Mediterranean Sea and Naples, Italy -- September 2 and 3, 2015 -- Days 15 and 16

Day 15, September 2, 2015 … After leaving the port of Piraeus (Athens) last evening, the ship has been traveling across the Ionian Sea towards Italy. We were at sea all day today, and in early evening we passed through the narrow Messina Strait between the “toe” of Italy and the island of Sicily, on our way to Naples, tomorrow’s new adventure.

It’s been a very relaxing day, resting up from the last few days of hustle and bustle and preparing for the remainder of the voyage with its stops in a different port every day.  So, another lecture, this time on our stop in Rome, a cute little fashion show, browsing through their 75% sale items, including several nice cocktail rings and other jewelry and a leisurely happy hour and Captain’s Circle event made for a great non-descript day!!!  It was formal dining this evening, and again I enjoyed seeing the many and in one case a group of 14 people!  The dinner of escargot and all the lobster, crab and prawns you could eat was absolutely scrumptious … and the couples at our table are so much fun to be with.  What can I say?  … Cruising is wonderful!

Day 16, September 3, 2015 … The ship docks at the port in Naples to a view of old, typical European buildings butted together, nestled in the hill side. We booked a tour with a private company to visit specific sites outside of Naples.  It is a warm, sun-filled day as we eat an early breakfast and disembark the ship.

The history of this region goes back 3,000 years with occupations first by the Greek followed by the Roman, French and Spanish empires. Today three million people live in Naples, and its culture reflects much of the past.

The amphitheater in Pompeii

Pompeii … Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, and the force was so great that the mountain itself was reduced from 8,000 feet to 4,000 feet. Because it is still an active volcano … its last eruption was in 1944 …  it continues to grow.  People at that time were not aware of volcano eruptions and simply felt the gods were not pleased with them, so they hunkered down in their homes. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people were killed in the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were known as vacation getaways for Rome’s high society. Those cities were buried under 25 feet of ash and pumice … there was no lava which reached the city from this eruption … for 17 centuries.

Today about 80 percent of the 125-acre City of Pompeii has been unearthed; discovering life at that time has been very well preserved. We walked through the rock streets gazing at the walls of the shops and houses still intact.  Incredible. The gymnasium is impressive. The big amphitheater that was all made of marble and could seat 15,000 people still is used today. The smaller theater only held 4,000 people and even some of the marble flooring remains intact. And then there is the brothel with its stone beds on the lower level and exotic paintings on the walls as if still waiting for clients!  The main forum in the center of the city also displays ancient linen shops, the meat market, the

Typical street in Ancient Pompeii

fisherman’s market and some well preserved frescos on the walls depicting the life and beliefs of the day. We walked through the house of an obviously wealthy inhabitant, as it was about 30,000 square feet!  The house was called The Faun House because a perfect statue of a faun, a half-man, half-creature, statue remains in the entryway! There were servant rooms, a large detailed tile fresco, marble entrance … and on and on and on. Can you imagine?

One more interesting thing is the plaster casts. When digging through the ash and pumice, large cavities were discovered; and by filling the cavities with plaster, and then excavating the plaster casts, they determined that these were actual bodies of people who died in the eruption. Most of the plaster casts have been placed in the museum in Naples, but the one of a man, a child and a dog are on this site for us to see.  Amazing!  We are hot, thirsty and tired, but this was definitely worth the effort.

The Beautiful seaside town of Sorrento, Italy

Sorrento … Because there was a big accident on the road to Sorrento this morning, a quick change of plans by the touring company had us take the train from Pompeii to Sorrento at the southern tip of The bay.  The train was warm and crowded, but we could get an occasional glimpse of the beautiful coastline.  This is a very lush area where lemons are the main product and are made into everything imaginable … including Limoncello, a tangy lemon liqueur!  It was interesting to see the lemon trees covered with dark netting. This is to protect the flowers of the trees that bloom three different times throughout the year. All other citrus fruits, vegetables and nuts are also grown here. Sorrento is a picturesque town on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples.  Because Naples boasts the “birthplace of pizza”, we had pizza for lunch … oh my … delicious! We then had an opportunity to walk down into the Old Town along a very narrow alleyway of cobblestone and filled with shops … inexpensive scarves, many leather items, fruits and vegetables, clothes,  souvenirs,  and lemons, lemonade, Limoncello liqueur, lemon candy, lemon slushes, lemons on towels, aprons, etc.  … yellow, yellow, yellow lemons, lemons, lemons in many of the little shops … get the idea?!  I did taste the lemonade and the Limoncello … I do like lemon!

All things lemon in Sorrento

Amalfi  Coast and Positano …  The traffic jam has cleared, so the motor coaches were able to travel down to Sorrento and we were able to continue the tour as planned.  Our next destination was to meander around the extremely curvy road hugging the cliff’s edge of the Amalfi Coast line.  As we drive, we see the sparkling blue and turquoise sea straight down from the road and look straight up to the top of the jagged, rocky mountain tops.  Stunning views.  We approach the town of Positano with its white buildings dug into the cliffs, very few streets for cars or for parking, elegant boutiques and seaside cafes. The little bay is dotted with boats of every kind.  After a stop for a photo op and a cold drink, we motor back to Naples and to our Island Princess.

The beautiful Amalfi Coast line, Italy

The beautiful city of Positano nestled in the cliffs
of the Amalfi Coast, Italy

We didn’t get to see much of Napes itself, nor go to the famous Island of Capri … guess that will have to be another day!  But we did enjoy the adventure, even though we were hot and tired when we got back. After a shower and a little cat-nap, we enjoyed the beautiful views of Naples and Mount Vesuvius from the back of the ship during the sail away.  As the sun sets behind the hills of Naples, the ship cruises north to Rome; and we head down to the dining room for what is turning out to be the highlight of each day – good conversation and many laughs with those at our table, plus, of course, delicious food – all while being waited on for our every need by a great wait staff.  I’m getting really spoiled!