Early morning saw us underway from Perugia, still heading south. Most of the morning was spent on the bus, with one obligatory rest stop at an Autogrill. We passed out of Umbria region and neared Rome once again, before diverting further south towards Naples.
Along the way the Apennines were constant company, including the old abbey atop Monte Cassino, where a brutal battle for this dominant hilltop position took place during the latter stages of World War II. We also glimped a section of the old Appian Way, the original Roman road running straight and true from Rome to the Adriatic Coast at Brindisi.
Naples was very different than the other cities we had seen, large yet disorganized and seemingly less touristy and more real. The slumbering volcano Mount Vesuvius watched us carefully as we skirted Naples and headed to Pompei for a must-see tour of the ancient ruins.
Our guided tour of the ruins was spectacular, as once we again we walked roads and entered buildings several milennia old. The entire city was buried by volcanic eruption in 79 AD, and as a result preserves the best intact vision of what a city was like back then, without the evolution oassociated with 2000 more years of habitation.
From the ruins it was on to Sorrento, which involved a hairy but scenic drive along the undulating coastal road, the sole connection around the Bay of Naples to the Sorrento Peninsula. Our hotel, Rivage, was perched atop the city, glimpsing the far-off waters of the Mediterranean.
We lucked out and got a blacnoy room on the sea-side. After John and Julie sorted out their issues with a key broken off in their room lock, we set out for dinner. In the side alleys of Sorrento, we discovered La Taverna Sorrentina, a restaurant older than Canada, and enjoyed fine homemade food (the ravioli was life-altering!) and house red, made "out back" with their own grapes.
The convivial proprietor, "William", even tried to trade John a huge bottle of Jack Daniels in exchange for Julie, and offered me 10 litres of Limoncella for Jane!
Monte Cassino abbey
The Appian Way
Mount Vesuvius (on the right) shrouded in cloud
Pompei ruins
A very old street
Wall inscriptions at the ancient brothel in Pompei
Vesuvius looking down upon the ruined city
The view from our balcony in Sorrento
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