Today we arrived into Naples, Italy.  This is our first time this being this part of Italy. We had a wonderful sunrise as we played basketball today. 

Our excursion today was a trip to Sorrento. Sorrento, Italy, is a captivating coastal town perched on the cliffs of the Sorrentine Peninsula, overlooking the Bay of Naples. Renowned for its stunning sea views, vibrant lemon groves, and rich cultural heritage.  As we were walking around all the churches, which Nana visited everyone of them, were all ringing their bells. We later found out Pope Francis died this morning. 

We visited the  Piazza Tasso which is  bustling heart of Sorrento, this central square is surrounded by cafes and shops, and features a statue of the poet Torquato Tasso .  We also visited Villa Comunale, a serene public park offering panoramic views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius.  We stopped and had a local beer as well as their famous Margarita Pizza. 

We also visited a wood carving workshop with fabulous furniture, clocks and small wood designs.  Sorrento, Italy, is renowned for its exquisite tradition of intarsia, or inlaid woodwork—a craft that has been passed down through generations. This intricate art form involves assembling small pieces of wood to create detailed patterns and images, often depicting local landscapes or classical motifs.

We then stopped at a crafts center at the foot of Mt Vesuvius which made cameos.  Cameos are intricately carved relief images, typically depicting profiles of women, mythological figures, or scenes, crafted from materials like shell, agate, sardonyx, or coral. This art form dates back to ancient Greece and Rome, where artisans utilized the natural layers of these materials to create contrasting images. The technique involves carving away the background to leave a raised (positive) relief image, distinguishing it from intaglio, which features an incised (negative) image . 

Papa bought Nana a small butterfly cameo which Nana will remember Pope Francis by. 

Tomorrow we arrived into Rome. It will be interesting what this city will be like with Pope Francis’s death.