We have a confession to make. After 8 years of visiting the Amalfi coast in general and Positano in particular, we have never been to Sorrento.  It has always been “that place on the other side of the hill” and as we don’t usually bring a car to Positano, just too hard to reach.

Today that all changed. We programmed Sorrento into the GPS and headed out.  The ever helpful Carlo from Eden Roc Hotel had advised us where to park to minimise our walk and the cost of parking and within 25 minutes we were parked and ready to explore Sorrento.

Now, we are woefully ignorant about the town.  If we had done a little research we would have found out that Sorrento:

• has a population of around 16,500 people
• has been inhabited since a round 600BC
• is known for it’s production of limoncello, citrus fruit, wine, nuts and olives, and inlaid woodwear
• has been visited by famous people including Lord Byron, Keats, Goethe, Henrik Ibsen and Walter Scott
• became a significant tourist destination in the middle of the 19th century and remains so
• although it has a harbour, the town is built atop the cliffs that run along this part of the Amalfi Coast.

Of course we knew none of this so spent the afternoon wandering through the streets and alleys of the town soaking up the atmosphere. As christmas is not far away, street decorations were being put up through the town and a giant christmas tree graced the main square Piazza Torquato Tasso.

Jean was particularly impressed with Sorrento so a second visit is being planned – either later this week or after the christmas lights are fully installed and turned on next Wednesday.