First shore excursion of our cruise and it was a long one. Much walking was involved up and down hills. Pat recently got a "fit bit" which measures steps and miles and is surprisingly accurate. During the last two days, she recorded over 30,000 steps and over 13 miles of walking. Understandably, she is taking it easy today.
First, the island of Capri. Isola di Capri as it is known locally is a mountainous island just off shore of Naples. A 50 minute ferry ride got us there where we took the "Funicolare". (Funicular railway) up to the top of the island. It's an extremely steep climb, so this is definitely the way to go. I saw a cyclist ride to the top....I think he crossed himself when he got off the bike....not for the weak or faint of heart.
Capri is the playground of the European rich and famous. Hotels are 1000€ per night on average. It's expensive but when you see the views, you can understand why.
Next on to Sorrento birthplace of the first opera star to make it world wide, Enrico Caruso. Our guide (referred to herself as "mommy" and we her children) was often inspired to break into song anywhere we went. Sorrento was simply the first excuse.
Sorrento is a lovely city full of narrow streets and alleyways where you can find almost anything. We had a pleasant lunch with a terrific Cannelloni for the first course and a wonderful Lemon cake for desert. The cake had a goodly measure of Limoncello which is made in the region. After we sobered up, we visited a wonderful woodworking shop when the artisans made furniture with veneer inlays that required incredible skills. Clearly, Italian artisans are alive and well in this day and age,
Finally, on to Pompeii. Not far from Mt. Vesuvius , Pompeii was buried by 20 feet of hot (400 degree) mud more than 2000 years ago. About 80% of the city has been excavated. The initial surprise for me was the vast size of Pompeii. For those that have been through the Ruins in Rome , I would say that Pompeii was certainly as large. In it's day, Pompeii was home to 20,000 residents and was an agricultural and commercial hub for the region. We only got a chance to go through a small part of the city but were amazed by the thought and engineering that went into everything they built. Streets were recessed well below sidewalk height to allow water to flow downhill and were built to the proper width for carriages of the day. Crosswalks were raised stepping stones carefully placed to not interfere with carriage wheels yet allowed water flow. Very clever.
Last visit was to the opera house which is an open air amphitheater with astounding acoustics. Clap you hands in the right spot on stage and is sounds incredibly loud. Whispers can be heard around the seating areas if the speaker is in the right spot. How this was determined is beyond me. Fascinating still.
Great start to our trip. Tomorrow, it's on to the island of Malta and the capital city of Valetta.
Bye for now!
Chris and Pat
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