This is the fifth part of a multipart series about the journey I took throughout July. If you’d like to read part four, please click here: https://obriencg.com/my-july-journey-part-four/.

“Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, Francesca! Happy Birthday to you!” I sang as soon as my eyes opened.

It was July 7th, also known as my baby cugino’s twenty-seventh birthday. We were starting the day off with a trip to the Myan Beach Club. While the hotel staff told us the beach club was in walking distance, we opted to wait a little for the free shuttle ride. And we were certainly glad we did. While it was only a two-mile walk, the second mile of the trek was steep and winding. Sorrento is a vertical town and while I knew that before I arrived, seeing it is a different experience altogether. As the shuttle drove down the side of the cliff, we looked in awe at the winding road leading the way. We couldn’t imagine walking that path.

After a beautiful day enjoying the Gulf of Naples, Mediterranean sun, and poolside pizza, we took a break at the hotel to get ready for our dinner at O’Parrucchiano La Favorita. O’Parrucchiano is known for many things, the first being it’s a restaurant built under a lemon grove. And the second being it’s the birthplace of cannelloni. I couldn’t dream up a better place to celebrate my beautiful cousin’s 27^th trip around the sun.

When the waiter came for our order, Zio Teo let him know we were here for a full family style, lengthy dinner. In Italia, it is not uncommon to go out for dinner and spend more than two hours in your seat, so the waiter smiled and took our order one course at a time. We shared an antipasto, a plate of sea urchin linguini, veal piccata, seafood risotto, and the most delicious torta di compleanno, a Delizia al Limone. After dinner, we took a lovely stroll through the gardens and headed back to our hotel to reflect on a beautiful day and prepare for the next adventure.

In the morning, we met our tour guide, Francesca, for a day of olive oil tasting and a tour of an olive farm that began producing olive oil in 1849. And while the Gargiulo family created an incredible legacy, the magic of our tour guide made the adventure memorable. From a stop at her favorite nearby bar for a macchiato to the personalized stories of her life, Francesca was a soul I will forever keep in my heart.