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

Oh, Rome! (Part 2)

After our wonderful time in the Vatican City, our tour group took the bus to another area of town. We walked and visited the Trevi Fountain, which unfortunately was under repairs at the time. There was a little tub of water so you could still throw your coin in. Eight months later, the fountain was still under construction. I'll just have to go a third time to see it in all it's glory! 

Photo by ZH

The Pantheon was first built for the Roman gods, but was later turned into a church to honor Mary and the martyrs. We visited toward the middle of the day and it was full of tourists. Go early in the morning to avoid the crowds. 

Photo by ZH

The Colosseum was amazing to see.  It was originally built for gladiator games and other sports. But during the reign of Decius (201- 251 AD), he had many Christians persecuted in the arena. A cross stands there today to honor the Christian martyrs during that time. 

Photo by ZH

Our last stop: the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), centerpiece of the Piazza Navona. Four giants figures made of marble signify the four rivers that were known at the time of the 17th century. As you walk closer to it you can hear the running waters and one can sit and listen to it all day.

Photo by ZH

There are plenty of restaurants to eat and have your fill at the piazza, but Zach and I decided to find an out-of-the-way eatery somewhere, and we were not disappointed! It was a lovely ending to a very, very long day. 

Oh, Rome! (Part 1)

This city is definitely wonderful. There is so much history and delicious food! I enjoyed myself during the two days we had in Rome. I also visited Rome a second time with my mother-in-law...maybe it was because I threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain on this trip! 

Today was such a busy day. We had a lot of walking to do but we got to see some amazing things. Our hotel in Rome was the Villa Pamphili just outside the city center. Our bus picked us up from the hotel and took us to the Vatican, which was our first stop. To say I was excited to see the Sistine Chapel is an understatement. I was ecstatic. 

Growing up, my sister and I loved the movie "The Scarlet and the Black" with Gregory Peck. Quick backstory, the movie is set during World War II. Gregory Peck plays a priest trying to help Allied POWs and downed airmen out of Nazi-occupied Rome. (Fantastic movie; watch it if you get a chance!) This, I remember, was my first view of the Vatican City. I couldn't believe I was standing there. 

We were taken to the museum and given so much historical information; I wish I could remember half of what we were told. Out of respect, there is no loud talking or picture taking inside the Sistine Chapel, so our guide took us to the garden and told us more about the chapel before going in. There were pictures of the ceiling on description boards in the garden, and he mentioned some interesting stories behind certain characters in the paintings, including the turmoil Michelangelo had in his life before he died. 

We really went at a great time. There weren't many tourists inside. Zach and I were able to walk around and closely examine the paintings. From "The Creation of Adam" above our heads to "The Last Judgment," every single painting truly was a masterpiece. Read more about the Sistine Chapel and its paintings here.

Photo by ZH

Our guide then took us to St. Peter's Basilica. We were shown the "Pieta," created by Michelangelo in 1499. As you walk into the basilica, it is located on the right side (north side). It sits behind bullet proof glass because of an attack on the sculpture in 1972. 

As you make your way to the front, you see the altar for the Apostle Paul. Constructed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the altar was done beautifully in the Baroque style, and he would later be considered one of the best Baroque sculptors and architects of his time. 

Photo by ZH

Photo by ZH

We had barely scratched the surface of our sightseeing in Rome. Stay tuned for Oh, Rome! (Part 2); I will finish up the rest of our time there!