Oct 23, 2005 - Sorrento and roman bits

We travelled up Italy from Giardini to Naples and then on to Sorrento. It was a long journey. We left the hotel in Giardini at 9.30 and arrived at the new place at 17.30. The best bit of the journey was going across the Straits of Messina on a train/ferry. They split the train in half then drove it onto the ferry and off we went. The worst bit was the mounting tension as we speed walked for the train as the bus didn't turn up. I really hate setting off on journeys and it gets no better the more I do it. Once we're on the road I'm fine. I...

Oct 4, 2005 - Italy - Part 2 - The Amalfi Coast

From Amaroni we took a 3 hour train up the coast to Solerno. The sky started out dark and gray and turned to rain by the time we arrived. From the train station we caught a bus which would take us to Positano - where we had prebooked a guest house. The bus ride along the narrow road which overlooks a sheer drop along the cliffs to the crystal-clear blue waters below, is in itself a feat of road-building as spectacular as the views. For the faint of heart the drive along the coast is surely a white-knuckle ride, with hairpin bends, sheer...

Oct 2, 2005 - Positano

Well, I almost talked myself out of going today. The weather was beautiful and I thought a day at the pool was a good idea. But I went. What a bus ride. Hairpin doesn't describe it. Sheer drop off with a 3 foot tall retaining wall. Yikes. But Positano was as beautiful in real life as it was in "Under the Tuscon Sun". Very Very expensive of course. I opted for a boat trip home as the bus ride wasn't all that comfortable as I had to stand all the way (45 minutes) and didn't feel like standing again. I watched a very cute "pick up" scene. The...

Oct 2, 2005 - Contiki - Rome to a Boat via Pompeii

Day 13 - Rome to Pompeii, and on to the overnight boat Jumped on the bus, again a driving day to the boat. We had a 1.5 hour stop and Pompeii. When i did wake up I saw a sign that said Cassino. I looked up and saw Monte Cassino up on the hillside. Felt really quite strange knowing that Grandad had been around here (somewhere) 60 years before. But basically it was a hill with a thing on top - not really much there apart from hills (stuff trying to attack that place or walking up the many hills), grass and sun. We had a guide at Pompeii who...

Sep 30, 2005 - Capri

Well, The days are flying by now. Sorry I missed yesterday cuz there was nothing much to say. It was a rainy rainy morning so I helped again with dishes and then in the afternoon I headed off down town. Of course I arrived at 1 ish forgetting the shops all close at 12:30 and there were 2 shops a friend of Anna Maria's had recommended I wanted to see. The windows looked good. So I had a pizza and wandered down to Piazza Tasso - touristica centrale and had my daily dose of gelato and the contemplated catching the next bus or waiting for the...

Sep 26, 2005 - Sorrento

Well, my day yesterday was a lot of train travel and walking. I went out early in the morning in Florence and wished I had done it my first day and not my last. It was great. I walked around and didn't get lost. When every street is filled with people it's hard to tell one from the other. I managed to buy a red purse that morning to match my shoes. It was the same one I saw for 82 euros in that first leather store that was "on sale" 50% off. That made it 40 euros. I found it at the market for 45 euros and paid 35 for it. Since I'll wear the...

Sep 25, 2005 - In the shadow of Vesuvius and beyond

After all the people in Rome, we were excited to be less crowded in Naples and even though there were a lot of people at Pompeii (since it was free day - no admission charge, baby!), there was room to breath. Pompeii is an amazing place to visit. It's crazy to think about the civilization that existed in ancient Rome. They were just so advanced at a time when people were hunting and gethering throughout many parts of the world. Unfotunately, a large majority of the most beautiful frescos, tile work, statues, etc. have been moved to the...

Sep 22, 2005 - Pompeii

POMPEII Mount Vesuvius, a dormant volcano looming over Naples and the region threatens to erupt again in the future causing devastation of unknown amounts. This same volcano has already provided one of the world's most famous volcanic eruptions on August 24, 79 AD and buried the Roman port city of Pompeii under several metres of burning pumice stone killing about 2,000 of the towns 20,000 people. Today, what is left behind is an archaeological site representing one of the best preserved ancient cities of the old Roman empire giving millions...

Sep 22, 2005 - Pompei - An Ancient City Unveiled

POMPEII Mount Vesuvius, a dormant volcano looming over Naples and the region threatens to erupt again in the future causing devastation of unknown amounts. This same volcano has already provided one of the world's most famous volcanic eruptions on August 24, 79 AD and buried the Roman port city of Pompeii under several metres of burning pumice stone killing about 2,000 of the towns 20,000 people. Today, what is left behind is an archaeological site representing one of the best preserved ancient cities of the old Roman empire giving millions...

Sep 20, 2005 - Twenty-four Hours in Naples

Twenty-Four Hours in Naples Nestled in the shadows of Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum, life in Naples continues on as if there is no threat of any future eruption - exactly the opposite of what scientists predict. In our initial trip planning, we were not going to spend anytime in Naples and just pass through on our way to the Amalfi Coast. However, we changed these plans and decided to spend one night in Naples to see and experience a taste of the biggest city of Southern Italy. As we were leaving Venice...

Sep 20, 2005 - Twenty-four Hours in Naples

Twenty-Four Hours in Naples Nestled in the shadows of Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum, life in Naples continues on as if there is no threat of any future eruption - exactly the opposite of what scientists predict. In our initial trip planning, we were not going to spend anytime in Naples and just pass through on our way to the Amalfi Coast. However, we changed these plans and decided to spend one night in Naples to see and experience a taste of the biggest city of Southern Italy. As we were leaving Venice...

Sep 3, 2005 - Pompeii

Pompeii was amazing. I couldn't believe how big this city was. Also, the amount they have recovered and still are recovering is enormous. It was interesting to see people still working on excavation. After walking around aimlessly up and down the streets, we met an older couple from England that were able to tell us the history of Pompeii and what sights in the city were a must see. We also wanted to see the plaster people, but felt incredibly awkward asking to see the "dead people". Luckily, the older couple knew of it and told us where to...