En route to the Amalfi Coast

Last month, my husband and I went to Rome to visit our daughter during her junior semester abroad.  She doesn’t have class on Friday, so we took advantage of the long weekend and headed south to the Amalfi Coast.

We rented a car and headed out of Rome.  Or so we thought.  It is IMPOSSIBLE to get out of that city!  We drove around in circles, our navigation took us in circles.  Finally, after driving through countless neighborhoods and asking people for help in our lame Italian, we found the Autostrada.  First stop  – Pompeii.

Pompeii is 15 miles southeast of Naples. The volcano, Mt. Vesuvius, looms in the background as you get close to the ancient city. We opted for a self-guided tour through the ruins so we could take our time and meander.  You can also hire a guide at the front gate.

The city of Pompeii was petrified by Mt. Vesuvius’s eruption on the morning of August 24, ad 79.  It its heyday, Pompeii had a population of up to 20,000 people and covered over 160 acres.

We spent a little over 2 hours exploring.  Pompeii is a NO MISS if you are heading to southern Italy!

Leaving Pompeii, we drove south to Sorrento where we stayed for two nights.  Since it was early March, the season was not really in full swing and temperatures were still in the 50s, but – no crowds!

View of Mt. Vesuvius from our hotel

We stayed at the Parco dei Principi in Sorrento, a mid-century modern hotel designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti.

The hotel opened in 1962 and is still true to its mid-century modern roots.  Blue is the “theme” color.

Lobby

Dining room, Vesuvius in the background

Amazing ceramic floors throughout the hotel.

Ceramic pebbles.

We walked into the city of Sorrento and all around the coastline, ending up back at the hotel with a cold glass of champagne.

The next day we headed out to Positano, Amalfi and Ravello.  We hired a driver through the hotel because the Amalfi drive can be a little tricky…

The day started out cold and a little rainy, but the views were stunning.

Beach in Positano

Our guide Bernardo was an informative chatterbox.  We could sit back and take in the scenery!

Limoncello is a lemon liquor produced in Southern Italy, so you see lemons and oranges everywhere.  We sampled limoncello made in Sorrento, Naples, Positano..  It is usually served after dinner, but we found ways to work it into our daily routine.  Delicious.

One last night in Sorrento and back to Rome and home…

Bittersweet to leave, but what a trip.

  
Ciao Emily!  Until May.

the wry home