“Ragazzi .. L’ozio è molto importante .. Questo dolce far niente che practicamo tanto chi nello sud dall’Italia ..!” Smiling, I can still hear the words of my dear Italian language teacher Pina, thinking back about my Italian language course in Salerno. With her typical South-Italian charm, she emphasises the “importance of doing nothing” – without remorse, that is. Like, just sitting in the sun. Perhaps looking at the Vesuvius. Feeling the ruins of Pompeii at your feet. And already, my mind is busy travelling elsewhere because …
… “Il Dolce Far Niente” is virtually impossible to practice for a traveller in such an exciting destination as the Gulf of Naples.
Especially for a first-time visitor like myself: Excited like a child, I enter the “Scavi di Pompeii”, the perhaps most well-known archaeological site in the world. And immediately, I am blown away by the history of the place …
… which might have to do with the fact that what you get when you enter Pompei is a view of … the people who died here …
… as part of one of the most devastating natural catastrophes in recent human history …
… when the upper part of the Vesuvius, called “Monte Somma” at the time, pulverised during a three-day explosion and came raining down as ash, well over seven metres thick, covering the town of Pompeii at its feet …
… fascinating how the traces of humanity endure, like stepping into these old carriage trails …
… taking a moment to commemorate the course of events …
… standing in awe for looking at this old Roman bath in Pompeii …
… the perfect condition of the mosaics, again well over 2.000 years old …
… the temples, hinting at the richness of the town …
… and if you, too, wish to avoid the crowds, my tip is to start right early, at 09.00 in the morning, and walk in exactly the opposite way of the large tour groups that follow. In this way, you will avoid too much congestion at the neuralgic (and most interesting) points of Pompeii.
Yes, walking around Pompeii has all been about realising a big childhood dream of mine. As well as walking up the Vesuvius itself!
It’s a fascinating volcano of an almost perfect shape. Dominating the skyline of the Gulf of Naples, well over three million people live here today. A contradiction to the fact that the Vesuvius has and will again become active, like my parents read to me from the Baedeker travel guide they carry. High up at the mountain, you are only left with choosing a guide (in several languages), or reading from the information you brought, in order to learn more about the Vesuvius. There are no further signs (nor WiFi!), which in a way emphasises the primitive nature of the volcanic mountain summit – an eerie place all along. Check this out.
“Brace, brace” – and make sure you bring good shoes for walking up the Vesuvius; loose rocks and sharp stones most certainly abound here.
You can of course also opt for “hitchhiking” up top: Can’t take my eyes off the small raised Fiat cars, the national park patrol here ..!
And who says a volcano can’t be enjoyed in style? Right up at the top, you can even have yourselves a nice glass of wine!
I stand fascinated, although thinking about the origin of this place, you do feel very small in comparison …
… it’s perhaps nicer to look at the Vesuvius from a beautiful distance, such as Sorrento here across for the Gulf of Naples …
… where we wind down from a long day with beautiful pizza aromas & fresh white …
… thanks for such a lovely time together, dear family !
After spending a day on the island of Capri, I take a speed boat from Sorrento to Positano, further along the coastline. Boats leave at either 10.00 or 10.30 from Sorrento; right about an hour later, you are in Positano passing by Capri in a beautiful turn! Positano grants you two hours of free time, before taking the same boat on to Amalfi : I take well over a hundred photographs in these two hours alone, that’s how beautiful this coastline really is! From Amalfi, I opt for taking a bus on to Vietri sul Mare … a great combination of land & sea travel, opening up different views of the impressive terraced hills that have earned the Amalfi Coast UNESCO World Heritage status – and rightly so.
From Sorrento harbour …
… we take a stint at Capri before veering right off towards Positano …
… a most beautiful little town along the world-famous Amalfi Coast …
… including, well, nice little sightings on the beach …
… off we go travelling further along the Coast, spectacular as it is …
… reaching historic little towns, such as Amalfi itself …
… and taking the bus on these narrow coastal roads, an adventure all in its own right …
… love how most of the terraces here are “reserved” for growing lemon trees …
… all of which dominate the landscape right up until Vietri sul Mare.
This cute little town here is known for its hand-crafted ceramics and tile art …
… with this donkey being the main symbol of town!
Love how I’ve spotted the first ripening strawberry here in what is only the middle of Apri, i.e. early spring! Well, you should ideally be able to take the climate of Southern Italy with you ..!
*Lovely*.
There’s more if you wish, but be careful – you’ll want to travel to Southern Italy immediately: