Sorrento Vacations – Simply Unforgettable

What comes to your mind when you think of Italy? Fashion connoisseurs think of Versace and Armani, wine lovers dream of the excellent Tuscany wines, history aficionados visualise the magnificent art collections and architecture of Rome, Venice and Florence, and who can stop thinking of the pizza and the pasta!
But Italy is not limited to just Rome, Milan, Florence and Venice. Italy which has always been a melting pot of cultures, languages and traditions has a distinctly different and equally, if not more, charming Southern region. Its charm lies in its weather, its cuisine, its history and most of all its promise to show the travellers the real Italy, often missed among the picture-perfect scenes of Florence and Venice.
One of the best places for experiencing the enchanting beauty of southern Italy is Sorrento. This resort town dates back almost two thousand years. It is a small but perfectly formed town in the picturesque Campania region of Italy and is strategically located close to Naples, the beautiful island of Capri, and the historic ruins at Pompeii.
Sorrento vacations are especially popular among tourists for the relaxed lifestyle, pleasant weather and delicious local cuisine that are characteristic of this place. Sorrento incidentally is the birth place of the Limoncello liqueur. Besides, its spectacular views, the famed sea cliffs and the slopes looking over azure waters to Ischia, Capri and the Bay of Naples are known the world over.
As for leisure activities, this small town offers some good diving, great sea fishing, boat cruises and appetizing restaurants.
So far as affordable accommodation is concerned, there is no dearth of lodging places here catering to all types of budgets, right from exclusive resorts to friendly and comfortable Sorrento bed & breakfast.
Amongst famous people who found their Sorrento vacations worthwhile are the British authors Lord Byron and Keats, the German author Goethe, the Russian author Maxim Gorky, and the Italian opera singers Enrico Caruso and Luciano Pavarotti.
Once you have experienced the delights of Sorrento, you can also go visiting the nearby attractions such as:
<b>Pompeii</b>: Here lie the remains of the world's most famous volcanic disaster. As many history students know, the town of Pompeii was left devastated by the volcanic eruptions of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Since the town got totally buried under the mountain of volcanic ash, the ruins and even the organic remains are perfectly preserved, giving an amazing glimpse into the daily life of an average Roman town over two thousand years ago. This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is just 20 minutes away from Sorrento and the easiest way to get there is via the Circumventia trains which run about every half hour, both ways. This place is vast and can take anything from 2 hours to a whole day to explore, depending upon your particular level of interest in archeological sites.
<b>Vesuvius</b>: This is the volcano, which caused so much havoc some 2000 years ago and make no mistake, it is still active. In fact this is the only active volcano in continental Europe, and one can see steam emanating from its depths. This is one of not-to-be-missed sites when you are on a Sorrento vacation. The thrills of standing on the top of a rumbling volcano and the panoramic views of the picturesque Bay of Naples make this trip a once in a lifetime experience.
To reach there, just catch a train from Sorrento to Ercolano station which will take some 20 minutes and walk to the peak from there.
<b>Amalfi Coast</b>: Amalfi coast offers the best of Mediterranean views. This stunning coast is situated on the southern side of Italy's Sorrentine Peninsula and is famous for its mysterious grottos, craggy cliffs and shimmering bays. To soak in the picture perfect scenery, take a regional bus passing through the fabled route from artsy Positano to Amalfi.
A Sorrento vacation is incomplete without visit to Amalfi coast and if you find the place a little too bustling for your taste, just find a comfortable Sorrento accommodation such as Sorrento bed & breakfast and you are all set for some memorable vacations.
I have just given you a glimpse of what you can do and explore on your Sorrento holidays. In my next article, I will discuss some more attractions in and around Sorrento.

Brian Scott is an avid traveler and an amateur writer. A repeat visitor of areas around Sorrento …. is almost an authority on Sorrento vacations and Sorrento accommodations especially bed and breakfast in Sorrento Italy.

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Pizza - It's Simply An American Favorite

Few American foods are loved more that the infamous "pizza pie". It doesn't matter
if you're young, old or somewhere in between, almost everyone has a favorite when
it comes to pizza. It's truly rare to find someone that has never tried a slice of pizza.

It doesn't matter where you're from, what you look like or how much money you make.
If you've got a few extra bucks and a hearty appetite, sooner or later the perfect
combination of cheese, sauce, crust and toppings are going to find their way into your mouth.

Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza a day. (Yes...that's ACRES) That's a hefty
350 slices per second! This gives real meaning to the term "pizza lover". Did you know that
there are approximately 69,000 pizzerias in the United States? Approximately 3 BILLION
pizzas are sold in the U.S. each year. (Source: Blumenfeld and Associates)

You probably would have guessed it - the biggest day of the year for pizza in the United
States is none other than Super Bowl Sunday! There's nothing like watching the big game
with a few friends while you wait anxiously for your favorite pizza to be served.

Pizza is a personal subject for most people. Everyone knows exactly how they
want their pizza made. They can tell you exactly what type of crust they like, what size they
prefer, how much sauce is "enough" sauce, and what toppings are the absolute best. There's
no doubt about it, when asked, people talk about their favorite pizza while sharing a big smile.

Pizza lovers constantly explore new cheeses and new pizza ingredients. Unique toppings
and fancy crust are but a few of their delights. Pizza "crust" alone has evolved through the
years giving pizza lovers even more choices for their favorite pies. Stuffed crust, cheesy
crust, whole wheat crust ... you name it.

Pizza is loved so much that it has its own month. October is officially pizza month. Allow me to
help put this into perspective for you... "Presidents" have "days"... pizza has it's own "Month".
Oh how we love our dear pizza pies.

The thought of watching a pizza maker throw pizza dough into the air as it is being perfectly shaped
brings a smile and wide eyes to most kids' faces. The only smile that's bigger is the smile after the
first slice has been quickly consumed. According to a recent Gallup Poll, 82 percent of children ages
3 and 11 prefer pizza over chicken nuggets, hot dogs, macaroni & cheese, and hamburgers.

Pizza is here to stay. While many people continue to pursue weight loss programs and
try to engage in healthy eating practices, pizza seems to be one of those foods that we just must
have from time to time. We don't mind diets and we surely want to become more educated about healthy
eating practices but whatever you do...

Don't take away our pizza!

William Lockhart is founder of Home Pizza Chef (http://www.homepizzachef.com) a web resource for homemade pizza makers. HomePizzaChef also sends pizza recipes to the inbox of its subcribers on a periodic basis. Feel free to redistribute this article or post it on your web site. You may do so as long as this resource box stays fully in tact. William can be contacted at william@homepizzachef.com

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