There were only about 40-some people on our tour, and we boarded small but very comfortable mini-buses that held about 16 people each. Our guide (‘Mamma’ Concetta) explained on the way that large highway coaches are no longer allowed to drive into Positano - you’ll see why when you look at the photos below - so these were the largest vehicles that could be used for any ship’s tours into the town.
We set out, passing Mount Vesuvius on the way and getting some historical and gastronomic information from Connie as we drove. Not only is she an archaeological guide, but she loves to cook and to grow things - including peanuts, bananas, tomatoes, spinach, etc, etc., so she also shared some recipes as we drove out - prompting Norm at one point to call out ‘Okay, I’m ready to order now!’
The Amalfi coast drive was everything that we expected from the photos we’ve seen, and more. The craggy cliffs that run straight down into the sea, the blue water and white foam from the surf and the winding coast road (so who is it that looked at this coastline and said, ‘I think this would be a great place to build a road!’??) are just as amazing first hand as they are described in books and magazine articles about the area.
Once we arrived in Positano, we had about an hour and a half to wander around town on our own. It isn’t very big, but built from the beach right up the hillside inside a little bay. It might just be easier to post a few photos than to try to describe it:
After Positano, it was on to Sorrento where we had lunch in a four-star hotel restaurant. Sorrento itself was just like another relatively large city after the small-town atmosphere of Positano, but the area where we were dropped off had some nice tiny side-streets, so we went for a wander on our own while everyone else was deciding what they wanted to buy from the local woodworking and ceramics shop. We had just seen a brief demonstration of marquetry, or intarsia, where the artist cuts a (quite often very intricate) design out of a stack of thin sheets of wood veneer. The artist then takes pieces from the various layers of veneer (all in different shades of wood, or even painted woods) and creates a finished picture that includes different shades and colours to give it more depth. We saw some amazing creations, including the Last Supper and some Amalfi Coast panoramas, that would have taken 3 months of work to complete. But the most interesting piece was one we saw after the demonstration - a cigar humidor with internal humidity controls and a beautiful varnished outer marquetry box. Norm looked at it a few times, trying to decide if it was worth the first year of Mitchell’s university tuition to buy it… cigars…Mitchell…cigars…Mitchell. It was a close-run thing, but we guess Mitch will be going to school next year after all!
Lunch was at the Terrazza Bosquet Restaurant in a gorgeous small hotel overlooking the harbour. Just walking in from the road was a treat for a gardener or tropical plant lover, and the location of the dining room didn’t disappoint either. We had a four-course meal that included wine (white, red and rosé) and a little Prosecco to start. Just a lovely way to prepare us for our afternoon tour of Pompeii. Here are a couple of photos from the hotel:
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| The hotel lobby area |
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| The view from the restaurant balcony |
Connie led us in our tour through a small part of the whole Pompeii excavation for about an hour and a half or so. It was pretty much the same route we took in our tour the last time we visited, but it never hurts to get fresh information and see the results of the recent restorations. Again, photos will probably tell a lot more than we could, so here are a few:
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| The main square with Temple of Zeus and Mt. Vesuvius in the background |
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| One of the homes withe the original mosaic tile floor in the entrance |
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| The Temple of Apollo and Diana |
Once we got back to the ship, we decided a little down-time at the whirlpool was in order, so we took an hour to relax before getting ready for dinner. Tomorrow is a sea day, so there’s no rush to get up (except for Monica who has a spa appointment at 9:00). We’ll report again tomorrow. Buona Notte!
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