Naples: The Sky’s the Limit
- Karen Bray
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
This was to be our final day in Italy and it was dedicated to Naples and the Amalfi coast. We started out a bit rough as we had trouble locating our guide for the day. Our instructions were clear that as soon as we disembarked the ship our guide would be waiting for us with our names on a placard, but after about 20 minutes of waiting, we were still looking. I had a phone number, so I called and was assured our guide was there looking for us. But still we weren’t finding him. Finally, we got a call telling us we needed to walk through the large terminal and our guide would be waiting there. So, we proceeded to walk some distance through a busy shop-filled terminal. I then got a call from Dominick, who introduced himself as our guide and started yelling at me that he had been there for a half hour and where were we? I was initially a bit put off by the yelling, and the lack of good instructions, but once we met up with Dominick, we realized he was simply a very passionate Italian, and felt very concerned that we hadn’t found him easily. We quickly learned that he spoke loudly and quickly to everyone, and as the day wore on, he became my favorite Italian guide.
Italy is a pretty patriarchal country, and I realized this immediately when Bob asked Dom to take a picture with me for the blog. Dom asked Bob for permission to put his arm around me for the picture, which cracked me up. Again we had a very plush van with plenty of water and AC, and Dom proceeded to regale us with his views on Italian and world politics, his problems with his property which apparently had a leaking well, and his divorce. Once he learned Bob was an attorney, he shared all his plans to secure his future. He was gregarious and hilarious and we enjoyed the ride. Since much of Italy was celebrating a national holiday, Dom told us that the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento would be crowded but that he was going to take us to the best spots. Aside from our stated desire to see Pompeii and the Herculaneum, Dom pointed out Mount Vesuvius, which hangs over the area and can be seen from everywhere, he promised to show us the real countryside, some beaches, and some fabulous shopping. He cautioned us to keep our belongings in front of us, put nothing in back pockets and watch out for pickpockets.
Our first stop was the Tesoro di Sorrento Limoncello shop, which is tucked into the base of a mountain. This place began as a lemon grower and has become one of the premier limoncello producers. Their lemons are hand peeled, and you can taste everything in the shop. Limoncello, limoncello cream, limoncello flavored with pistachio, peach, coconut and banana, and lots of ceramics and kitchen supplies that are beautiful and smell heavenly. We found goodies for everyone on our list.
We had not expected the incredible scenery. Dom drove us along gorgeous shorelines, climbed breathtaking mountains and navigated through interesting towns teaming with visitors. Like so many places in Italy, the streets are narrow and yet huge vans and busses speed past each other missing accidents by inches. I was very happy we weren’t driving. We spent an hour in Sorrento shopping in beautiful stores offering intricately crafted pieces of art and much less expensive souvenirs. Bob got a replacement for the wallet he lost in Paris in one of the many leather stores. Rows of handmade shoes made us think of Morgan!
Dom collected us and told us he was taking us to a family-owned restaurant for lunch, then on to Pompeii and the Archeological Park of Herculaneum. Our route took us up and up and up until we thought we would reach the heavens. It was a cloudless day, and good thing—we would have been in those clouds. Finally, when we thought we could go no higher and our ears had definitely popped, we stopped at Da Constantino. Our table was set next to a large open window and the view over the towns below and the peaks of the mountains was unmatched. At one point we saw a helicopter flying considerably below us. We probably made a tactical error in our lunch order, as Naples is the birthplace of pizza, and we saw one delivered to another table that looked amazing. But Bob ordered a pasta dish with shellfish, and I went for eggplant parmigiana and we were not disappointed. In addition, Bob ordered a a sparkling red wine called Emmolo and said it was one of his favorite wines ever. A gentle breeze cooled us as we ate, the view was truly unbelievable, and we would gladly eat at Da Constantino every day for the rest of our lives.
And then it was time to go to Pompeii. I can only imagine the terror and the hopelessness the day of the eruption. The city, along with the Herculaneum, Stabiae and many surrounding areas was buried in 13 to 20 feet of ash, when Mt Vesuvius erupted, one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions in history. It lasted for two days. The first phase was of pumice rain, allowing many people to escape. It is believed that there were between 10,000 to 20,000 people living there, and only about 1100 bodies were found complete with their personal belongings and homes intact, so the belief is that many people did get away. After the rain, clouds of scorching ash began to fall, incinerating or suffocating the remaining population. Victims are encased in ash, and the archeological site continues to be explored.
Now I won’t tell you that it was as hot when we visited as it was the day of the eruption. But it was damn close. The temperature was in the low 100’s. And there is absolutely no shade at the site. We made the long trek from the drop off site to the ruins, but I confess that we probably only lasted a half hour or so before we thought we would die. We took a few pictures and stopped at the UNESCO shop, then schlepped our way back to the waiting air conditioned van, certain that we would never have survived any longer.
That evening we opted for one of the fantastic pizzas handmade on the ship, and went to the spa to relax in the showers and the hot tub. We were the only ones there so we were able to get a few pictures. The water felt great, and we had enjoyed a great time in Italy. Next day will be a sea day, and we need the break!
Looks awesome!