All good things have to come to an end, it’s said! Oh, how I didn’t want this vacation to ever end! We had a fabulous time in our month aboard the Voyager! So for a re-cap of the countries we were in………we started in Barcelona, Spain, then went on to France, Monaco, Italy, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Albania, Greece and Sicily! And then back to Italy! We were back and forth in Italy to different spots several times! One can never get enough of Italy! We visited 28 cities and much more including, but not all…………… 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites……13 castles, 20 churches, 8 gardens, 7 museums of art, 9 markets or bakeries, a perfume manufacturer in France, 15 beaches, 7 wineries, 1 mill, 1 glass factory, 1 Olympic hotel, the Summer home of Empress Sisi in Corfu, Greece, and the estate of Napoleon in exile on Elba Island! We walked many miles and climbed many stairs! And I shopped, shopped, shopped! I wrote 18 posts for the Thursday Doors and 8 posts for Six on Saturday gardens and oodles of travel posts!  And, I tried to give you an idea of ship life on board a 5-star ship! But, nothing can be written or shown in photos as compared to being there! We had a great time, to say the least! So, here we are in Sorrento for our last outing before we dock in Rome and then head home….. Let’s see what a day in Sorrento looks like! First, from the ship looking out at Sorrento………

and then riding in on the tender we had this view……..

and this view looking this way……..

and then a bus ride through the rocky cliffs……….

to arrive in a beautiful piazza!

Who wouldn’t love this?

My first stop was Bottega del Gioiello, owned by the Esposito family for eons……. I was there looking for coral pieces of jewelry. I had excellent service, learned all about the family and left with several pieces of coral! I spent two hours in there! PS The present owner, shown here, is the child on the left in the photo that looks like he is wearing a dress!

Then down the wide avenue with more fancy shops!

There was limoncello and crema di limoni everywhere as well!

There were salami and pasta shops….

Oh, and the perfume shops! Every woman in Sorrento carried one of the Carthusia bags filled with their exquisite perfumes, including me! I waited in that line 30 minutes………….

and then we found the Cathedral of Sorrento just off the main thoroughfare…..what a beautiful and peaceful place………

One of the showstoppers of the cathedral is the huge nativity scene built into a large windowed space in the front of the church!  The sculptures and scenes are outstanding! One could look at it for hours and still discover something new!

It is so lifelike! All the buildings are made of various clays and from the roof tiles down to the bread made by the baker, it is perfection! There are the angels overhead……

And the animals and the shepherds…..and the water and underground niches……..

Inside the cathedral it is very quiet…….

and I love this photo of the door through the door, through the door…….through the door……………

and the ceiling wasn’t bad either! All that natural light made it perfect…….

Then on to the art museum……Transformations……..there is plenty of art in Sorrento……

and a secret garden in an English Garden………

and lots of people enjoying everything LEMON………..

and walking down the narrow passages of local shops……..

Now I’m hungry and want Italian! This place looks perfect, doesn’t it?

and here I am!

and this is what we ate………..homemade lemon-shrimp-fettuccini served in a lemon, no less, and draped over a fresh basil sauce, all made by grandma……..we met her! OMG! With wine (for me) and bread of course!

Everything is about the Lemon in Sorrento! Or, you could carry home an octopus………

There are dozens and dozens of small eateries to choose from……..

and art galleries as well…..

and small pocket neighborhoods………

and a beautiful park at the top of the city……..

with magnificent opulent mansions……..

and a view that will take your breath away……..

in every direction………

and my favorite location for the Hotel de la Syrene…….no kidding, who wouldn’t love it here?

we were very happy with Sorrento!

and one last look ending with dessert!

I must say a Mediterranean Cruise should be on everybody’s wish list! The weather and scenery is out of this world, gorgeous, and the cities are numerous and varied.  There is plenty to see and do, no matter what interests you have! I hope you have enjoyed our Mediterranean adventure, as I have tried to capture the best of each stop!  I will see you next in the States! Enjoy!