The old town of Viterbo is contained within tall walls & towers. Streets lead down from the gates, which take cars in single file, through dark, narrow streets fronted by tall terraced buildings to the ancient heart of piazzas, churches, town offices & the duomo.

The old mixes with the new – look closely at this one; which Tom is peeping?

The Piazza delle Erbe is a small square at the centre of the town with a fountain in the middle where five streets meet, including the main shopping stretch, and edged by cafes & gelateria. Locals of all ages pass & settle & gossip & chatter on their evening passeggiata dressed to kill in their classy glad rags and many with the indispensable accessory of a gelato.

After a day chilling out at the house (more another time) to get over the days of driving, a small journey is called for to the nearest place of any size which has supplies – Bagnoregio. This is an ordinary, busy place which hides a nugget at the far end. Tatty houses & simple shops line the main road and up from here stretches a cobbled street along a ridge with narrow streets branching off on either side. These play host to the houses intermixed with simple churches & piazzas and to the local population of all ages who hang about chatting in the shade as all Italians seem to do – the men together at the bar, the older ladies on benches in the piazzas, people hanging out of windows watching the world go by and families pushing prams & children riding around on bikes linking it all together.

“Well I’m going this way”

And then the nugget – the tiny village of Civita do Bagnoregio high above the surrounding canyons on a pillar of soft rocks that are being eroded away. The only way to reach the precariously balanced houses is by a 20 minute walk along a viaduct. More on this another day.

Driving down through France heading for the tunnels through the Alps, the first sign that the splendours of Italy await is the rear of Mt Blanc standing guard on the border. Once through its dim, subterranean dual carriage way the glories of the Italian Alps beckon you further in.

The first thing that has to be done once over the border is to find the prettiest of places & stop for lunch & explore.

Rabbit salad with a glass of ice cold rose on the shore of Lake Orta. This is one of the smallest of the Italian lakes, surrounded by mountains. It is as if Walt Disney has taken the place over to typify all that is Italian beauty. Picturesque old villages nestle around the shore cry out to be expored.

The pivotal sight is that of the island of San Giulio which can be seen from every spot on the shore. Only 275m x 140m it oozes  a mixture of  scruffy elegance & class & history & religion & the Italian way of doing things.

Have a quick espresso while waiting for the midday ferry at the port at Sorrento

What an ancient city Naples is! ! Full of narrow, haunting streets, full of history & stories. From the sea, domes and crosses compete with tall, elegant, apartment buildings, those flaking & crumbling in juxta position to renovated classy restaurants & shops, for sky space. Layers of muted coloured buildings, all between four & seven stories high, stretch up the hills around the harbour.

A walk around the corner and crowds are watching power boat race around the bay. A real spectacle.

I cannot say goodbye to Naples without leaving you with an image of Vesuvius!

Some images of the hotel – highly recommended in all aspects. Good inexpensive but high quality restaurant, friendly, helpful staff, wonderful roof top pool and scenery to die for overlooking the island of Capri.

A few more images of Sorrento.

From Sorrento buses dash around narrow windy lanes hugging the coast or clinging to hillsides. The driver eats a choc ice in one hand and steers & blasts horn at every bend with other. Then he sorts out his headphones!

Two local buses, change at San Agata, takes you through Termini to the stoney beach at Nerano. Plush hotels & restaurants hug a small bay of pebbles and stones shadowed by tall cliffs at each end.

Amongst the sunseekers and sun loungers some locals still find time to work & fish.

Just an hour down the coast from Naples – the coastline jewel around Sorrento.

The view of Capri from the hotel. It’s the same from the balcony that greets the morning as the shutters open.

Sunset last night over the Bay of Naples & over the island of Ischia.

Sorrento.