We took a shuttle to the Munich Airport in the morning and caught our Lufthansa flight to Naples. From the air we could see the multitude of peaks from the alps changing to cities with considerable density. I’ve had the impression of Naples being a gritty city and didn’t want to risk anything so I booked car transport to and from Naples. We were met by a friendly driver who sped us to Sorrento.
The highway is reasonably orderly and we travel from inland toward the coast. He is a friendly guy, pointing out landmarks along the way but alas we find it difficult to hear him and make out his Italian accent. We do learn that he is from Malagna “city of wheat”, a town known for pasta. Traffic is light and he says the ride is fast compared to usual.
The drive takes about an hour and we arrive at the central plaza. It is a disorderly traffic circle!!
Cars are not permitted any further so he directs us up the cobblestone promenade toward our hotel, the Palazzo Tasso. We see their flag hanging from the balcony but can’t find the front door. I call reception and she directs us to the alley behind where the entrance is. Our room is on the top of a 3 story building and has only a skylight. It is immaculate but with not much character. The receptionist is friendly, telling us about her best friend who visited Yosemite and SF recently. After checking in, we walk the streets. There are “lemon” stores since the region is known for its lemon groves, and high end clothing stores. It is quite touristy and there are tons of people, quite a change from Austria.
The Marina Grande is down by the pier and a has a stretch of beach front chairs/ umbrellas and seafood restaurants. We have seafood pasta and sea bream, delicious compared to our meals in Austria.
The city comes to life at night as people dine, drink wine, stroll the promenade and some street musicians play far into the evening. We can hear the activity until past midnight.