Fall Break Part II: On The Tyrrhenian Sea

From Rome we headed south to Sorrento, a lovely little harbor city on the Tyrrhenian sea, south of Naples.

After taking the intercity train from Rome to Naples and the commuter rail from Naples to Sorrento (during which we all stood in a packed subway car for the one-hour trip), we gave ourselves the afternoon off.

Always up for a swim.  Even in an unheated pool with no one else brave enough to go in!

Enough rest!

The next day, we rode the commuter rail to Pompeii.  Wow!  What a site!

At the Forum in Pompeii

Crossing an ancient Pompeii street using the pedestrian walkway

In front of one of the preserved frescoes

Having a picnic lunch at an ancient Pompeii lunch counter.  Really! That is what the archeologists think it is.

Battling in the Pompeii amphitheater.

Outside the Pompeii city gate

The day after that we took a boat to the Island of Capri.

At the Capri Harbor

We took a boat trip around the island.  The highlight of this was a visit to Capri's famous Blue Grotto.  To get into the Blue Grotto you had to jump from the main boat into a row boat for the trip into the Grotto.

On the boat around the Island of Capri.

The mouth of the Blue Grotto is so small that only a four-person row boat can fit through.

You can see why they call it the Blue Grotto.

Eating gelato on the Island of Capri.

The boat ride back to Sorrento.  Arrivederci, Capri!

Our final Day in Sorrento.  How about a hike up Mount Vesuvius?  Yes, that Mount Vesuvius.  The one that wiped out Pompeii and is still a live volcano.

On the rim of the Mount Vesuvius crater

It is hard to see, but there is smoke rising from the volcano in the background!

We made our way back to Sorrento just in time for a sunset swim in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

All good things must come to an end, and here ends our Italy adventure.