Home of the Mob?

Peter and I are back on American soil after a beautiful 12 days in Italy! It was a wonderful trip; we enjoyed time away, time together, and time seeing sights and meeting new friends.

We left Grand Rapids, hit Chicago, bounced through Munich, and finally arrived in Naples, Italy. From there we hitched a ride South to Sorrento passing Mt. Vesuvius as we drove. It was our first taste of Italian driving, and were so thankful to have hired someone to drive - narrow roads and no stop lights! Sorrento is a Mediterranean coastal town on the ankle of Italy. It mostly exists for tourists visiting Pompeii and the Almafi Coast, both of which we visited!

Our first dinner in Italy - yum! and a little bit road weary...

Not a bad hotel room view.

We toured Sorrento on this little guy.

We saw these gentlemen both nights we were in Sorrento. They were sitting outside a 'Casino Club' that looked suspicious. Empty room, door in the back, with a crucifix hanging over it. Considering our driver said that next to tourism, crime is the largest economy, we have our doubts about this establishment's legitimacy :)

Lovely little lace top, I think she copied me! I took a picture of the brides we saw :)

A view from the top and the bottom. The rock and cliff formations were beautiful, and lent to amazing feats in engineering, architecture, and building.

Our first full day we headed off to Pompeii to see the ancient ruins. I'll save you a google (like I had to), and let you know that Pompeii was an Italian city at the base of Mt. Vesuvius. When MV blew its top, (much like Mt. St. Helens,) it completely enveloped and covered Pompeii and all of its inhabitants with 30 feet of lava which overtime turned to ash. In doing so, it preserved the town, and once excavation began in the 17th century, it became a window into how life was in ancient Italy.

These guys entertained us on the train ride.

Tombs just outside the city walls.

We came into Pompeii in their entertainment district. The gladiator training center on the left was right next to two ampitheaters. Some of the original marble was in one and you could see the seat numbers in Roman Numerals etched into the block.

Standing outside a take out counter. Even then, the people of Pompeii didnt go home for lunch, they picked up.

We were surprised to learn that while our vision of ancient life is white marble and stone, most everything was covered in plaster and painted brilliant colors like this wall.

Pompeii did not have a sewer system, instead the waste ran down the streets (eww!) So in order to avoid walking in it, large stones like these were in most intersections and larger crossings. Carts could straddle the stones, and pedestrians hopped across. (Smart!) We could see the wheel ruts in the road too!

Intact body cavities were found and poured with plaster. You could see what they were wearing, some facial features, and their general size.

Here we are in the city square. Behind us is Vesuvius, imagine the two peaks joined as one point. Now imagine that blowing off! Our guide likened it to an atomic bomb exploding.

Here's a lovely entryway mosaic that survived well. The words say 'Beware of the Dog' in Latin. I guess there really isnt anything new under the sun!

On the left you can see the unexcavated area, it's the part with the corn field growing on it! Work started midway through the 17th century and continues today, about 30% remains unearthed.

This was a wealthier home, but still had typical characteristics. The open area in the middle was key for collecting rain and water while the rest of the home was on the perimeter. Most buildings had a second story as well.

After a long day in Pompeii, dinner was at a local place in Sorrento. Turns out our waiter lives in Delaware 9 months of the year, soooo that's why he has braces and knew English so well!

For day 2 in Sorrento we decided to take to the Mediterranean water and see some of the beautiful coast of Italy. We signed up for a boat tour to the Island of Capri and then along the Almafi Coastline.

On the boat! Ready to ride!

Capri Island and some of the surrounding rock formations.

Positano = beautiful, but a total tourist trap! Hello Mackinac! :)

 Kitties! Getting our fix :)

Mmm gelato #1 and cruising on the boat.

Dinner that night was at the Foreigner's Club. We opted for dessert, that wasnt a mistake, and it also wasnt Hershey's syrup! They sure know their way around a cocoa bean over there!

Off to Rome in the morning!