The next few posts are a bit sparse of photos and will probably come in a batch – we are in Florence and the Internet is crap – restricted to my IPad for now. I’ll sort them out better when we get a chance.
Today was our trip to Pompei.
We had found a small supermarket nearby to get some fruit for breakfast as our pickup for the tour was 6.45am and our rooftop breakfast did not open until 7am.
Our pickup was prompt and we met our driver for the day – Max. (All day I had “press the button Max” stuck in my head – I think he even had a Peter Falk look about him !). There were already 2 on board – Rick & Josephine from Wyoming in the US – and we proceeded to pick up the remaining 4 for our bus – Derek & Judy from British Columbia in Canada and friends Lyn from Collaroy in Sydney and Leone from Canberra.
(There were actually 2 other buses in our tour overall and we followed each other all day, joining up as 1 group for the tour at Pompei in the afternoon.)
Driving the coast road
It was about a 2 1/2 hour trip down to our first stop but we did stop for a coffee break about half way. It turned out the first part of the trip also basically covered the same route as our train the other day as at one point Max began to point out a highlight on our left – the monastery of Montecassino on the hillside.
Our first photo opportunity was at a lookout above the Amalfi Coast. With the early morning sun glistening on the bright blue water, under a magnificent blue sky, it was a breathtaking sight !! We then headed off on the winding narrow roads that would be a feature of the next few hours of our tour.
On the beach in Positano
Next stop was Amalfi itself where we had about an hour to explore ourselves before being picked up again. We visited the cathedral then wandered the lanes and shops and wharf to meet up and board the bus again.
Positano
The drive itself was just amazing – the scenery, the near misses, the houses hanging off small ledges and the glistening blue sea below us. About an hour on from Amalfi we came to Positano where we would have nearly 2 hours to get some lunch and take in the scenery. We chose to eat at Chez Black – recommended by Max – right down on the waterfront where we had delicious local seafood for lunch – Adrienne had the fish of the day and I had grilled calamari. When Adrienne asked what the fish of the day was, the waiter just pointed to a pile of fresh fish on ice in front of the kitchen and said ” that’s a the fish of today ” !
After lunch, we strolled along the waterfront snapping away at the picturesque coloured buildings, that glistening blue water again, the colourful deck chairs – I think you get the idea ! We then strolled back up via the shops to the garage where we were to meet our bus again. On our way again, Max managed to make a few more quick stops for photos as we squeezed through the narrow road – at one point we came to a complete standstill as a big bus tried to squeeze through a spot it had no hope of doing so. It was then down to the locals to do point duty while everyone backed and filled to get things moving again.
At Pompei
We drove on through Sorrento and on to Pompei where our 3 bus groups joined up with our guide Gaetano, for our tour of Pompei. Gaetano told us he was a 3rd generation guide in Pompei and, now in his 50’s, first came with his grandfather as a 7yo – so his tour was full of knowledge and passion for the site. For a ruin, he was able to convey a brilliant picture of the area and buildings and life in general of Pompei in its day. It was nearly 6pm when our tour finished and we got back to our bus for the drive back to Rome.
Artifacts in storage
It was 8.45pm by the time we were back at our hotel so we decided to enjoy the rooftop lounge again rather than go looking for something else so we had antipasto and Proseco and sat enjoying the warm evening atmosphere.
Our guide Gaetano
So our time in Rome has come to an end. It has been a wonderful experience. I have really enjoyed the “old world” atmosphere of the little backstreets and lane ways and the warm colours of the buildings. But now onto Florence ….