Napoli, etc.

Ed and I are in Naples' central train station waiting for our train to Rome. We spent three days exploring Naples and the surrounding areas. On our first afternoon here, we walked around Spaccanapoli, an area of narrow streets, churches, and monuments. Naples is where pizza was invented so having one (or two) during our stay was a priority. The pizza was delicious! After a bit of siesta, we headed to Galleria Umberto I, a shopping mall built in the late 1800's. The galleria was ornate and impressive. They just don't make shopping malls like that anymore!

Our second day was all about Pompei and the Archaeological Museum. Most of the artifacts discovered in Pompei were hauled off to the museum where they are now on display. Sculptures, paintings, coin collections, etc. provide a glimpse into what life was like in Pompei when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. We then went to Pompei and walked around the ancient city. It was very interesting and you could almost picture people going about their lives back in 62 A.D. There were temples, palazzos, simple houses, baths, a market, a brothel, theatres, a basilica, and so on. The ruins of a whole city preserved for us to explore. It was a neat experience.

We spent our third day exploring Capri island, Positano on the Amalfi coast, and Sorrento which is on the other end of the Bay of Naples. Capri is a ritzy little island full of designer shops and beautiful mansions. I took away a small souvenir from Capri - a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses. :)

From Capri, we took a ferry to the little town of Positano. We almost missed the boat, literally stepping on the gangway as it was already being pulled up from the dock. Whew! When we arrived in Positano, it started to rain quite hard so we seeked shelter in a caffe bar. We sat back, enjoyed our caffe, and watched the rain and lightning. Finally, the rain eased up and we walked around the town. Positano is a village that goes vertical. The houses hug the mountain and they look like they are on top of each other. Very picturesque town.

Our next adventure was the Amalfi drive from Positano to Sorrento. The bus was standing-room only and we had to hang on tight as the road twisted and turned along the Amalfi coast. And the bus driver was not in any mood to slow down for the turns, just honking the horn to warn oncoming traffic that our bus was coming. The road was like a ribbon weaving its way on the mountain side. One thing is for sure - Gravol is highly recommended!

Sorrento was very pretty and much cleaner than Naples. We walked around the market area and I bought a scarf for 3 Euro. We enjoyed a delicious dinner near the main square and then took the Circumvesuviana train back to Naples. It was a long day but truly a great one.

Our visit to Naples and the surrounding areas went by way too quickly. Naples is an interesting place - busy, dirty, and crowded. Stark contrast to the glitz of Capri and the postcard-like beauty of Positano and Sorrento.

Our next (and last) stop is Rome, a destination I am very excitwd about. Hard to believe we're going home in a few days!