Naples

Naples, home to the original Neapolitan pizza that Italy is so famous for. Unfortunately, on my first trip to Naples, I didn't get to experience any of that amazing pizza. We'll see if I get the opportunity to this time around.

The first time around, immediately upon arriving in Naples, we departed the city for a drive along the Amalfi coast and a tour of Pompeii. By the time we got back to Naples, it was back on the ship and off to the next step.

Driving along the Amalfi coastline is one of those events that I'm not sure I'll ever forget. I'm just glad I wasn't the one doing the driving! This has got to be one of the most picturesque drives in the world, probably rivaling a drive along Pacific Coast Highway. The drive was through very narrow roads with the mountain on one side and a steep drop off a cliff on the other side, filled with all sorts of hairpin turns as well as some of the most scenic villages and towns I've ever seen. This drive certainly isn't for the faint of heart. I can't recall how many times our big tour bus came across traffic driving in the opposite direction and either we, or the other drive would have to carefully maneuver in order to get by each other through these turns and these narrow winding roads. It was an adventure in and of itself.

All the while, we passed some of the most gorgeous scenery. Each turn brought about ooohs and ahhhs and it seemed like every view was postcard worthy. We passed by the famous coastal communities of Sorrento, Ravello and Positano. Due to time restrictions, among others, we just wouldn't be able to stop. Oh well, maybe on a future visit. At the southern end of the Amalfi coast drive, we did stop at the small town of Amalfi.

Amalfi was once an important port and maritime town. However, today, it is just another small, sparsely populated town among the Amalfi coast. There is a major basilica that dominates this small town. However, other than that, it is basically just your typical charming resort town. After our brief lunch and shopping stop there, we continued back inland towards Pompeii.

Pompeii was made famous centuries ago due to the fact that without warning, the town was completely buried in ash from the erupting Mount Vesuvius volcano. The town used to be a major port town as well (though now the harbor is more than 5 miles away), that sat at the base of this sleeping giant known as Mount Vesuvius. When the volcano erupted, the town, and any inhabitants that could not get out were buried.

Today, it is an important archaeological site. Due to the fact that it was buried in ash for hundreds of years, and the eruption was quite unexpected, the city is almost perfectly preserved. Archaeologists have uncovered thousands of artifacts from the area and by studying these artifacts, the layout of the city, the buildings, etc. in the city, we are able to get a better glimpse into traditional Italian life.

One of the more touching things you see at Pompeii is the people who didn't make it out alive and basically were mummified by the ash. There are many examples of this through the city. You can see that most of these residents were either found with hands covering their mouths or face down on the ground to try to avoid inhaling the ash. It was actually quite moving.

Another great aspect of Pompeii is that inside many of the dwellings, especially the more opulent ones, you can still see the original frescoes on the walls or the beautiful mosaics on the ground, in bath houses, etc.

The destruction of Pompeii is something I had read about numerous times in school books, but being able to see it in person was amazing.

When I found out that my cruise ship would be calling at Naples again this time around, I decided that this time I wanted to do something different. So, after much research and debate, I've decided that when we arrive in Naples, I'm going to walk to the train station and board a train bound for Sorrento. After spending a little bit of time in Sorrento, I'm going to head for the pier and catch a hydrofoil over to the island of Capri. We plan to spend a few hours here on the island taking the funicular from the port up to the posh town of Capri Town. From there, we'll grab a bus and head over to Anacapri where we'll board a chair life to the top of Mount Solaro for views over the island. Then we'll head back to Capri Town and hydrofoil back over to Naples.