Oct 5, 2012 - Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast

Wednesday, October 3 - Thursday, October 4 Sperlonga to Pompeii Our tour guide cost nearly twice as much as our 4-star hotel and he was worth every bit of it. The hotel was not. Smarmy staff with fawning plastic smiles, a room with silly foo-foo extras like shower jets coming from 6 directions but no character--we could have been in Omaha-- in a dumpy part of town. Oh, right, Pompeii. Nothing but dumpy parts of town. Hawkers, and cheap guides mobbed the car as we drove in. We nearly kept going. When Dr. Gaetano Durante started guiding 30...

Oct 3, 2012 - Amalfi

Today we leave Sorrento for Amalfi but we have enough time for a quick walk through the center of Sorrento. I must be honest I don't mind the walk down hill to the village nor the couple of klms to the center of town but I wasn't looking forward to the walk back. Sorrento is very picturesque, lovely old buildings and quaint streets but also the usual madness where ever tourists might possibly spend some money. One of the stores we visited had been in business 150 years it's a little different to back home. They had lovely inlaid wood and...

Jul 8, 2012 - Salerno, Italy and the Amalfi Coast

Being new to cruise ship ways, I didn't book a tour of Amalfi in time so ended up with just taking the bus to the city center and walking around. Still was very enjoyable and I learned to book all the other shore excursions immediately. I had time to enjoy the pool and read on the pool deck.

Jun 23, 2012 - Italy - Amalfi Coast

18th June – 20th June 2012 On our way to the Amalfi Coast we decided to go and climb Mount Vesuvius. It is the only active volcano on the mainland of Europe. Mount Vesuvius is famous for the calamitous eruption in 79AD, which buried the towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii. It was a hot day and a steep climb to the top, but the views were worth the pain. What can I say about the Amalfi Coast, it’s where the coast is unspoilt by large commercial developments, the sea is an emerald green and the architecture features houses clinging to rock...

May 27, 2012 - Happy Birthday to Me

When you begin your day at 9:30 AM, to go roughly 15 miles, and you return at five o'clock, there's a reason for the large time invested, when you are on the Amalfi Coast. We may all have heard much about this drive, but it is something that must be experienced to be appreciated and I'll tell you why. Between Positano and Amalfi, the locals say there are 1,630 bends in the road. Mostly, they are hairpin turns while passing without white lines on the road, includes the oncoming car AND a passing motorbike where you SWEAR the side mirrors...

Nov 30, 2011 - Amalfi

@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND Though it’s possible to walk from one side of Amalfi to the other in less than twenty minutes, it’s the pretty little plazas and the tiny beach that continues to attract visitors, from around the world, who rave about the views. Amalfi once boasted a population of over 70,000 when it was a major power on the high seas, but the locals today number barely 5,000. That doesn’t mean the streets are quiet, during the summer months coach-loads of tourists arrive to fill the cafés, restaurants and souvenir shops. In AD 1343 a...

Jul 26, 2011 - Catch Up

Hi all - Sorry I haven't written in a few days, we have had extremely busy days! After Santa Maria Maddalena, we spent the weekend in Amalfi. We had planned to go to Capri over the weekend, but it was overcast and a little rainy all weekend. So instead, we just hung out with Serena's mom, grandma, and cousins and did typical Amalfi things all weekend. Even though these days were much calmer than our busy travel days, they were some of my favorite days because I was able to really experience Serena's life here and get to know her family...

Jul 22, 2011 - Santa Maria Maddalena

Yesterday was the holiday of Santa Maria Maddalena. In Italy, every town has a patron Saint and yesterday was the celebration Saint Maria Maddalena, who is the patron Saint of Atrani, one town over from Amalfi. Another interesting thing about the “Saint” days is that if you are named after one of the saints, that day is a huge celebration for you as well, just like a birthday. Yesterday was Serena’s cousin Maddalena’s Saint Day and everyone treated her just like it was her birthday, with gifts and a party and everything. Unfortunately, not...

Jul 19, 2011 - Exploring the Amalfi Coast

Today was a really, really, really great day in Amalfi. After a small breakfast at my Bed & Breakfast, Serena, Nonna, and I headed to the dock to meet her Aunt and Uncle for a boat ride. Serena’s Aunt and Uncle are both amazing people. We got on the boat, and Zio Paolo started driving the boat down the coast, explaining all the towns and beautiful villas to me on the way. After about 20 minutes, we realized he was taking us all the way to Positano! After about an hour long boat ride, we had made it to the tip of Positano. The views the...

Jul 17, 2011 - A quick bit of Amalfi

I am finally in Amalfi!! This town is, hands down, without question, the absolute best place on Earth. I have never seen a more peaceful and beautiful town in my life. Serena and I took an early morning ferry ride from Salerno to Amalfi, which provided some amazing views of the coastline. But, when I stepped off the boat and started walking through the town, I was actually stunned with how beautiful it is. The people here are all so friendly, and all stop and say hi (because they’re all practically family to Serena!) and everywhere you...

May 25, 2011 - Amalfi Coast

Entry #11 May 25, 2011 On Wednesday, we met our driver, Raffaele, for an all-day excursion along the Amalfi Coast. This was a drive we did not want to do ourselves nor did we want to be herded into a bus, so we followed Rick Steves advice and "splurged" for the private driver. Stopping along the way was super and Raffaele knew all the best photo opportunities. As we headed to our first town stop we were able to view the coast which included a small set of privately owned islands purported to belong to Rudolf Nureyev. There was an RV...

May 1, 2011 - Amalfi-Positano

Today we are off to Positano. About an hour away. Was a good ride along the Amalfi Coast with breath taking views at every turn. Weather was wonderful today with the sun finally coming out. Water finally looked the beautiful blue that it is known. I will try and post some of the pictures. Tomorrow we are hoping to board the semi-privater charter for a tour of the Amalfi Coast and a two hour stop in Capri for lunch and relaxation.