Twistin' n' a Turnin'

Today was an interesting day.  Carolyn, our tour director, switched things up on our itinerary. It turns out that we were originally supposed to go the the Isle of Capri today, however, she learned that today the Isle of Capri would have an unusual number of cruise ships visiting (it is Saturday you know). So, in-order to avoid huge crowds, we bypassed Naples and made our way to Pompeii, Sorento, and a beautiful drive up the Amalfi coast to the incredible village of Positano. This is one of the reasons that this type of trip is good, they have contacts and spies all over Europe and can re-book and adjust without us even knowing, we just sit back and ride!

I was going to start with telling you it seems we may have left the tunnels behind, however, I would have been wrong!  Just when I thought they were gone (the Churches and Castles are still with us!), we passed through no less than 4 tunnels today.  Enough about that.

The ride out of Rome came with a new driver, our regular driver (Luca) is Italian and his family lives close to Rome.  He has not had any time off this season, so he is taking 3 days to spend with his family, and will join us again in Florence.  The highway took us south where we noticed a marked change in the country.  So far, Italy has looked pretty much like the rest of Europe and much of the US.  However, South of Rome the towns begin to look more like a third world country.

As we traveled south, we passed the Abbey of Monte Cassino where the allies in World War II fought the famous battle leading to Rome.  It is perched on a hill overlooking the valley and commands an impressive view both north and south.

Temple in Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius is
in the background.

Before lunch, we stopped at the ruins of Pompeii.  Here we toured the city and learned about life in a typical Roman village.  It was pretty cool, thinking about people  walking the streets and living their everyday lives there. (See the Panorama link under the Photo Gallery for views of Pompeii and the Colosseum in Rome).

Mr. Fox tours Pompeii

Following the tour of Pompeii and a very quick lunch, we boarded the bus for the 45 minute drive to Sorrento.  It was not that far, but we had to navigate steep and winding roads as we made our way along the coast out of Naples.  The scenery is breathtaking and the rock faces are sheer! Our blood pressure depended on what side of the bus we were sitting!  Sometimes it felt like the bus was going to topple over the side.  Alas, the cliffs of Sorrento came into view and we were all stunned at what we were seeing!  Sorrento is a coastal town built on the side of steep mountains and a sheer cliff down to the Mediterranean.  There was a cruise ship anchored in the harbor and a lot of boats running up and down the coast.

Sorrento

After checking into the hotel and taking a little rest, we boarded a smaller bus (our bus was too big) to take us down the Amalfi coast drive to Positano. If we thought the first drive was crazy, this one was insane!  The driver was a local driver and knew the road well, however, this road is skinny, curvy, and filled with cars and scooters. (The scooters are crazy, they will pass at any time and it seems that they don't ever see a bus or car, they just go, go, go).  Positano is a breathtaking village. It is situated on the mountain above the sea in what looks like houses stacked on each other.  The area is known for its fruit (especially lemons) and Olives.  We took a walking trip through the heart of Positano until be came to the edge of the Mediterranean, where Anthony, Emmy and I took a dip into the refreshing, cool waters. Lisa and Linda decided to forgo the swim and instead meandered their way back up the narrow streets lined with little shops and artist stands. Meanwhile, Michael and Clayton were scoping out a place to jump from the cliffs!  They were unsuccessful (much to Emmy and My relief) but they took a dip in the rich, clear blue waters off of the boat docks.

Positano

We made our way back to Sorrento in the little bus, showered, and made our way to dinner overlooking the sea at sunset.

A perfect end to a glorious day.  Tomorrow, the Isle of Capri and then we start our journey back north.