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I want to thank everyone for all the helpful information I received here while planning our family trip to Italy. It was wonderful! The villas in Massa Lubrense were lovely. We especially enjoyed walking into the small town each day to buy our food and talk to the local people. Amazingly, I remembered how to speak Italian. Thankfully, our eighty year old mothers were able to go and both enjoyed themselves immensely. Grazie! Mari

Mari, Glad to hear it went well and you had fun. we have been back 10 days, and I miss it so much! Where exactly did you stay? thanks

Glad to hear you had a good trip, Mari - - I guess you will be wanting to post a picture or two to that webpage where Fodorites can put up their photos. Lest you find yourself the next person who someone thinks "is me", in some alternative "persona". Best wishes, Rex

Nancy, I have been folowing your journey from start to finish with great interest. Glad you enjoyed your trip also. Massa Lubrense is a "community" of small fishing and farming villages (S. Maria Annunziata, San Francesco, Pastena, S. Agata, etc.) at the tip of the Sorrentine Peninsula about 4 or 5 miles southeast of Sorrento. We were close to Massa Centro which was our main destination when shopping for food, pastry, wine or dining, walking, etc. The villa for the first week was in an area right on the sea called Riviera San Montano. Absolutely beautiful! During the second week, we stayed up in the hills near Pastena and Monticchio. We had a glorious panoramic view of the Bay of Naples, Vesuvious, and Capri with spectacular sunsets and glittering village lights at night. Magical! I'm misssing it, too. Rex, I believe someone speculated a while back that perhaps we are one and the same. You were away, I think, so you must have missed it. Gave me a laugh! Nice to hear from you.

Correction, Nancy. Massa Lubrense is southwest of Sorrento, not southeast. My brain is still on vacation - dreaming of Italy!

Thanks Mari. Going to look it up. there are so many places to see, not only in Italy, but in the world ! I loved Rome and Formia so much, I want to return, but I also feel as if I should (bad word,; Should) see other parts of Italy. Is the area terribly touristy? Filled with hotels, etc? I love the idea of small towns. I can definitely relate to still dreaming of Italy; I still have my watch set on italian time :-)

Not touristy at all - that's what we loved about it. There were just a few small hotels here and there. The area offered little adventures which formed beautiful memories. We went into a salumeria to buy a sandwich - I used my little bit of Italian remembered from my childhood and Antonio, the owner, told me he was very proud of me! He offered us tastes of the prosciutto, cheese, olives, etc. He did this with such delight and pride. While Antonio was making the sandwich, we looked around the shop. All of a sudden it got very busy so Antonio's wife, Anna, gave me their two month old baby to hold while she took care of customers. Francesco was adorabable and I was honored she let me hold him. The sandwich, by the way, amply fed the six of us and was so delicious. Certainly not an American supermarket experience. Judging by my mother's family in Italy, Italians seem to have a different attitude about life. They take time to enjoy simple things - even taking such pleasure in making a sandwich. Could it be that threat of Vesuvious looming over them? We spent our last two nights in Sorrento - fabulous, but totally different from life in the small villages. You're so right, there is so much to see - even in my own little corner of New England. My husband avoids "repeats", but we all loved that area of Italy so much it that I'm sure we will go back someday. I can still hear the village church bells ringing Ave Maria.

Mari, it sounds as if you had a truly special trip. Next time I go to Italy I think I'll explore the smaller towns rather than just the well-known touristy places. Thank you.

Mari, I've read about Il Deserto near Sant Agata and the wonderful view from there. Have you been there? Is it wonderful? Do you have to make arrangements to visit it, or can you just show up during the hours it is open?

Hello, Manny. We did not go to Il Deserto - a monastery, I think. Sorry we missed it, but I can tell you that the views from that whole area are spectacular. As we drove from one village to another, we encountered so many beautiful views. The ride from Massa to Marina del Cantone was spectacular. If you go to Il Deserto, please let me know what you think of the view. Enjoy your trip.

Mari - I'm new here so don't know the details of where you stayed. Was it a week long villa rental? Called? Could it be Villa Maria? From whom did you rent? I am planning this area for next spring. grazie -- Erica

Thanks Mari! Will investigate more for my big 50th trip.