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Pompei port entrance with outer city for people coming to trade. Notice 2 entrances to the city behind the wall. (1 each for pedestrians and wagons.
Two way street - 4 stepping stones for citizens to cross wet streets and wagons to pass over.
One way street - Notice the ruts in the rock street from wagon
wheels.
Water fountain that supplied drinking water & overflowed (notice notch) to keep streets clean.
Pompei water system
Sorrento and the Isle of Capri
Sorrento
Thank goodness, we are off to Sorrento as I don’t think I could take the excitement of Pompeii and Rome back to back! A cool down period! Wedged on a ledge under the mountains and over the Mediterranean, spritzed by lemon and olive groves, Sorrento is an attractive resort. It is a very calm, safe, relaxing (no pick pockets) place to visit and almost everyone speaks English! And, believe it or not, the shops are open from 4 PM to about 10 PM (Italian time – right!) for a wonderful time! We stayed at the bottom of the cliff in a cove at Via del Mare.
There are several things I would like to mention about this town. First, it is difficult to determine where the cliff stops and the construction begins. In my opinion, this is absolutely amazing! We are talking about right out there on the edge – the very edge! Since our hotel was at the bottom of the cliff then there was plenty of exercise to be had in this town going up and down the gradual incline of the steps. It took about 15 minutes to reach the top. The lemons in this area are the size of cantaloupes! And, I love the flavor of lemon! You can even purchase lemon liqueur. But, no need, as I purchased a towel with the recipe on it! Smart girl! Less weight to carry! Gosh, I must have really been thinking that day! Ok, onward and upward! The ocean is a deep blue and very clear!
Oh yes, one more thing that is really funny! The bus actually comes to the bottom of the cliff, but of course it is a one lane street. When two cars meet, one has to drive up on the sidewalk to let the other by. Ok, so now we have a city bus coming down the hill to a T intersection at the bottom. He has to turn right, pick up passengers, back up in the opposite direction and then drive back up the hill. So, here we are at dinner on the beach in the sand with traffic directly (I could reach back and touch the cars.) behind me. I notice that all the cars have turned off their engines so this makes me curious. Well, low and behold we have a stand off! And, here is our waiter/owner out trying to direct traffic. Well, everyone is pretty stubborn for about 20 minutes until one driver decides to back up and let the bus make his turn. Once those people have gone up the hill then the bus needs to back up. But, we have another stand off because they want the bus to move forward more so they can go up the hill before the bus. Finally, everyone backs up, and with a lot of sweat pouring down the bus driver, he finally makes it back up the hill! Gosh, will the bus driver be running late!? No worry, it is Italian time!
While watching all this play out, we were attempting to eat dinner! I had ordered a cold vegetable plate and spicy scampi. The vegetables literally melted in my mouth and the flavors were wonderful. And, it was only E5. However, when the spicy scampi arrived on a large dinner plate there were only four nicely arranged small mushy shrimp. I looked at the plate and wondered if I was missing something? They could have easily been served on a bread plate! So, these shrimp cost me E 5 each for a total of E 20. Amazing! I could easily have eaten 4 vegetable plates and been much happier! But, all this is just part of the Italian experience! And, since I was still hungry that gave me an excuse to walk up the hill for another gelato! Who needs an excuse – just go!!!!! So, as you can see, Italy is full of a variety of wonderful experiences!
Isle of Capri
Made famous as the vacation hideaway of Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius plus the modern day jet setters, Capri is a luscious tourist trap! And, I loved every minute of it! The boat ride to the 2 x 4 mile island from Sorranto is only about 30 minutes via hydrofoil. It was here that I purchased my lemon canvas purse! Oh, what fun and I was as happy as a pig in shit because I talked them down from E8 to 5! While on the island, we took the funicular up the cliff to Capri and then caught a city bus (mini van) around the island to Anacapri. Now, let me tell you, the ride is not for the weak hearted or those afraid of heights! You are riding on the very edge of the cliff looking straight down to the water. In my opinion, it was a fantastic ride and I enjoyed all the switch backs and every thrilling moment! From Ana Capri we took a ride on a chair life to Monte Solaro. This was also a wonderful ride looking down in people’s backyards and enjoying the sights of the island and ocean. Once at the top, we could see the entire island with breathtaking views of the sea! What a wonderland!
From Capri, we rode the mini bus to Anacapri. This is my view from the bus-on the edge & straight down! Hold on!
