Happy Halloween! 🎃

 Mama Mia, this scared the "stuffing" out of us!

We have our costumes on and are ready to go TRICK or TREATING. Mostly we hope to get treats!

Penelope 

Wendy

Happy Halloween

to all our family and friends!

Italy: Sorrento & the Amalfi Coast

We're in Sorrento, Italy!

Sorrento

Sorrento is a beautiful city perched on cliffs with gorgeous views of the Bay of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius!

Mt. Vesuvius

From narrow alleys filled with shops and restaurants to beautiful churches, Sorrento is fun and easy to explore.

Shops

Cathedral of Saints Philip and James

Throughout the Cathedral of Saints Philip and James are beautiful inlaid wood carvings by local artisans. One of the most beautiful examples are these interior door panels which illustrate the Apostles' Creed!

Panels depicting the
Apostles' Creed

The Chiesa di San Francesco is a 14th-century church with a serene cloister.

Chiesa di San Francesco

Cloister

We really enjoyed our "Secrets Walks of Sorrento" tour with a local guide. This was an ideal way to get an introduction to this lovely city. But there's more to see! 

We took a day trip to explore 3 towns along the Amalfi Coast. Thankfully we left the driving to an experienced local who easily navigated the narrow and winding coastal road to Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. It was a beautiful day so we were able to take a short boat trip as well!

View of Positano

 

Cathedral of St. Andrew Apostle in Amalfi 

View of Amalfi from boat

View of Ravello from our
hilltop lunch stop

While in Ravello, we visited the Villa Rufolo. It offered stunning gardens and spectacular views!

Villa Rufolo Gardens and
Views of the Amalfi Coast

We're getting ready for our next destination even further south!

Italy: Naples

View of Mt. Vesuvius
from our Airbnb

Naples is a good home base to explore area sights like Pompeii and Herculaneum. We took a local train to visit Herculaneum, just a 20 minute trip! From the station it was a short walk to the Archaeological Park. 

Herculaneum Archaeological Park

View looking down into the archaeological site:

We took a guided tour with an archaeologist who provided excellent comparisons of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Besides learning the differences in how these sites were affected by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, we also learned how Herculaneum had been a high-end resort area with lovely villas and lots of wine bars! 

Villa

Mosaic floor

Frescoes

Wine bar

One of the major differences between Pompeii and Herculaneum is the manner in which the people died.

In Pompeii the people were smothered by ash and pumice stones, with some bodies ending up entombed in casts by calcified ash.

In Herculaneum, only skeletons remained. Scientists believe that the intense heat (exceeding 400-500℃.) from the eruption caused thermal shock which killed the people instantly. Later, hot ash would preserve the skeletons of the victims. Around 300 skeletons were found near the shore, huddled in boat houses. They were probably trying to escape via the Bay of Naples, but the heat got to them quicker than they anticipated.

Skeletons

Another day we walked around Naples a little. Situated in the heart of the Piazza Municipio is this majestic fountain featuring the god Neptune surrounded by nymphs, satyrs, and seahorses.

Neptune’s Fountain

Nearby is a 13th century, medieval fortress with majestic towers and a beautifully decorated Triumphal Arch entrance. 

Castel Nuovo (New Castle)

We walked a bit further to the city’s largest public square, the Piazza del Plebiscito. It is surrounded by an impressive 17th century Royal Palace and the San Francesco di Paola Church.

Royal Palace

San Francesco di Paola Church

Interior of San Francesco di Paola Church

View of Mt. Vesuvius from
Piazza del Plebiscito

We visited the National Archaeological Museum of Naples to see some of the Roman artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum. 

National Archaeological Museum
of Naples

National Archaeological Museum
of Naples

Through beautiful paintings and frescoes we could get a better understanding of the people who lived in Herculaneum. For example, this picture with busts of young women holding a wax tablet and a stylus.

"Busts of young women"
Herculaneum, 45-79 AD

An example of daily life can be seen in paintings of the food they ate, for example this painting of two figs on a window sill and a piece of bread.

"Still-life"
Herculaneum, 45-79 AD

Herculaneum was named after the mythical Greek god, Hercules. 

"Bust of Herakles: Crowned Herakles bearing the club inside a vegetal wreath"
Herculaneum, 45-79 AD

A trip to Naples would not be complete without some local food. A good friend of mine from France suggested that we visit this beautiful, old dessert shop to try some traditional treats! 

Scaturchio

Scaturchio: Piazza S. Domenico Maggiore, 19, 80134 Napoli NA, Italy

Per my friend's suggestions, we tried la pastiera, sfogliatella and babà au rhum!

Click HERE to drool over more of their yummy desserts!

There's much more to see in Naples but we're moving on to our next destination.... ⛴️

Italy: La Spezia

La Spezia

We're staying in the town of La Spezia as it provides an easy entry point into exploring Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage site. From La Spezia we are able to take a train to these scenic little villages perched on the cliffs along the Ligerian Sea.

The weather did not cooperate much during our 6 day visit. Nevertheless, we did skip through the raindrops to savor wonderful food and delight in lovely vistas!

Monterosso al Mare

Riomaggiore

Vernazza

We didn’t make it to all 5 of the villages but we did take a ferry to the town of Porto Venere. On the top of the cliff is a Gothic-style church and Doria Castle.

Porto Venere

Next stop: Naples!