Back to Italy

After Mykonos we had a day at sea.  Anyone who thought they were going to be laying out by the pool was disappointed. It was so windy and the boat was rocking all day long, they actually weren't allowing people on the outside decks later in the day because the winds were so strong and the waves were splashing on the decks.  But we actually enjoyed relaxing, playing games, taking naps. Thankfully neither of us gets motion sickness. We also did a "cabin crawl" with some people I met online through cruise critic.  Basically we went and looked at other people's rooms on the ship.  It was pretty interesting, we saw one of the family size rooms, and it was just a huge room, but no window.  We also saw a jr. type suite, and also one of the more elegant suites.  The suites were just amazing.  Full size bathrooms, with a tub, shower and double sinks.  Full bar area with dining table, one of them suites even had an art gallery.  Not to mention butler service.  It was fun to see. One can dream right?

Here we are in one of the jr. suite

Here we are crammed into one of the balcony rooms

Some of us had dinner together too.

After our rocky day at sea we arrived the next morning at the port of Naples.  That's about all we saw of Naples though, just the port.  Because I had read that Naples wasn't exactly the best city in Italy, we booked a tour to head down to see Pompeii then onto Sorrento and a drive along the Amalfi coast to Positano. 

 Our tour guide actually showed up on this one, Fernando.  He was excellent. Our guide through Pompeii was fascinating.  For a city founded around the 7th century BC, the ruins are in very good condition.  It was buried by ash and rock from the erruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD and then rediscovered in 1748. 

The Parliament Building

In the town Forum with Vesuvius in the background

This was one of the largest homes in Pompeii

From Pompeii we drove down to Sorrento.  Some ships actually dock in Sorrento, which would be the better option in my opinion if you had one.  We loved Sorrento.  It was just so beautiful and quaint and had a relaxing feel to it.  This whole region is known for their citrus, and they had the best Lemon drops I've ever had!  We enjoyed pizza and gelato and time to shop and relax on this beautiful day.

Sorrento in the background

This calzone was delicious.

After a couple hours in Sorrento our tour took us on a drive down the Almalfi coast, stopping in Positano.  I made sure Adam and I had seats on the right side of the bus so we go the best views.  It truly is a magnificent coast line and the water is just to die for.  We didn't have time to swim, but being able to see it was breathtaking. 

Not the best quality pictures, since they're behind glass in a moving bus

here we are in Positano, enjoying the views.

We loved our day in this region of Italy.  We talked to some people who did tours in Capri, and said they were fabulous, but those tours were much more expensive and didn't include Pompeii, it's tough when you only have one day in these beautiful place.  I could definitely spend a lot more time here...

Oh, and did I mention that this way May 18th, which is also the day we had met 10 years prior at the San Francisco Giants game?  What a great way remember that day. 

Back on board ready for dinner celebrating 10 year! 

Picture of Vesuvius as we float away from Naples.

There's lots more of Italy to come, and a bit more drama too.  Four more stops and I'll have this vacation wrapped up.