It was 08:30 in Sorrento. I was eager to sit down with a couple cups of coffee latte and get to know the ancient mountain. With a reputation like that, it was bound to be invigorating.
The cliffside facing the Bay of Naples proved to be a memorable perch. The yachts, ferries going to Capri, the bustling Neapolitan metro area and, of course, Vesuvio. It was a morning I'd never forget.
I made plans for dinner that night. That same cliffside, only 3 meters higher. It had a balcony perfect for a night with Vesuvius. On the menu: Gnocchi alla Sorrentina, freshly prepared from a family restaurant in Sorrento. I picked it up only ten minutes prior. Upon my arrival for the dish, they laughed when I asked for service at the Gelateria in the front of the restaurant. I made up for it with a fine pronunciation of "Gnocchi alla Sorrentina". I'd rehearsed those three words for last 15 minutes.