Next Up... Napoli, Italia

NAPLES, SORRENTO, AMALFI COAST

As the Norwegian Escape made its way around Italy, our next stop was Naples!

Naples lays claim to the title of the oldest continuously inhabited city in Italy. The city boasts beautiful architecture, street art and busy markets to explore.  Don’t you dare stop in Naples without stopping to taste the authentic Neapolitan pizza. Naples is the birthplace of the classic Margherita, yum!

With limited time in port, we drove through Naples and headed out to the coastal town of Sorrento.  This town along the Amalfi Coast offers stunning views of the Bay of Naples and picturesque streets to shop and sample food and drink until your heart is content.  Famous for its lemon groves, the limoncello is quite delicious.  We had a fantastic guide named Gabriel, who I am keeping in touch with today.  I cannot wait to reach back out to him and let him know we are coming back! 

POMPEII, HERCULANEUM

After we filled our bellies with pizza and limoncello, it was time to hit the road again. We set our sights on a visit to the ruins of Pompeii.  I am not sure what I expected, but arriving in Pompeii was different than I imagined.  Gabriel introduced us to our personal guide for inside Pompeii. She offered us story after story as we wandered around the city frozen in time. The well-preserved buildings tell the story of daily life before the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.  The excavations continue at Pompeii and it’s fascinating that more stories are still being unearthed.

For those that have been to Pompeii, be sure to check out another major historical attraction in Herculaneum. This ancient Roman town is located near the foot of Mount Vesuvius, Like Pompeii, it was buried by the catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius.  Herculaneum, however, was engulfed by pyroclastic flows rather than ash, preserving structures in an even more complete state than those in Pompeii. 

If you are inclined to shop for souvenirs, I found the pricing to be better in Sorrento.  The small vendors set up outside of Pompeii were really a tourist trap.  I was shocked to find out a small hand fan was 10 euro in Pompeii and in Sorrento the same fan was about 2 euro. 

Overall, a fantastic day had by all!  Stunning views, shopping, pizza, limoncello and a bit of history.  What else could you ask for?