Pompeii plus Positano ... Perfection!

Saturday 7/6:  What a perfect day for long rides in a rental car!  Much less wear and tear on the feet.

On four hours of sleep, I'm up early looking forward to a day exploring sights near Naples and the west coast of Italy. Drove 2.5 hours south to the archeological dig at Pompeii, the ancient Roman city buried in ash in 79 AD when Vesuvius erupted. The excavation is much larger than expected, about a mile in length, which we walked.  It's a photographer's dream and I am quickly filling up my 8GB memory in my Casio camera.  Won't be posting any of those images until after tomorrow when we embark on the cruise ship and I'll have time to manage the treasure trove of images.  You're only seeing pics taken with my smartphone.  The site is a wonderful glimpse at life in a Roman city.

Pompeii with Vesuvius looming in the background.

 

Fresco interior of Pompeii house

 

Then we drove another hour or so further south along the famous picturesque cliffside road and tunnels to the Amalfi coast and the romantic town of Positano (featured in a favorite movie of mine, Under the Tuscan Sun).  We found the perfect place to dine, Il Capitano, with a spectacular view of the bay.  The dinner was divine.  We had a long drive back to Rome and now it is after 3am here. Everyone but Aron is still up.  He did most of the driving along with our favorite Swedish / Roman citizen, Per.  Tomorrow we check out of our apartment by 10, then drive an hour to the port city of Civitavecchia to board the Royal Carribbean ship Navigator of the Seas for the voyage segment of this adventure! Arrivederci!

Is this heaven? Almost....it's the Amalfi coastal town of Positano.

Dinner at Ristorante il Capitano with Per.