Pompeii and Positano

After two days in the Eternal City we decided to venture south. We caught a train headed for Naples, prepared for a day in Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. Although the weather wasn't ideal, the little rain did not slow us down.

Pompeii is a captivating sight. Once a thriving port and trading town, it is now the most famous and one of the best preserved Roman cities. Covered in 27 feet of ash after the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD, the city has been slowly excavated and is now an excellent example of life in the Roman Empire. Our pictures don't do it justice, but they're a glimpse of the wonderful sights of Pompeii.

Looking down a road in Pompeii. The large stones
served as both crosswalks and ancient speed bumps.

Linda in her native habitat... an old bakery with flour
grinders still standing.


One of the most interesting things we saw... this is an
ancient lunch counter where Romans could sample the
soup du jour.
Us in the amphitheater.

The four of us in the town center.

From Pompeii, our guide drove us to a little restaurant in Positano. He assured us it would provide the perfect setting for an Italian Thanksgiving feast; we were skeptical, but he was driving, so we were more-or-less a captive audience. Five courses of the best food we've had in Europe, many bottles of great wine, and an indescribable view proved him correct. It was a Thanksgiving to be remembered.

The view from our table.

The entrance to the restaurant.

The beach in Positano

Stuffed to the rafters, we walked off some of the dinner in Positano and Sorrento, a town farther up the coast. It was still chilly and somewhat drizzly, but the weather could not dampen our time on the Amalfi Coast. Looks like we have a vacation spot for better weather next summer!

Ciao