South Central Italy

 The town that Gran and Poppa have a house in is extremely small, and in a pretty remote part of Italy. This makes it a bit more complicated to access, but opens up a door to parts of the country that didn't make our original vacation list. We were able to get out and see a whole part of the country that we wouldn't have gone to otherwise, and it was stunning!

Close to Pietracupa in Agnone was the Marinelli bell foundry. I was skeptical that the making of bells would keep everybody entertained for the duration of the tour, but I was surprised at how interesting it was to see how bells are made. Like big church bells - which they have in abundance in Italy. Historic bells like the last bell to be rung in the leaning tower of Pisa, or the Jubilee bell presented to Pope John Paul II that hangs in St. Peter's square. If you think about it, bells are present for many important events, the most common of which is telling the time. 

Jon and I were able to go exploring on our own for a weekend while our kids stayed with their grandparents. We took the opportunity to go to Sorrento, Positano and Capri, all three places were truly beautiful, mountains like I've only seen in photos, gardens and greenery galore and clear blue water. They were also HOT. We explored the cities as best we like to, on foot, so we logged nearly 10 miles each day. We earned our aperol (or lemon) spritzes. 

We were on a boat! With a super skilled captain who either gave us a deal, or stole us from one of his captain co-workers. Probably both.  

Panorama Capri, it took work to get there, but was an outstanding place to catch lunch.

We are on the side of the road here. This is the view from the road!

Juliana recommended this restaurant, O'Parruchiano for dinner in Sorrento. Reservations are full weeks in advance so we stalked the staff at opening and were first in line for a table for two. The land started as a lemon grove and they decided to build a restaurant on top. Or, better wording, throughout. The tables were amongst the lemon trees, flower and herb gardens.

It was a unique place to have a meal after a really incredible day.