Our Italian Adventure

When we woke up on Thursday, May 15th, the skies were void of the sun and the forecast was calling for rain later in the day. Thankfully, the sun came out later in the morning as we started our last day in tranquil Sorrento. Known as the Land of the Sirens, most of Sorrento is built on top of the majestic cliffs which allows for elegant views of the Bay of Naples. Today, we would explore this magical town and become immerse in its aromatic gardens, and endless citrus trees. Sorrento is known for their endless Massa lemon trees which awakened our senses. Tourists have many options to bring home a bit of Sorrento as there are a multitude of lemon themed shirts, dresses, aprons, knick-knacks, and of course, limoncello.

Our plans included checking off the pre-planned sights of Sorrento such as the Parco di Villa Fiorentino, various churches, Piazza Tasso, and the Valley of the Flour Mills. The customary tourist shopping was in order as well as hiking down the path to Marina Grande. This marina is where the fishing village had originated. Today, there are endless private beaches, docks and a public beach area along with shops and restaurants. The views along the path down to the sea are wonderful. However, even before we started our way down to Marina Grande, an unplanned stop was right in front of us. We saw a building and thru the wide double doors, I saw what appeared to be an older red sports car. It was beckoning us to come inside. This turned out to be the Raffaele Celentano Gallery. Raffaele is a well-known Italian photographer, who specializes in black & white photos of Italian daily life experiences. The masterpiece is a 1964 Alpha Romero car. This exquisite eye-candy felt like it belonged in a James Bond movie. The gallery assistant warmly invited us inside. We marveled at the genius of Raffaele presenting common day activities being performed by Italians in spectacular black & white photos. Although they were out of our price range, we would always accept one as a gift from any of our rich relatives. We could have paid 20 euros for a photo shoot with the Alpha Romero, but we passed since we didn’t bring along our James Bond attire.

As we’re starting to descend on the path to the Marina, I observed what appeared to be a private garden opening up into a larger courtyard. I’ve always been brave about entering spaces which may or may not be private. Of course, if there are signs prohibiting entry, I do not violate the law. As I started to descend the stairs, a young lady asked if we were looking for something. I told her no and that we were just curious, assuming she was going to tell us that this was private property. Instead, we learned this was Villa Zagara. Originally, this Villa belonged to the famous Roman General Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. He had been Emperor’s Augustus son-in-law and most trusted advisor. Now, these expansive grounds were used for special events such as weddings. We were offered a tour of the grounds, and we quickly accepted. Our senses were awakened by the smells of many flowers and citrus trees. The grounds were breathtakingly beautiful, and we could only imagined how elegant these grounds must be at a special event. There were herb gardens, flower gardens, groves of citrus and olive trees. On the grounds was an Olympic-sized pool which originally had been an elaborate fountain dedicated to the Nymphs. There was also a 17th century oven which had been used to dry the silk cocoons. What a pleasant surprise! No doubt, the price tag for renting this venue would be appropriate for Jeff Bezos and his new bride.

We continued down the lovely path, meeting others who were coming back up this steep path. On the way down, we passed underneath a 4th century BC Greek gateway. Eventually we reached the Marina. If you want wide, sandy beaches with sparkling water, do not come to Sorrento. While the views are top-notch, their beaches are strewn with pebbles or small rocks, and the water is not sparkling in the Marina. Most of this area is restricted to paying customers who rent a space either on a private beach or a private dock. Many have food options, but most of the reviews say the food will not impress your taste buds. We headed back up the cliffs to a different part of Sorrento.

Shopping in Sorrento netted us our traditional tourist thimble along with a small bottle of world famous Sorrento Limoncello. This strong post-dinner drink is served cold to supposedly help digestion. It is made by steeping lemon peels with concentrated ethanol or vodka until oil is released. It is then mixed with yellow sugar water. It ends up being 28-32% alcohol. Surprisedly, the taste is refreshing, and we can’t say it doesn’t help digestion! We checked out some lemon tree groves and had some gelato by visiting the Gardens of Cataldo. You can’t miss the entrance as it displays a giant ice cream cone.

THE MEAL

During my planning for Italy, I also made countless dinner reservations prior to our trip. Those were made after reading countless reviews and keeping in mind what kind of restaurants we tend to enjoy the most. However, in Sorrento, I broke a rule I’ve always vowed never to break. I made a reservation for Ristorante Lorelei which is a highly rated, and very exclusive restaurant overlooking the Bay of Naples. Our dinner experience would cost more than twice as much as we’ve ever had to pay before. My philosophy has always been “why pay an exorbitant price for a great meal, while you can pay for three really good meals at the same price.” I blame Italy. Something about Italy entices one to maximize our senses, to take chances, to live life to its fullest.

So off we went to the beautiful Lorelei while raindrops began falling all around us. A big part of the charm of dining at Lorelei is their outdoor terrace on the edge of the Sorrento cliffs overlooking the water and embracing the night lights of Sorrento and Naples in the distance. Because of the rain, that was no longer possible and everyone was seated inside. The elegantly dressed staff was very attentive and explained our dining options. Chef Ciro Sicignano helped this restaurant achieve Michelin rating in 2024 and 2025. A five-course meal led us on a path through the tastes of traditional Sorrentina and Neapolitan cuisine. For every course, we were given a detailed explanation of what was being served and where it came from. MasterChef would have given five stars to Lorelei for their presentations. So how did the taste compared to our favorite meals in the past. We both agreed that the food made our taste buds happy, but in the end, the meal would not make our top 5. After the 3rd course, we were taken downstairs to the wine cellar. It is an impressive wine cellar built right next to an ancient Roman aqueduct which has provided Sorrento with drinking water. In another room, we were given a couple of appetizers, and then returned to our table to finish off the meal with a delicious dessert. We’re both glad we ate like royalty for one meal, but our financial accounts were relieved to return to restaurants more suited for our budget. .

After dinner, we had our last walk in lovely Sorrento. It was time to visit the most famous region in Italy. Tuscany!