Day 12 – Saturday, June 20 – Rome to Amalfi Coast

Another early morning; this time to catch the train to Naples, then to Pompeii and our hotel on the Amafli Coast. We checked out, walked the 500m-ish to the train station, and then got a quick breakfast at one of the coffee shops while we waited for the platform for our train to be announced, then down the platform, on board and on our way. We’ve got the train system down now.

We arrived in Naples and our driver was waiting right outside with his “Minivan Mercedes” to take us to Pompeii. Patrizio, who had also been the driver to friends of ours (and Tom Brady as we found out) gave us a quick tour on our way to Pompeii, and then dropped us off with a guide. Our guide quickly hurried us through the lines of cruise ship tours that were queuing up and then took us backwards through Pompeii to get out of the lines.

The museum had all kinds of items that had been discovered in the ash and rock (no lava). Coins, jewelry, beds, furniture, lamps, glasses, plates and even bread that had been in ovens. This was also the only place that you could see the casts of the people who had been in the eruption.

We then went out into the city, and Pompeii is big, really big. In the two hours we were there we only walked through a small part of it (and there’s more that hasn’t been uncovered yet). Walking through the city we could see the houses and shops, we could see the ovens and cooking areas for the restaurants, one place that was a fashion store according to it’s sign, and many of the large villas that had views overlooking the ocean. We also walked through the “red light” district of Pompeii, where the brothel was and also the street for.. you know.

We continued through, meeting our driver at the finish where he took us to one of his favorite restaurants at a nearby hotel. We ate outside under grape vines and lemon trees, including some hybrid decorative lemons that were the size of cantaloupe. Then we were off to our final hotel – Villa Maria Pia in Praiano. The road there was very curvy, switchbacks all along the coast through the shoreline mountains. He took it slow so everyone wouldn’t get sick, and we were passed many times by scooters going crazy speeds (which he cussed out about how many accidents and deaths there are on the scooters).

Villa Maria Pia is built on the cliff next to the ocean on the east side of Praiano, all of the hotel being below the road. He let us out and we walked down the steep ramp to the check-in. They then helped us with our luggage down 4 floors in the elevator, through the bar/restaurant, then down many more stairs built into the cliffside back and forth down to our rooms. The rooms were huge and connected terraces, so we basically had a 3 bedroom/3 bath setup (and Zoe found a kitchen in her bedroom too!) overlooking the ocean. Beautiful and just what we needed.

Zoe had been waiting for one thing – swimming. And we could; just down another 50m or so of stairs all the way down to the ocean and a tiny swimming platform with a ladder. So we spent the afternoon relaxing in the waves as boats zoomed around.

After that we decided we might as well stay right there and ate at the hotel restaurant which also had amazing views over the sea.

Day 11 – Sunday, June 21

Boat tour! But later in the day, so we could sleep in, grab breakfast at the hotel, lay around a little more before meeting our driver to head to Positano and the boat tour. We got to Positano early and walked down through the very busy town, shops everywhere, to the beach. Way more people than in Praiano, and so many shops – we walked almost a mile down to the beach and it was shops and restaurants the entire way.  Found the boat check-in place, then went up to a small deli and ordered some sandwiches (well, she told us what sandwiches we were getting; and they were great) and hung out until our tour departed. Before we left, we could hear the tour guides talking to someone on the phone who had went to the wrong city for departure and trying to figure out what to do.

Our little group pulled out on the boat, cruising out of the harbor past some giant yachts as a small raft pulled up with the two people who had been at the wrong city – they had been boated over! We then started our cruise, sitting on the front of the boat, the sun shining, wind, splashing waves, a perfect day on the boat. We circled Capri slowly, looking at the cliffs, small cities and then made our way to the blue grotto.

 We had heard about this before we left (even Zoe had seen it on YouTube videos) and everyone on the boat wanted to go. We were shuttled from our boat on small little wooden boats through the small entrance into the cave (we had to lay down in the bottom of the boat to fit through). The water was a beautiful blue, sparkling as our guide paddled us around, singing in Italian as we went through the cave.

Then back to the boat and continuing around the island before we finally ended up in a cove to swim and snorkel (Zoe: Finally!!!) We snorkeled around, fish swimming around us, floating in the aquamarine water with many others from other boats around us. Beautiful.

Then snacks, prosecco, fruit and on our way to completely circle Capri and head to the La Gille islands. More snorkeling and swimming right next to a deep dropoff as the sun was starting to set, and finishing with prosecco and limoncello as we made our way back, Patrizio waiting for us, and back to our hotel for another dinner at the hotel restaurant and relaxing on the balcony.

Day 12 – Monday, June 22

Nothing planned. Nothing at all. Slept in, got breakfast at the hotel and then relaxed before going down to swim. We’ve been watching many boats come in to the shoreline under our hotel and head towards a cave we saw when swimming, so today we checked it out.

When you swim over you can feel the water getting colder as you go into the cave, and once you’re inside.. it’s huge! Easily could fit a few boats inside it, maybe 300’ across and 75’ high with stalactites coming down from the ceiling. One couple had brought lunch sealed in bags to the back of the cave and climbed out on the rocks. It was amazing to float there (although always watching for another tour boat to come in).

The rest of the day was spent going between our balcony, the sea and the hotel pool. We did change up food a little; first getting take-away lunch from the Infinity Café close to our hotel, and then make reservations at Che Bonata which was recommended by Patrizio. We got to explore Praiano this way, wandering almost a mile through the narrow pedestrian alleys and narrow streets to Che Bonata, passing an amazing overlook on our way.

We all ordered pizzas, enjoying the breeze and sunset. It was delicious, the roman pizza crusts being so thin and yet soft and supporting. Then back through the now-dark alleys back to our hotel. A relaxing calm day.

Day 13 – Tuesday, June 23

Last full day in Italy! And nothing scheduled, so we did what we did Monday, swim in the sea, pool, balcony, repeat. Ordered take-away from Infinity Café again, and then one last time at our hotel restaurant, joined by one of the many cats that roam around the hotel.

Wednesday, June 24

Travel day.. up at 4:30 and getting ready. Patrizio was there early (he said 5:15 but arrived at 4:40, great for Matt’s travel anxiety), so we lugged our luggage up, quickly checked out and on our way again on the curvy roads back to Naples. He dropped us off at the airport and we wandered in through the crowds, checking in, and then walking to the gates, which goes through a shopping mall and through the duty-free store (all the way through it, it was huge) before going through security, then down the stairs and to the international gates, which are all together in a small crowded area of the airport that has not been maintained as well as the rest of the airport. We scanned our passports a few more times to get through the gate, to take a bus out onto the tarmac, and then board our plane for a 9 ½ hour flight back to Newark.

Quiet flight back to Newark, quickly through customs and then the flight to Chicago where all the tiny things just kept going wrong. The A/C on the plane didn’t work, and with weather stopping inbound flights to Chicago we deplaned and waited, then got on, then an engine wouldn’t start, then we got to Chicago but had to taxi for 15 minutes to avoid other planes taking off because of the weather delays, and then wait for the jetway to be rebooted because it stopped 2 feet short of the plane. When they announced the last one everyone one board had that little laugh.

Finally off the plane, got our luggage, shuttle to the offsite parking (which worked great), and then off home. Quick stop at McDonalds and Kwik Trip (back to trashy food already) and home at 2:00am! (9:00am Italian time if you’re keeping track, almost 30 hours of travel).  The cats were happy to see us as we collapsed into bed.