Capri

Before we left for Italy, I had done some research on what to do while in Capri. One of the things I discovered was to purchase a pair of handmade sandals. Well, guess what I just had to do? I was super excited about this day. I was also sad, though, because it was the last day of our trip. I wanted to soak it all in before we flew out.



After breakfast, we took a bus to our boat that would take us to the Island of Capri. We were given options to walk around and do as we please or take a boat ride around the whole island on a tour. We opted for the boat ride, and I'm glad we did.

Before our boat tour, we had time to shop, and I visited many shoe shops that made sandals! I looked around and settled on a pair which were handmade in 10 minutes. We stopped at a coffee shop, and I drank a cappuccino while Zach had gelato. The weather was perfect. I couldn't have asked the good Lord for any better!

For the boat tour, our captain pointed out interesting things about the island. There is an archway called Faraglioni, and you are supposed to go through this rock formation and kiss your sweetheart. If you do this, then you and your sweetheart will be together forever. Well, from a distance it looked like a rather small opening, yet our captain drove his boat right through it. 

After our boat tour, we sadly said goodbye to Capri and headed back to our hotel in Sorrento. We freshened up and took our last tour to Positano, a beautiful area of houses, shops, and eateries on the seaside cliff. Unfortunately, the weather was gloomy, the drive was very windy, and I became car sick. I did not get to enjoy my time there but still managed to eat gelato. This made me feel a little better, until our drive back.



That evening we had one last farewell dinner. We had a nice, last evening of delicious Italian food. It was very fresh. This lovely place was more like a home. I'm sorry I did not get more information about this place, for it really was a treat. The chef prepared a dish of rice with a lemony sauce. Sounds simple right? It was so much more than that. Not only did I eat my portion, I ate Zach's...I am ashamed. Not really. It was really good!  But the time came for us to say goodbye to our fellow travelers, our tour guide, and our bus driver. After hugs and kisses, we found what time we should be in the lobby to leave for the airport and got some rest before our outgoing flight the next day.

We awoke early and headed to the Naples Municipal Airport. It is always sad leaving a country you fall in love with, but I have been back to Rome since then. Italy will always have a piece of my heart.

The Lost City of Pompeii

I will always remember this wonderful day. Not only was I visiting a place I dreamed to visit, but it was also my birthday. Happy birthday to me! 

Photo by ZH

As we left Rome, I began thinking about our next stop to a city buried and discovered over 1,600 years later. When I was a wee lassie in school, we would learn about Pompeii in class. I always did research on it because this lost city was so fascinating to me. Since the internet wasn't easily accessible at the time, I would check out books from the library about this once prosperous place.

Seeing Mt. Vesuvius was surreal and being in Pompeii was even more so. This once flourishing city (AD 79) was completely buried in ash and rock and wasn't discovered until the 1740s.

We spent two hours with a guide learning all we could. It simply wasn't enough time, and there was so much more to see! But our knowledgeable guide took us to some interesting sights. For instance, we visited the dwelling place that might have once belonged to a nobleman and his family.

Photo by ZH

Photo by ZH

Our guide also showed us these stones along the road that rise higher than the rest of the road. These were used in case of flooding, and people could take care in crossing the street. I tried walking from one to another, but my short legs would not allow me to. I would have been completely drenched by the time I got home or swept away by the water.

Because the ash preserved Pompeii, we were able to see different possessions and items that might have been used during everyday life. Sadly, we also saw the cast of bodies of people who once lived there.

Photo by ZH

After Pompeii, we drove to Sorrento, our stopping place for the night. We visited a store that makes wooden items, and I purchased a music box while Zach bought a mini travel chessboard. Happy about our purchases, we headed with our little group to a restaurant. Oh, did I mention it was my birthday? Ciro, our tour guide, told the manager of the restaurant, and the staff brought out a piece of cake with a candle on it. I was grinning from ear to ear!

Photo by ZH

Back at our hotel, Zach and I were still thinking about Pompeii. We found videos on YouTube and watched documentaries until we were so tired we had to go to sleep. Visiting Pompeii was a fantastic birthday gift!

Photo by ZH