Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast

View of Capri ( and the Faraglione) over a sheltered grove of ripe lemons

The filters on which crushed olives are spread, then pressed to extract the oil

The tasting plate from the farm. See the big slab of fresh Mozzarella.

Sorrento

Sorrento from the water

Our evening entertainment

The view from my balcony tonight

We are currently at anchor in the Bay of Naples off shore  from Sorrento and will remain here until tomorrow evening.  The weather is mild and balmy.  Hard to take, really.  I'm currently sitting on the balcony at 10:30pm looking at the night lights of the town, while listening to music from the shore and the  gentle lapping of the sea below me. 

My three highlights for today:
1 Our tour today took us along the Amalfi coast giving us gorgeous views of the matching half moon shaped Bays of Naples and Solerno, and of the Isle of Capri and the Faraglione rocks.   It was quite humid this morning and there were wisps of low cloud around the hilltops.  Being Spring, everywhere is lush and green and groves of ripe lemons are awaiting harvest on every hillside.  But other seasons can be harsh here, with temperatures upwards of 40 degrees C in Summer and  heavy rains and hail in Winter.  As a result all the lemon groves are shielded with green mesh fabric walls and rooves.

The hillside roads are incredibly narrow and winding and the drivers are fearless - or mad -  Or both.  I'm sure our bus driver, Cesare, has nerves of steel dealing with oncoming traffic the way he did.  I saw one motor cyclist overtaking on a blind corner taking him three abreast with our bus and an oncoming car.  Even our guide was moved to exclaim 'Mama Mia!'  more than once.

2 We were taken to a local farm high on a hill outside of Sorrento which grows lemons and olives.  There they make their own own limoncello, press their own EVO oil and produce several types of mozzarella and riccotta cheeses.  We were given a demo of the cheese making and a tasting platter of their products.  Now that was educational - and delicious.

3 We were treated to an open air performance by a local tenor on board this evening.  He sang crowd pleasers such as Nessum Dorma, Oh Sole Mio and Funicule funicula (sp)  His pianist was equally talented, managing to keep his sheet music from flying off the stand in the breeze, playing the accompaniment AND singing harmonies as required.  The crowd managed to get three encores out of them too.

One the dowside,  Vaughan now has my cold and is feeling quite miserable.  I hope he'll be well enough to enjoy Pompeii tomorrow and, if we have enough time (and energy ) in the afternoon, a trip over to Capri and Positano.