It's a grey day in Grey County. Not terribly cold, and the predicted snow didn't show up last night. Yay. It seems like a long time ago that we were in sunny Italy, but several high points still stick out.
For example, our trip to and from Positano and Amalfi. We bought a day pass for the Sita bus (only 10 euro each), which runs regularly through the precarious passage that snakes south and east along the cliffs high above the Mediterranean. We were warned to not even try to rent a car and drive, and this trip truly made us glad we didn't. Its popularity as THE drive to make meant the route was clogged with tour buses, cars and mostly scooters and motor bikes that slid in, out and between traffic at an alarmingly fast pace.
Despite the jams, the long wait lines and the packed buses, it was worth seeing the impossibly perched buildings and the magnificent seascapes.
Our lunch in Positano was a real treat. We splashed out at a high-end hotel/restaurant with a terrace that had unbelievable views. See?
Rob had the 'best sea bass I've ever eaten' and I indulged with a caprese salad with a melt-in-your-mouth buffalo mozzarella ball. YUM! Of course accompanied by a nice glass of local pinot grigio.
The architecture is truly amazing and the water is this impossible shade of blue - all the time.
On the way back from Amalfi, it was getting on towards evening, and we took this photo of the sun blasting through the clouds. Everyone on the bus jockeyed for position to snap a picture that couldn't possibly do justice to the real thing.
Herculaneum was another great adventure and the only day that it really rained hard.
But it was a short shower, and we couldn't complain when we sheltered with the other tourists in a beautiful covered structure with these amazingly preserved frescos on the walls.
Of course, I had to be goofy and photo-bomb the shot. Here's a clearer view of one of the magnificent walls. Herculaneum is much smaller in area than Pompeii and apparently much richer back before the big eruption of Vesuvius. Both are very worthy of a visit.
Finally, I took a boat trip out to Capri when Rob was feeling a bit under the weather.
It was a full day of marvelling at the towering limestone, gorgeous grottos, tuna leaping right out of the sea, a scrumptious seafood salad lunch and tasty gelato cones from the island village.
As a bonus, there were only three other people travelling with me - a friendly retired couple from St. Louis, Missouri who regaled me with stories of their life as owners of a large travel agency (!), and a retired woman from New York City who lives minutes from Grand Central Station. Cool.
It was a tremendous vacation, and we now have about 600+ photos to sift through and treasure for years to come. Until next week...
