Italy is a country that has attracted lots of tourists forever.
This is especially true following 2 years of the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic, and the human isolation the virus has caused.
Therefore, let's re-visit this popular "travel-to" country via a cruise ship port stop in the southwestern coastal city of Naples, a city of a million folks, south of Rome. Naples is an ancient city, located on the Bay of Naples, and is Italy's 3rd largest city, behind Rome and Milan. It is occasionally called "The Paris of the South". Naples is occasionally featured on Western Mediterranean cruise ship schedules, but certainly not as frequently as Rome and Florence are visited.
My bride, Lady Deborah, and I have visited Naples twice, our visits separated by a few years, and on different cruise lines.
During our most recent trip to this city where modern pizza originated (in the 18th century), we docked near the huge castle, Castol Nuovo, constructed in 1279. It was the home to medieval kings until 1815, and is quite an impressive structure. On our land excursion that particular port day, we boarded one of the many hop-on, hop-off busses people may elect to experience in most of the world's tourist locations. We spent about 2 hours on this sightseeing/educational outing, enjoying an outstanding Naples-weather day. Our initial visit to Naples was several years earlier. That time, we were traveling on a cruise vessel with our regular cruising buddies, Barb and Bob, who live in Indian Rocks Beach, FL.
On this visit, our friends arranged our land trip, hiring a local driver/tour guide, and his large Mercedes van. He drove us south of Naples to iconic Pompeii, then further along the southwestern coast to lovely Sorrento. Lastly, we traveled along the picture-perfect Amalfi Coast, certainly an absolute jewel destination in Italy's treasure chest of sites.
The historic ruins at Pompeii may be described as accurately displaying wealthy Roman life, almost 2,000 years ago. In the early fall of AD 79, nearby (5 miles north) Mount Vesuvius violently erupted over a 2-day period, killing about 1,100 people, In fact, these people were buried under 13 to 20-feet of volcanic ash and pumice. Archeologists have speculated this ancient volcanic disaster instantly captured a unique moment in time. The historic city, home then to 20,000 people, most who escaped the eruption, is well-preserved, and attracts about 2.5 million tourists each year. It is only about 12 miles from Naples, and many travel companies provide regular tours there. The complex is large (one-fourth mile in size), and I would advise sturdy walking shoes on the ancient, uneven streets and paths. In addition to the damaged buildings and other numerous structures in the iconic city, there are several locations featuring plaster molds of people, who were buried alive/died instantly from the volcanic heat and ash. Not to worry, however, still-active today Mount Vesuvius, has not erupted since 1944. Tourists are able to visit the volcano by driving near the summit, followed by a 30-minute steep upward hike. No, we did NOT do that activity on our visit!
Back to our private tour-guided van, we were driven down the incredibly beautiful coastline to Sorrento, home to 20,000 people, and the gateway to Italy's Amalfi Coast. The Italian islands of Capri, Procida, and Ischia are located just short water taxi rides across the breath-taking blue Mediterranean Sea. Stopping your travel vehicle to have a delicious Italian drink or enjoying some tasty Italian food along this spectacular stretch of highway is always permissible. However, the real thrill of this visit is the drive itself, and your mind wonders just how the road could have been built in this impossible, rugged terrain? Also, just how magical the man-made constructions appear, hugging those same rugged hillsides. This drive is so memorable!
Remember readers in Our Town and far beyond, pizza is the most popular food in America. Don't fail to visit its city of origin, Naples, and the incredible Italian countryside to Naples' south. Simply said, savor the moments.
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