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.

Jul 7, 2012 - Reynolds tour of the Amalfi Coast

Yesterday we had an amazing breakfast of croissants, hot chocolate, yummy salami and a special cake that Lina the cook bakes everyday. We have met Giovanni, Marika and Lisa who work in reception. Giovanni asked us if we have a pet kangaroo. We spent the morning walking the back streets and lane ways of Sorrento. We saw some amazing sights and even a few lizards! Edward wanted to catch one and take it home. We had gelato for morning tea then had a rest. In the afternoon we hired a very fancy SClass Mercedes and drove the Amalfi  Coast. The...

Jul 6, 2012 - Sorrento!

Today we packed our bags and headed off to the amazing Sorrento. We went on a really fast train. It was like being in first class on a plane. There were even tables and magazines. The local train from Naples to Sorrento was very hot.  Sorrento is amazing. It is near the beach. It has ginormous cliffs. And just like Rome, it has lots of beautiful churches.   Our hotel room is BRAND new. White leather and lots of fancy things. The shower is the fanciest thing ever. It has two seats and three shower modes. One is a spa, one is a rain shower...

Jul 5, 2012 - Naples, rhymes with staples!

As we stepped out of the train station in Naples at 11:50 at night we felt as if we had arrived onto the scene of a scary movie. The streets in front of us were small, dark, dingy and under extensive construction, a few neon lights from nearby businesses flickered on and off, graffiti covered nearly every inch of every surface, small groups of men lurked on street corners and in shadows, a few women dressed up for the town strutted around calling to anyone who would listen, and three cop cars with their lights flashing were driven up onto...

Jun 27, 2012 - Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius

The trip to Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, started at 7:30am and was back in Rome at 9:00pm. It took two hours to get there but in a very comfortable air conditioned bus. The hardest part for me was the up-hill, narrow street bus journey to the hiking drop-off. Once we had to back up to let another bus pass and the back tire was literally hanging over the cliff. My palms were sweaty. Buses were backed up everywhere, due to an early morning strike by the cruise ship excursion bus drivers from Naples that should have been there by 8am and gone by...

Jun 23, 2012 - Italy - Naples

15th June - 17th June 2012 We didn’t know what to expect in Naples. It contrasts in many ways from the cities like Milan and Florence. It doesn’t have the structure and order like the other cities but within the chaos there is something unique about the way of life in Naples. With a map in hand we strolled along the streets of the old city centre. The densely populated area was bustling with locals going through their daily routine. The streets were lined with small stalls and shops selling goods at very reasonable prices. We felt very...

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...

Jun 21, 2012 - Naples

Heat wave hits Italy. A big news item. 37 in Rome but fortunately only 34 in Napoli. We are staying in Spaccanapoli. Narrow streets roughly paved with small cobbles, about 200 years ago I'd reckon. Teeming with life. Rubbish, washing hanging out everywhere, tons of shops - ghastly fried stuff and pizzas, but also excellent alimentari where the knowledge and love of food is as good as elsewhere in Italy, cheap sock and underwear shops merging with street vendors selling all sorts of crap, but with fish sellers among them. Decaying Spanish...

Jun 16, 2012 - Sorrento - Pompeii - Rome

It is pretty much the same routine in the morning. (Got on the bus by 8:00). Today was a little more of a relaxing day. We got on the bus and headed back towards Rome. Stopped in Pompeii. They call it "The Forgotten City" What an incredible reconstruction of a city. The short story of Pompeii is that the volcano named Vesuvivius erupted in 79 AD. First the gases from the volcano came which killed all of the people. Then the ash came and buried the city with I think 7 foot of ash. It wasn’t till many, many years later that they discovered...

Jun 15, 2012 - Sorrento - Capri - Sorrento

oy what a long day today. Wake up call 6, breakfast 7, and on the bus by 8. Rode by bus to the area in Sorrento to catch the water taxi to the island of Capri. The road was very curvy and winded in and out around the mountain. The view was a beautiful and amazing site. We got on a huge boat that took us about ½ hour to get to the island. Got off the boat & we got on the Funicolare (train that took about 3 minutes to get up to the middle of the mountain on this island. Again more amazing sites. Went on an extra tour with our guide where she...

Jun 7, 2012 - Naples, Italy and ruins of Herculaneum

Day 5- Naples, Italy Ah, sleep! How elusive you have been this week. Since we'd decided to book a later excursion for this, our final day ashore in Italy, Mike and I both took some TylenolPM to hopefully get a full night's sleep again. It worked for the most part, tho nature is a bit of a nag around 4 AM. At any rate, slept in until around 7:30, which was nice. We went upstairs for breakfast, then just kinda killed time sitting on a deck chair dozing for a little while then wandering the ship. Before we knew it, it was after noon, and time...

May 31, 2012 - Voted off the island

We had dinner reservations tonight at a terrific, star crossed ristorante named Aurora & will have to pack up to depart Capri on full tummies. My last morning on the island was a bountiful & fun shopping excursion, rather unexpected. I found another Italian scarf, some lemon soap, fresh tomatoes & apricots for our lunch & a lovely semi-precious stone necklace that was locally made. I stumbled into the shop of stone-crafted jewelry, my favorite stuff. There are so many narrow avenues to walk & I discovered a quaint neighborhood with a fresh...