Last few days in Sorrento :(

Maria Laura & dad picking flowers in her garden

the homemade lemoncello!

Friday, we returned to our restaurant, La Tavola di Lucullo for lunch like we told them we would. We had the three course - portate special with Risotto Gamberi & Limo Shrimps for our fist course and Tonno All'Acqua Patta for our second course. The risotto is a lot different here in Italy, it was more like a rice shape and the tuna was cooked, but still very delicious. For dessert we had an awesome lemon cake, with the consistency of tiramisu, which was very refreshing. They also brought us their homemade lemoncello of course, as well as a spritz, made of prosecco, orange juice, apple juice, and cranberry juice. Dad went next door to see their bar they also owned and met Maria Laura, who came over and sat with us while we enjoyed our dessert. She proceeded to tell us that everything in the restaurant came from her garden which was attached out back, and asked if we wanted to see it! Of course we said that would be a blessing, so she took us to the house she was born and grew up in over 60 years and gave us a tour of her beautiful garden, stopping at every different tree to pick us produce and flowers (oranges, lemons, roses, jasmine, and this huge lily flowers I can't remember the exact name of). We were so grateful and blessed that such a wonderful lady gave us this once in a lifetime experience we will never forget. Both Giovannis and Maria Laura helped us learn much Italian as we helped them learn English. I also got to speak to Maria Laura in French a little, trying not to mix up Italian and French, which was difficult for me. After spending the afternoon there, we told the manager and our waiter at the restaurant that we would be back for dinner and dad asked the pizza boy if he could teach me how to make a pizza later and he agreed.

Giovanni teaching me how to make pizza

1st pizza I ever made

Dad with our collection from the garden

We went shopping a little in Sorrento and I picked up my coral ring and earring set and a few other things in town before stopping at the hotel and then returning to La Tavola di Lucullo for dinner a few hours later. Giovanni, the pizza boy, brought me back behind the counter to teach me how to make my first Italian pizza with a wood-fire oven and all! It was the most simple but the most delicious ingredients that make all of the Italian food so wonderful. Dad ate the pizza Giovanni made and I enjoyed the one that I made. They looked identical (see above) and we were astonished at how easy they were to make! There was authentic live music again along with Italian dancers dressed up to entertain the restaurants customers. After dinner and lemoncello, we walked home with Maria Laura's filled vase from the restaurant, still in disbelief of the amazing experience we had that day. They made us feel like familia there at Ristorante la Tavola di Lucullo, we were so blessed to have come across such a neat hole in the wall spot!

Last meal in Sorrento at La Tavola di Lucullo

On our last day in Sorrento, we relaxed by the beach on the extension you can see to the left. It was such a great way to spend the last day, looking out over the Mediterranean Sea, sipping wine and enjoying some fresh italian appetizers. Dad went swimming in the water but it was way too cold for me. It was so crystal clear and beautiful though, and the sand was black which made it very hot to walk on. Later that evening, we contemplated trying many different restaurants, but the center of town was so jammed packed with people because it was a Saturday night, we ended up agreeing that we would go back to our favorite restaurant, for the fourth consecutive meal, and order our favorite dish for our last night in Sorrento together. We had the eggplant parmesan as our appetizer and both ordered the saffron, zucchini, and clam pasta for dinner, with lemoncello for dessert of course. They also gave us lightly fried whole shrimp as an appetizer as a farewell gift. Ricardo, the manager, also gave me the name of his friend in Florence who owns a leather shop, and as a fashion student, I am ecstatic about checking it out one of my first days in Florence! They were sad to see us go and we were sad to leave, but we will never forget the wonderful memories we had at La Tavola di Lucullo the past few days! 

Sunset in Sorrento

Sunday, we were up at 6:30 and took an 8:30 private car to the Naples airport, which was an hour long windy ride up the Amalfi coast where both dad and I felt the most car sick we have ever been. We caught the 9:50 train to Rome, hoped we got on the right one, an accidentally sat in first class without even knowing it. It was about an hour long train ride, and upon arrival found a taxi to take us to my hotel, where dad dropped me off with my group, bid a sad farewell, and headed to the airport. It was weird being in a crowded city with no water surrounding me like I had in Sorrento, but made the vacation feel over and the study abroad part began. Love and miss you already dad, have a safe flight. A presto (See you soon)!


Ciao,
Tarra