Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1198098
92 92 Today I am a guest (along with two other travel writers) of Guido and Ornella Fiorentino. Guido owns Sorrento's Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, which has been in his family since 1834. Throughout its storied past, it has hosted European royalty and Hollywood celebrities as well as a host of iconic singers, artists, and musicians. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Bay of Naples, Mount Vesuvius, and the island of Capri, the five- star hotel—complete with Michelin-starred dining—is spread over three historic buildings. It's the perfect base camp from which to tour this classic Mediterranean landscape, rich in both natural beauty and ancient history. We speed past the calcareous rock coastline and its mysterious caves, grottos, Roman ruins, terraced vineyards, and lemon orchards—each scene more breathtaking than the last. Not only are the sights, salt air, operatic tenor, and prosecco perfection, but also the warmth and hospitality of this gracious and handsome powerhouse couple are unyielding. Their welcoming, relaxed demeanor is infectious and makes the trip all the more sensational. We stop for lunch where the Gulfs of Naples and Salerno begin to turn at Marina del Cantone. Just offshore, located between the Bays of Recommone and Ieranto, lie the Li Galli islands, where the Sirens in Homer's epic poem Odyssey were said to have lived. The tiny cove is home to Ristorante Maria Grazia, which opened in 1901. We eat family Sunny Sorrento A f ive-star hotel , views of Vesuvius and Capri , and ancient Roman ruins make this town a must-stop on the A ma l f i Coast . Skimming the water along Italy's sunny Amalfi Coast, with prosecco in hand, and listening to Luciano Pavarotti belting out "Nessun Dorma" over the sound system, I can't help but believe this is possibly one of the most perfect days. TRAVEL By NANCY E. BERRY PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF GRAND HOTEL EXCELSIOR VITTORIA