Siena-Herculeum-Sorrento-Capri

I arrived in Sorrento last night after a long day of very scenic traveling, and a detour to Herculeum (which I loved; I think I enjoyed it more than Pompeii. Much more manageable in size, but still packed with interesting art and architecture). I had wandered quickly through Siena the afternoon before. It was possibly the most beautiful city I've seen so far. I got a taste for it--and toured the Duomo--before heading to the hostel, which was in the middle of nowhere, 20 minutes by bus from the city. Fortunately, an UCSB student studying in the area told me which stop to get off at. I think I may return on the way north, but I'll need to find a more central place to stay.

The weather has dramatically improved, so I decided to stick with the original plan of going south. Upon arriving last night in Sorrento, I found a guy from Israel and a young student from Baltimore who had been in town for several weeks. We had dinner (ravioli stuffed with eggplant in a sausage and tomato sauce), a bottle of local wine, and some gelato, and then wandered the streets for a few hours. They took me to all of their favorite spots, from the fishermen's village to the village square to the castle hidden under a bridge. It was wonderful, the perfect way to see the city.

I spent four hours this morning hiking the eastern third of Capri. Despite the masses of tourists (nearly all over 60, traveling in packs, and either american or german), it was a truly magical place. The trails were paved, every view was spectacular. I made it to Villa Jovis, the natural arch in the mountain, and the Grotto of Matromania. The famous blue grotto was closed for the day, which gives me an excuse to come back to this area again someday.

I'm about to take the bus to Amalfi for two more days of hiking.