Continuing my Grand Tour of Italy, I stayed just outside Sorrento for a week in October 2009. I did all the tourist things - the drive down the Amalfi coast, Pompei and Herculaneum, and the climb to the top of Vesuvius. I didn't go to Capri as I don't do boats. By all accounts I didn't miss much as it is very crowded with tourists.
Sorrento is OK for a visit - it has a lot of tourist shops, and some very good ice-cream shops, but you don't need more than a day there. Amalfi is very full of tourists, but the Duomo is worth a visit. I loved Ravello, up in the mountains above Amalfi - the Duomo and the Rufolo Gardens are the main attractions. Pompei and Herculaneum are both quite extraordinary, and you can feel the sadness and loss, with Vesuvius an ever-looming presence. If you go, take a guide. Pompei is a huge site - you would miss a lot just wandering around. I climbed to the top of Vesuvius - it's a quite a hike and on a clear day I imagine you would have spectacular views (you can read into this that I did it in low cloud!).
One day I took the train to Naples to go to the Archaeological Museum - here they have a lot of treasures from Pompei, including mosaics and wall paintings. Definitely worth a visit if you have time.
Click on a picture to make it bigger.
 Sorrento. People sunbathe on these strange man-made piers as there are no beaches. |
 Amalfi. The line of coaches probably tell you more about Amalfi than you need to know. |
 The Duomo in Amalfi. |
 Positano, as seen from the picturesque Amalfi drive. |
 Ravello, looking towards the Duomo from the lovely square. |
 The Rufolo Gardens in Ravello. |
 A small corner of Pompei |
 This chap is holding up the ceiling in one of the baths in Pompei |
 A mosaic from Pompei - it is in the Archaeological Museum in Naples. |
 A view of Herculaneum, old and new. They reckon there is a lot more that has not yet been found. Unfortunately it is under all those modern houses you can see in the background. |
 Inside one of the houses in Herculaneum. This just gives an idea of the colour that would have covered all the walls of the houses. |
 Looking into the crater of Vesuvius. Pompei and Herculaneum were buried as a result of the eruption in 79 AD. The last time Vesuvius erupted was in 1944. |
 A Sorrento sunset. The only thing to commend the hotel I stayed at was the fabulous view of the sunsets! |
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