Italia!

Finally, we’ve made it to Italia!   Now I know some of you are curious after last week’s essay as to whether we’ve received our bags yet.

Well, yes and no!

We were able to retrieve Judy’s bag at the Rome airport, my bag not so much…

My best hope is that I can speak to someone when we’re leaving Italy in the hopes that we can locate it, albeit never used on the entire trip.   Thanks Emirates!

After exiting the airport in Rome, we made our around the outskirts of Rome and the relatively easy three-hour drive to Naples on the Autostrada.

The Autostrada in Italy is always a jolt to the system as the speed limit is 130 kmph, and heaven help you if you’re in the fast lane and doing the speed limit…

Tailgating at 130 kmph is seemingly a national sport, oh and the flashing of the lights is of course mandatory.

Fortunately, my memory reflex came back quickly and so avoided sending shockwaves through the Italian driving community.

That’s just the way it is in Italia!

Napoli, although not known as a tourist destination is gritty to say the least.  There is a definite charm in the grittiness that makes the place endearing and an explores paradise.

This city has been the crossroads of the world since time immemorial and thus has influences of Spanish, Greek, French and North African culture, and architecture everywhere you look.

This melting pot of humanity is near and dear to the local Neapolitans.  Many still don’t regard themselves as Italian as their cultural identity was not significantly altered with the unification of Italia in 1861.

Naples also serves as a great starting point to the next segment of our adventure.

After a night at the Grand Hotel Santa Lucia, we started our day by exploring the Quartieri Spagnoli to buy some warm clothes for me.  Yep, a tad chilly.

After a successful search we headed down to Pompeii which is only a 30-minute drive from the city to join our tour of the ancient ruins.

Pompeii was worth booking a tour particularly with one of the archaeologists working on the excavation of the site, which is only 40% complete.

Our guide was very knowledgeable given her role in the archaeological dig, and for the most part we found ourselves exploring areas away from other tour groups.

A local farmer discovered the ruins by accident in 1748 and work began the following year to unearth what lay below.

Over the years the ancient city has slowly been partly uncovered, producing a treasure trove of fascinating artifacts to help us understand the life of Pompeii prior to 79AD and the eruption that blanketed the city.

I think what I was most impressed with was the technology they used to solve everyday problems such as heating, cooling, running water and sanitation.

Clearly the inhabitants were intelligent scientists and mathematicians in order for them to solve such difficult problems but solve them they did with what regard as stoneage tools and equipment.

Our next destination was Sorrento further along the Bay of Naples which is about an hour from Pompeii.

We stayed at the Hotel La Tonnarella which had incredible views from its clifftop perch of the entire bay including Naples, Mount Vesuvius, and Sorrento.

For the first time on our trip, we had something go our way and were upgraded to a suite with a large private terrace.  Blessed with such incredible views from our room and terrace that it was difficult to leave.

We woke early the next morning to an Azure and cloudless sky and spent the morning exploring the town of Sorrento which is only a short 10-minute walk from the hotel.

Exploring the back alleyways and streets of this delightful town was awesome, me with camera in hand and Judy with credit card in hand (no seriously) we made a formidable duo.

Sorrento is a gorgeous town and best known as a jumping off point for the Isle of Capri (maybe next time) which is just 9 nautical miles (16 km) or a 20 minute boat ride.

We were slowly beginning to unwind from our harrowing experience in Dubai and all that encompassed it.

We’ve finally begun to breath and slow down to settle into the Italian way of life which was our number one priority here in Italia.

It was now time to drive along the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento to Praiano which is about five kilometres from Positano.

Now I know what some of you are thinking – why not stay in Positano as it’s supposed to be the jewel of the Amalfi Coast.

Yes and no!   From a romantic perspective it is, but from a practical perspective it’s a little problematic.

Whenever I’m booking for trip where I’m driving, I always check first with the hotel to ensure they have parking and if not keep looking.

Unfortunately, Positano has very limited parking options, but our hotel in Praiano (Grand Hotel Tritone) had onsite parking so it became an easy choice.

This five-star resort was an incredible choice and one we’d highly recommend.   We were treated like royalty from the moment we arrived.

Again, provided with an upgraded suite with large balcony overlooking the sea far below it was a truly five-star experience.

After exploring the hotel, we decided on checking out the beach bar.  However, to get to the beach bar you could take the 1000 steps or the elevator down the ten stories to the beach bar and jetty far below.

Although enjoy my fitness regime we decided on the elevator.

Wow, it felt like we were in a James Bond movie.  So cool!

Judy had arranged for something special for me as we’d missed my birthday in Dubai.

Neither of us were expecting the series of treats we received from the hotel.

From the moment the maître d showed us to our table the Prosecco was chilled and waiting for us…

After a sumptuous four course meal and delightful bottle of wine we adjourned to our room for the evening, but no sooner than we arrived the phone rang and asked if they could come to the room to check something.

The next moment we were greeted with another bottle of Prosecco and a large birthday cake by the maître d and his staff!

Fortunately,  we had a refrigerator in our suite to accommodate it until the next day when we could enjoy it fully.

Yes, the Grand Hotel Tritone is on our list of places to return.

Until next week

Ciao!