Day 16 – August 8th – Naples (Napoli) Italy
We had an early tour today – Drive the Amalfi Coast and then to Pompeii. Art, Cheryl, Murray, Adam and Susan went on this tour, and Bonnie and Steve had arranged to hire a driver for the day.
Our first stop was the Lemonchello factory and on the way we saw Bonnie and Steve pulled over at a scenic turn-out, chatting with their driver.
After we visited the factory, we embarked on a very twisty, turning, harrowing drive along the Amalfi coast, that was just breathtaking. There were many areas where the road was too narrow for our tour-bus and other cars to go at the same time, so we had to coordinate with other drivers who would wait, or back-up. Or pull to the side so the other could pass.
Along the way, we stopped in Positano – which was a very lovely town. We had lunch at a local hotel (caniloni, chicken Parmesan and a yummy vanilla cake) – then it was back to the twisty turning road to take in more of the beauty and history of the area. Our guide, Kareem was funny and entertaining, and our driver was amazing.
After we left the coastal area, we went to the ruins of Pompeii, where out guide took us on a guided tour of the highlights of this tragic city. It was very hot and humid but we found it to be interesting to view the various features of this ancient but modern city.
Our guide pointed out some of the clever designs such as their drainage systems, their restaurants and bakeries and the home sites. On the way out, he had to yell at a tourist who had climbed up on some of the stonework – to take a photo. Then it was back to the ship where we met for dinner and shard stories of the day. Bonnie and Steve ended up taking a boat to Capri and they seemed to really love the area too.
Then we saw a fun musician – Greg London – and since we were all tired from our long days, we called it a night.
Next: Our last day at Sea