April 9, 2023 – Naples, Italy

Happy Easter….He has risen!  What a beautiful morning.

Gorgeous arrival into Naples at 6 am.  The moon is reflecting off the water and the sky is a pretty blue purple before the sun rose.  The lighthouse greets us as we enter the port.

We can see Mt Vesuvius.  This is the volcano that destroyed the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.  It erupted in 79 AD and completely buried the city of Pompeii.  Today it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We have another earlier tour today.  We boarded the bus, traveled through Naples and in a short time we arrived in Pompeii.  The sky is a deep blue and contrast is nice for pictures.  We did a walking tour through the ancient city and you realize how close you are to the volcano as you see it in the background.  We were here several years ago but wanted to see if more buildings have been uncovered. Once a thriving and sophisticated Roman city, Pompeii was buried by meters of ash and pumice.  As we walk through the city, we see buildings that were part of a once busy city.  Theaters, bakeries with big ovens, market places, piazza’s, ‘to-go’ restaurants, brothel’s and family homes.  Before the eruption, Pompeii was known as a vacation getaway for Rome’s high society.  But after 79 AD it was a city buried deep beneath the ask until its discovery 17 centuries later.  Ancient shops and streets are remarkably preserved and plaster casts mark the positions of the fallen who were swiftly overcome by ash.  Today, only parts of the city have been unearthed, lying virtually underneath the modern cities of Ercolano and Portici but the excavation site is surprisingly well preserved.  Guided walking tours meander through wealthy Roman villas adorned with portico gardens, fountains and baths.

After our walk, we had a slice of pizza (included in our tour).  Did you know Naples is the birthplace of pizza?  

We boarded the bus and went back to Naples where we boarded a jet boat that held several hundred people.  After a 45 minute ride, we arrived in Capri.  Capri is famed for its rugged landscape, upscale hotels and shopping.  One of the best known natural sites is the Blue Grotto, a dark cavern where the sea glows electric blue, the result of sunlight passing through an underwater cave.  We then boarded a funicular (tram) that took us up to the top of the cliff.  Once we reached the top, we exited the tram right into a piazza.  The view of amazing!  You look out across the Bay Of Naples.  The cliff below had many houses that cling to it.  On the way up, you could see trees loaded with lemons, tiny gardens and beautiful little houses. 

We decided to stroll the streets of Capri on this Easter Day.  Tiny, narrow, colorful streets with window boxes full of flowers.  Restaurants tucked away in these maze like places.  Churches off the main piazza.  A Main Street that was very busy with people and taxi’s that would take you further.  Many streets were only for pedestrians and those are the ones we love to wander.  We stopped and had a refreshing snack.  A lemon that had been hollowed out and filled with a frozen lemon ice.  Delicious!  We went in and out some small shops.  Bob bought me a pair of colorful earrings (blue to match the water) that had been made in Murano, Italy.  We enjoyed the sunshine at the top of the mountain and the views below.  Soon it was time to go and we decided to pop into a little bakery for a treat.  Homemade cannoli.  I got powdered sugar all over myself.  Lol.  We hopped on the funicular and down the mountain we went.  We boarded the jet boat and 45 minutes later, we were back in Naples.  

So much to do in this area.  We could have gone to the Amalfi Coast today and visited Positano and Sorrento.  I thought Easter Sunday would be very busy.  We’ve been before and would love to come back and stay.  

Ciao Naples!  It’s time to board the ship.  We stood on our balcony and watched the sun starting to set behind us.  Suddenly we could hear church bells everywhere in the city.  It’s the evening of Easter in Italy.  Beautiful!