A Great Day at Pompeii and a Sad Good-Bye

We're making the most of our last full day here on the Amalfi Coast.  Today was a trip to Pompeii.  Rick and Joy had really studied up on Pompeii and were anxious to see it first hand.  I think it lived up to their expectations.
Rick got in line for tickets and up the incline we went.

This was a great trip for Tom and me because we saw some of the same sites we did with Kay and Susan, but we also saw lots of different ones,  too.
We saw Stephanus laundry.  He had a laundromat in Pompeii where residents would bring their clothes to be cleaned.

We saw lots of homes and apartments with the most unique pictorial decorations.

Next came the House of Ephebe which was a typical house of a middle class merchant.  This picture shows the dining room with a waterfall on the back wall.

The water flows out into a canal that holds fish that are served for dinner.
All along the way were "snack shops" that served nuts, olives, wine and other foods.

There was the Temple of Jupiter

and the brothel.

Not to be missed was the Amphitheater

and also the Odeon-small theater.

It was somewhat cloudy today so the temps were a little better than the last time we were here, but we were still
grateful for the cooling breezes.  After a nice lunch we headed back for Furore.
It's a bittersweet time.  We have had such a wonderful time here during the month of August!  We arrived on August first, checked into our apartment ready for a great adventure and we were not disappointed.  The first night we did "La Passeggiata dell' Amore" --the Walk of Love, where we could see the little town of Praiano all lit up at night, so stunning.

We found grocery stores both in Furore and Agerola, but our favorite was the butcher and the produce man--neither of which we could communicate with.  Sign language goes a long way!  We found a "General Store" for other essentials--charcoal and firestarters, fly swatter and a bowl for fruit.
Day trips to Amalfi, Ravello and Capri were the greatest!  So much to do and see.
The people here are the BEST.
Our landlord, Pasquale was unbelievable!

If we needed something, he was "Johnny on the spot" to see that we got it.  He
also took us on that incredible tour of Agerola, that we never could have done on our own.  He's one in a million and we will miss him!
Raphael, owner of Relish was so helpful with any questions we had.  He also makes the best Cosmopolitans ever!

He and his sisters had a cheerful "Bonjourno" to greet us.
His uncle, Antonio was kind and helpful with our bags and a friendly handshake.

Our neighbors were very generous with tomatoes, figs and fresh produce.
Serafina was a favorite dining place.  We were honored to meet Rosa and her family and see how industrious they are with their farm, gardens and restaurant.

The meals we had there were some of the best we've had in Italy!  So, we have loved our time here on the Amalfi Coast, but the best part of all was having our friends Kay and Susan and Rick and Joy join us here!

A Day of Rest and A Glorious Day on Capri

Sunday August 28
On Sunday, we had a day of rest.  We needed to recharge ourselves for the week ahead.  We did a little laundry, some did a little reading and some took naps.  We had a little happy hour cocktail at "Relish"--cosmos for Joy and me.  Raphael makes the very best we've ever had!
Rick grilled the most delicious steaks for us!  The grill here is charcoal and a bit of a challenge but he did a masterful job.  The fresh green beans, potatoes, grilled veggies and tomatoes completed the dinner.  What a nice day.

Monday August 29
We are so happy to have Rick and Joy here!  That means we get to have another beautiful day on the island of Capri.  We left the apartment early enough Wednesday to catch the Furore bus at the cemetero  (cemetery)

and make it to Amalfi in time  to catch the 9:30 ferry to Capri.  Amalfi was just waking up.  The sunlight was spilling over the mountain and the crowds were still asleep--it was grand!
We boarded the ferry up on top for the best view and the cool breeze.

As we approached Positano, we could see the postcard perfect little town perched on the side of the mountain.

We stopped here only long enough to unload and load a few passengers.
It seemed like a quick trip to Capri.  The island and the Faraglioni Rocks come into view, a spectacular sight!

Off the boat and on to shop.  While Joy and I shopped, the guys bought tickets for the funicular.  We then lined up and were carried up the mountain to Capri Town for a little more shopping.  You can never shop or look too much,  just don't know how we will get all those treasures home!
Next, we catch the local bus on up the mountain to Anacapri

and then the chair lift to the top of the mountain.

This is the most awesome view of all.

 

We see small boats, yachts and the clearest blue water.

A little snack was in order to hold us until lunch.  A coke at the top of the world is not a bad thing.  We made our way back down on the chair lift since it really was lunchtime and we had a schedule to keep.

After lunch, Tom and Rick took a hike through a neighborhood while the girls, you know what!  We took a taxi back to the marina to get back on the ferry.
We saw Sophia Loren's former house just southwest of Amalfi  on the way back.

Joy and I made one more pass through Amalfi and then met Tom and Rick to wait on the bus.  The Furore bus took us back to the cemetery to pick up the car.

We had a light supper and enjoyed a limoncello on the terrace and looked at the stars, as we recalled our glorious day on Capri.

Amalfi, Ravello and Serafina All in One Day

This morning, we are off to Amalfi on the Furore bus.  It's still early so the traffic and people are light which makes it easier to get into town.  Joy and I are excited about doing a little shopping, but we are so early that many of the shops were not open yet.  Of course, we check out the ones that are open so as not to lose any time.
Tom and Rick are off to buy tickets for the bus to Ravello.
We wanted to see inside the cathedral but it wasn't open either.

We had fun doing a little shopping, looking and checking a few things out.

We boarded the bus to Ravello for the 30 minute ride up the mountain.  Such spectacular sights below as we wind our way up the steep incline.
Joy and I think a little gelato is in order to start our Ravello adventure.
There are two charming villas in Revello.  Tom toured one the last time we were here, but today we are all going.
The first one we see is the Villa Rufolo.

Tom told much about this one in a previous blog.

We are all enchanted by the beauty of this magnificent villa.

The stage is in place for the music festival.  It is rebuilt each season at this time for the Ravello Festival and is cantilevered out over the cliff creating a stunning panorama.

The gardens are beautiful with the flowers in full bloom.

Maintenance and horticultural expertise is kept alive thanks to the desecendants of the original gardeners.
As enchanting as this villa is, our stomachs are letting us know it's lunch time.  We found a nice place in the piazza for a light lunch to fortify us for the rest of the afternoon.

I did a little pottery shopping on the way to Villa Cimbrone.  This one was

at the far end of Ravello with lots of steps and walkways to get there.

It was well worth the walk, because it was just fabulous!
We entered through the Cloister

and on to the Walk of Immensity,

past the statue of Ceres, goddess of the Harvests

to the Terrace of Infinity, sometime referred to as "the doorway of the sun".  Some say, this is the most spectacular view in all of Italy!

K

We stopped for a cool drink and sat for a few minutes in the shade.
We ended our trip by way of the rose garden and back through the Cloister on our way to catch the bus back to Amalfi.

We were hoping to catch the 3:05 bus but apparently it was a no-show.  So we wait on the 3:55, well... This one appears to be a no-show as well, but we can't wait due to dinner reservations, so we decide to take a taxi.  Just as we all climb into the taxi, here comes the bus!! Of course!  Oh well, we made it back in good time to catch the bus back to Furore.  There is some confusion and over crowding on the bus, so the driver tells us to get off and another bus will take us back.  All settled on the second bus and Tom tells me he left my package on the first bus!  We retreve the package, all is well and on we go.
Time for our last dinner at Serafina.

Rick and Joy get the tour and explanation of their farm operation.

We sit and the courses begin.

Again an unsurpassed dinner from Rosa and her family.  This has been a real favorite of ours
here in Furore.  It's always such an inspiration to see the pride they take in providing the magnificent meal from their own land and hard work.

We are privileged to be here with them and to share it with Rick and Joy.