The Amalfi Coast

On our second and final visit to Naples Joan had come down with a case of the flu, there seems to be a few people who have it, hopefully it doesn’t spread too far.

We had made plans to do a private excursion with friends and paid up front. Joan decided to take a hit for the team and stayed on the ship leaving me to do the trip without her.

We drove down the Amalfi Coast, or as the driver put it, the ‘Oh my god” coast, because of the narrow winding roadway with sheer drops to the sea on one side ~ needless to say it was the side I was sitting on.

Our first stop was in Positano, a small tourist town built onto the side of a cliff face.  Needless to say the traffic was limited to the main road above leaving ‘shank’s pony’ as the only way of getting up or down the streets.  The sights and atmosphere of the town was just magnificent and we noticed that the locals were all very fit and healthy people.

We stopped for lunch in Sorrento, a small town just inland and we had a traditional Italian lunch, washed down with an ice-cold local beer.

Last but not least we visited the ancient city of Pompeii which was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.  Readers may recall we visited Herculaneum in our earlier visit to Naples, which was also destroyed in the same event.  There has been much debate on the ship about which is the better of the two.  Whilst Pompeii is much larger with much more to see, Herculaneum is better preserved, so it’s a matter of personal choice I guess.

All had another great day.  Rome tomorrow and we hope Joan is up to it.