and
your ocean was refreshing. you were picturesque x 10000.
you were the definition of european summertime
perfection and we fell completely in love.
you may not have had full sand beaches, but the stones on the
beach were warm and your sea was so sparkly and irresistible.
there are a few different areas of the amalfi coast to visit,
but for our first time we settled on seeing sorrento. it’s
so accessible from naples and a good taste of the coast.
weaving in and out of the shops + gelato stands on the
streets here was one of my favorite memories together.
the town is bright and pretty and ideal for wandering on the way to the beach.
the size of the lemons here is crazy! every other shop is just
lemon products- lemon soaps, lemon tablecloths, lemon candies,
paintings of lemons, fresh-squeezed lemonade…basically all things happy.
^^ seriously though, those lemons!!
we stopped in for lunch on the rooftop of the plaza hotel
 right in town for a quick lunch even though we weren’t staying.
we planned out some of our day while sipping on virgin
piña coladas and tropical drinks, taking in the views ^^
it was getting so hot out, but we had to order pasta dishes! (when in italy)
we went for a quick dip in their rooftop pool to cool off, 
then it was down to the actual sea! most of the beach access
is private here since there isn’t much of a sand beach, but
you can gain access through hotels or by paying for a chair.
just the walk down itself is stunning!
we came across a hybrid orange & lime tree ^^ amazing!
wandering through the stone paths down to the ocean
is a definite must here. beautiful views all around. ^^
we even saw the prettiest wedding coming out
of a sorrento church…dream wedding destination!
we had one of the greatest gelato stops of our life on a random
little street here. we stumbled into raki, and an italian man
outside of the shop advised us to get mascarpone flavor with
pine nuts and caramel. umm, it was what dreams are made of.
okay i think it’s clear that i could not get over
the lemon theme here … it was my dream come true!
friends + family, be ready for lots of lemon-themed gifts
this christmas … they were too tempting not to stock up on!
i could not get enough of this town or this area. the best
part of the day was, we got down here for only a few euro each
by taking the circumvesuviana train from naples. most websites
and guides will recommend a personal driver to take you down to
the coast…and although that is a convenient option, it’s great to know
that you can take a train as a day trip for a lot less $. just be careful of
pickpockets as it leaves naples! :) we know that our short visit did not do
the amalfi coast justice, so we hope to return..but we loved our taste of it.

xo