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33 Why go? Balanced, quite literally, on the soaring limestone cliffs of Italy's Amalfi coast, with uninterrupted views of Mount Vesuvius in the distance, Sorrento is undoubtedly a holiday town. The gentle hues of its sherbet- coloured buildings, stacked up the rock face and into the hills amid tall cypresses, olive groves, lemon trees and plum orchards, have attracted many a film crew. Stroll the pedestrianised streets and you'll find everything from leather to huge local lemons, while the jagged coastline, dropping straight down to the Mediterranean sea, offers plenty of spots for swim- ming, snorkelling and sunbathing. What to do? Start with a walk down to the Marina Piccola, where everything happens. Fishermen quietly cast for mullet and anchovies off the pier, while ferries buzz in from the islands of Capri and Ischia, just off the coast. Watch the world go by with an ice cream in hand or simply sunbathe on the floating decks created for the sun-worshipping Italians. From here, several flights of stone steps wend their way uphill to the old town, a puzzle of streets lined with pink and primrose buildings, where market stalls sell lemons and toma- toes and shoe makers craft scandals in every imaginable style. Piazza Tasso, lined with cafés, is where everyone sits outside with an espresso and watches the street theatre – boys and girls zoom past on scooters and the occasional spat breaks out, Italian-style, between moped rider and car driver. Sorrento's main museum, Museo Correale, has Italian treasures from the 17th and 19th century Naples, and the ornate interior of the Duo- mo church is equally impressive. A stroll away, the medieval clois- ters of the Chiesa di San Francesco look straight out across the sea to Mount Vesuvius. Take a 30-minute boat trip to Capri, where you can ride a cable car up to the summit of Monte So- lare and see Sorrento and the entire Bay of Naples stretched out in front of you. Don't miss the path of the Gods – a series of dazzling scenic walks criss- crossing the hills around Sorrento. Take a trip to Pompeii, the world's largest archaeological site, and catch a glimpse of what everyday life was like 2000 years ago Learn to make a traditional Nea- politan pizza with the chef of the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria (www.classic-collection.co.uk) or learn to cook with mozzarella di buffola and fresh vegetables at Inn Bufalito's kitchen school (www.in- nbufalito.it). Where to stay? The Grand Hotel Excelsior Vit- toria (www.classic-collection.co.uk) on Piazza Tasso is the oldest, most elegant hotel in town. Built in 1834, it has seen everyone from Luciano Pavarotti to Princess Margret come down for breakfast. You'll feel as though you've been whisked away to a bygone era as you dine in the grand ballroom, whose frescoed ceiling, bursting with cher- ubs, dates back to the 1800s. Maison La Minervetta (www. laminervetta.com) is a more mod- ern affair, clinging to the cliffs with spectacular views of the bay, while Bellevue Syrene (www.bellevue.it) has its own sunbathing platform. Where to eat and drink? There is no denying the practical- ity of Sorrento's lemons; not only are they larger than life but they are used to make everything from lemon ice cream, lemon chocolate, lemon soap, and of course limoncello. You have to have ice-cream every day and the best place to try it is at Gelateria Bougainvillea (www.bou- gainvillea.it), where its handmade by Nino and Gianluca Cioffi in over 70 flavours. You can take an ice cream mak- ing class at Gelateria David on Via Marziale – just stroll into the shop to organise a time. There are cheese tastings at Inn Bufalito (www.in- nbufalito.com) on Via Fuoro, which serves Sorrento-style cheese fondue, local salsicca (sausage) and buffalo meat carpaccio. Try some of the local pasta with rockfish sauce or gnocchi alla sor- rentina – with tomato and mozza- rella, at Michelin-starred Ristorante Il Buco (www.ilbucoristorante.it) in the Marina Piccola, or head to Il Giardiniello on Via Accademia for classic pasta fagioli (with white beans). How to get there? While there are no direct services between Malta and Sorrento, Air Malta and easyJet offer direct servic- es between Malta and Rome. Flights departing from Malta on 10 July and returning on 17 July were priced at €158.71, including tax at the time of going to print. easyJet flights on the same dates were priced at €98.48, including tax, at the time of going to print. Ryanair offers direct services be- tween Malta and Bari. Flights de- parting from Malta on 10 July and returning on 17 July were priced at €84.98 including tax, at the time of going to print. maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 JUNE 2014 TRAVEL Lemon-scented Sorrento Make an authentic Neapolitan pizza and enjoy the views of Vesuvius in the lemon-scented city of Sorrento surrounded by olive groves on the Amalfi coast The Marina Piccola is where it all happens, with cafés lining the coast, fishermen casting for mullet and anchovies and ferries buzzing in and out Balanced on the soaring limestone cliffs of the Amalfi coast lies the town of Sorrento Sorrento's larger than life lemons are used to make everything from limoncello to ice-cream, chocolate and soap Get a glimpse of what life was like 2000 years old in the city of Pompeii Piazza Tasso is a great place to stop for an espresso and watch the world go by