Italy is one of our favorite countries that we have visited. Our first trip was 12 years ago with our friends Deb and Steve whom you have met before. We did the mid-section – Amalfi Coast to Venice. We are starting to think about our next venture now and would like to visit areas that we haven’t been to yet. We are thinking of starting our next Italian holiday in the North at Lake Como and moving South. How far South we aren’t sure yet. Maybe a puddle jumper to Palermo in Sicily? We will keep you posted on our plans as we make them. In the meantime, enjoy learning about Italy through our first trip.
We flew into and out of Naples because of the proximity to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast which was our first stop. Next time, I would recommend flying into one airport and out of another if traveling to different areas of the country. Of course, we overpacked. We are getting much better at this the more we travel. Remember – you can always go to a laundry mat or have the hotel do some of your laundry for a charge (reasonable typically).
From the airport we were picked up by our hired driver. The driver drove us to Pompeii and then on to Positano where we were staying on the first leg of the trip.
Pompeii
Pompeii was so interesting, to think that all these ruins were once a thriving community that was decimated by a volcano. You can see where the chariot wheels carved into the stone paved streets forming ruts. Look for the carvings over some of the doorways that show what type of “service” was provided, especially at the houses of ill-repute.
Positano
When we first saw the Amalfi Coast we were awe-struck. It is amazing and the pictures do not do it justice. Positano is the epitome of vertical living so be prepared for some uphill and downhill climbing. We would walk down and back up (this was 12 years ago), but depending on your abilities, you can taxi either way. Positano looks just like the amazing, colorful pictures that you see in travel magazines, only better. We did 4 nights in Positano as the first leg of our trip. In hind-site, I would put this at the end of the trip as a beautiful place to relax before going home. Our hotel did not have a pool, but I have seen some gorgeous hotels with beautiful pools that I would book for the finale of our next trip there.
Great views of the Tyrrhenian Sea are everywhere. All along the road heading down toward the beach are little quaint shops and eateries. There is a beautiful church that we could see from our hotel, and we would walk by when walking down toward the beach.
Other than taking the road, we found a set of 400+ stairs to the black volcanic sand beach, which was beautiful, but then we had to walk back up 400+ stairs. Not something I would do today. We found the best shells here. October is considered off season, but the colorful beach umbrellas were still up. It was great to be able to take a dip in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Day Trip to Ravello
Positano is a good homebase to check out areas of the Amalfi Coast. We hired a driver to take us to Ravello, an adorable, quaint village set high up in the Amalfi cliffs. There are great shops with typical Italian ceramics and limoncello, along with beautiful gardens right on the cliffs’ edge. We stopped in the town of Amalfi on our way back and wandered around to all the touristy spots. Amalfi is a busy place as it is a port of call for cruise ships but it was worth the visit.
Day Trip to Capri
We grabbed a ferry from a dock in Positano to the island of Capri. Capri is a bustling seaside town with lots of spots to grab a bite. While on Capri we opted to take a boat ride to the Blue Grotto. We heard that this was a tourist trap and that we should skip it. We are so glad we didn’t listen, but it isn’t for the faint of heart. A small boat takes you and a small group over to the other side of the island. You then have to transfer in groups of four to a smaller rowboat. Once you get to the cave entrance you are instructed to quickly lower yourself to avoid whacking your head on the rock. Once you right yourself all you see is darkness over the breathtaking sapphire glow of the water. The oarsman gives you a spin around the grotto and then back out. Sounds in here are magnified. We tried to get our oarsman to sing but he wasn’t having it. This excursion took up a lot of our day. There was a lot of waiting to get on the rowboat and then to enter the cave for a short visit, but it was one of the most amazing things any of us have seen. All this waiting didn’t leave us with a lot of time to see much else of Capri before we had to catch our ferry back. We did not have time to do the chair lift that has spectacular views as that requires a bus ride to Anacapri, then a ticket to the Mount Salerno Chairlift. The ride back from Capri to Positano offers some of the best views of Positano.
Afternoon in Sorrento for Cooking Class
We had booked a cooking class in Sorrento before leaving for Italy. The class was at Villa Ida. Ida, who spoke no English, was our private instructor. Her adult granddaughter who set up the class and picked us up in Positano, acted as interpreter and assistant. Uncle Charlie, a stereotypical older Italian man, would only allow the guys into his wine grotto stating that it is their tradition. This didn’t make Deb or me very happy considering we set up the entire trip! Ida and granddaughter served us the dinner that we helped make at a beautifully decorated table by the pool. The pool was up lit perfectly. It was a magical night that we won’t forget.
Before the class, we took some time walking around Sorrento which was a beautiful Italian town with lemon trees lining the streets and views overlooking the sea.
Eating in Positano
There were great restaurants all along the winding, steep road. We went to one restaurant that was literally right on a bend in the road. The tables were on the cliff side of the street while the restaurant was on the other. The waitstaff had to dodge cars to bring our food. It was scary to watch but the food was delicious. Another restaurant we tried was on a terrace overlooking the turquoise water. Yet another was right on the beach.
Florence (Firenze)
From the Amalfi Coast we took a train to Florence. We stayed in a nice hotel near the River Arno that had Juliet windows.
Florence is a very walkable city with lots of little nooks and crannies to explore. Over our time in Florence we visited some markets, went to the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and its shops, visited the Il Duomo, and ate and ate and ate some more.
We actually visited the same restaurant twice, maybe three times in Florence for its fresh, delicious Tuscan cuisine. We day tripped from Florence to Venice and Tuscany.
Tuscany
We did a bus trip to Tuscany. The countryside in Tuscany is nothing we have ever seen. It has rolling hills, drives lined with cypress trees and olive trees everywhere. We stopped at the walled cities of Sienna, San Gimignano and Montepulciano. These walled cities were so quaint and it was wonderful to see how generations of people lived here. There were charming cheese and wine shops and restaurants at each. Our tour culminated with a wine tasting at a Tuscan mountain villa which was a great way to end the day. The day had been overcast, but in the evening, we were met with torrential rain. Being on mountain roads in torrential rains on a bus was very nerve-wracking, especially for the driver, I’m sure.
Venice
We took a high-speed train to Venice for the day. No trip to Venice is complete without a gondola ride through the canals or a venture to Saint Mark’s Square. Luckily there was no flooding when we were there, but we did see the markings on the walls where the canal waters have risen. Many do a boat ride over to the island of Murano where lots of Venetian glass artists are. There are so many canal-side bistros and cafés that we wanted to try but didn’t have time. We wish we had stayed here overnight because there is so much to see and do.
Rome (Roma)
We took a train from Florence to Rome. Rome is a beautiful city. I was battling a dental abscess for a couple of days and made a call ahead to a dentist in Rome (googled English-speaking dentist in Rome) for an appointment. When we arrived, Jim and I set off to find the dentist, and Steve and Deb took all the bags to the hotel and checked in. I ended up having to have a cap removed from my tooth to relieve the pressure and a root canal started. It was also my 50th birthday – a very memorable one for sure! The dental experience was different, but the dentist was kind enough to recommend some places to eat and even made us a reservation.
Vatican City
We visited the Vatican while here. I recommend doing the tour of the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica and Sistine Chapel regardless of your religious affiliation. The workmanship and artistry found here are second to none. We prebooked our tickets prior to our trip. When leaving the Vatican, we walked over the bridge near Castel Sant’ Angelo which you can also visit if you purchase tickets. We did not. On the other side of the bridge there are so many little places to grab an espresso or cappuccino or a bite to eat.
The rest of our time in Rome was less structured. We spent time finding the sites and the beautiful gardens. We visited the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Colosseum (from the outside, I couldn’t bring myself to go into the place where such violence was applauded). We had 3 ½ days for Rome, but I don’t think we needed that long.
Naples (Napoli)
Because we were flying out of Naples early the next day, we took a train from Rome to Naples where we stayed overnight. This was our first ever European vacation; we did some things that we would change the next time. We would have flown into Naples but out of Rome. This would have avoided the need to relocate the night before flying out. The hotel was nice, but it was in a terrible area near the train station. I don’t know the hotel name, but they so strongly recommended that we not leave the hotel to go eat that they locked us in when we arrived with rod-iron gates. Great! I’ve heard that Naples has great pizza, but we didn’t get to try any.
I am posting this 14 day itinerary in a separate post under the Itinerary section of the blog. Please go there to find it.
Thank you and happy traveling,
Patti and Jim
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