Pre-Moon Part Tre - Amalfi!

The last leg of the Pre-Moon was by far the most relaxing, which is saying something since we've already had a completely fantastic trip. We ditched the car and took a train from Orvieto, back through Rome (hello Rome!) and down to Naples. Side note, what you've heard about the piles of trash in Naples is true. I actually saw a kid, must have been at least 12, finish his juice box and chuck it off the train onto the tracks at a station. While his mom looked on and laughed! I'm still shaking my head about it.

Anyhow - in Naples we got on a local train called the Circumvesuviana (get it?? The train that goes around Vesuvius?? I love it) and after 35 stops (no joke), we arrived in Sorrento and spent the evening at a hotel that took our breath away. Honestly, this is what I picture when I think super-duper-luxurious-location. The hotel itself was gorgeous, lots of blue and white, but the private swimming area was jaw-dropping.

Next afternoon we hopped on a bus for Positano. The trip is not for the faint of heart nor for those prone to air, sea or car sickness. Imagine, if you will, giant tour buses hurtling along cliffs that go straight down for, oooh, 200 meters before dropping into the ocean and squeezing by other buses on roads that buses really don't have any business being on, the whole while the driver (an incredibly good looking Italian Man, sorry sweetie) drives with one hand, using the other to talk on the phone, gesture wildly and very frequently mash down on the horn to warn anyone coming around the curve from the other direction. Anyhow, super exciting, I wish we had taken a photo of the ride. We spent 4 nights in Positano and I actually cried when we left. It was perfect.

Swimming in Sorrento. My first dip in the Mediterranean Sea! Really clear water, photos don't do it justice. And all kinds of fun sealife - anchovies, sea urchins, opihi, etc.



Proof of luxuriousness. we're soooo going back here.

Aerial view of swimming hole (past the breakfast tables of course).

Mt. Vesuvius at Sunset. View from our room.

View from hotel room.

Pete's dream. And now his screen saver.


Off we go to Positano. I think we had the last of the summer weather. High 70s, water was still warm. We were on the tail end of tourist season, so the crowds weren't too bad. Anyone who is considering a trip here someday, I can't recommend it enough.

We rented a wonderful little apartment and got to know three generations of the family who owns it. Lilli, the grandmother, met us at the bus stop. Don't let the grandmother title fool you - this lady is a firecracker. She grabbed half of our luggage, said 'follow me!!!' and took off. We trudged along after her. One note about Positano - there are zero flat streets. Great quote from Steinbeck - "Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone. It's houses climb a hill so steep it would be a cliff except that stairs are cut in it. I believe that whereas most house foundations are vertical, in Positano they are horizontal. The small curving bay of unbelievably blue and green water laps gently on a beach of small pebbles. There is only one narrow street and it does not come down to the water. Everything else is stairs, some of them as steep as ladders. You do not walk to visit a friend, you either climb or slide."

There are 213 steps from the beach up to our apartment. We counted. Bummer when you forget your towel at home. Anyhow, it was a dream vacation. Thank you sweetie for making it happen.

Pete was almost hit! Kidding. Pete with anchor.

Cool house cut into the cliff in the background.

View up the mountains from our apartment.

Ahh. Our beach.

Our last night in Positano.



Pete took a day trip to Pompeii (I have to admit I opted for more swimming and beach lounging.) and loved it. Some crowds, but his report was that it really is a small city that simply stopped. Entire homes and businesses almost preserved as they were back on that super scary day when Vesuvius got tired of having a city on its slopes.

Bakery

Eek. The description says that the day it exploded, Vesuvius sent down an "avalanche" of ash, rock and deadly gas that traveled up to 180 km per hour. Dude.

Pre-Moon Part Due - Tuscany!!

After Rome and Siena, Pete and I drove (DROVE!) through Tuscany and Umbria. Let's just say lines on the roads mean zip to Italian drivers. But Pete did a great job of maneuvering our sweet Citroen ride through the Italian countryside and on the autostrada. Ask him about Poggibonsi some day.

If I could sum up this part of the trip in one word it would be 'food'. Lots of it. We have eaten like champs. I think in the 5 days we've been here, I've had a dish with some sort of truffle addition for every meal but one. Again - aren't brides usually trying to trim up before a wedding? Apparently not this one.

Apologies for the haphazard photos - for some reason I'm not able to reorganize the photos in this posting. I'll put the town name under each photo to keep it straight. We drove from Siena to San Gimignano - a gorgeous town known for it's competing towers (Back in the day, the way to show social status was to build the tallest tower in town. Men were clearly involved in that little competition...) and resulting beautiful skyline. Then down to Cortona (a favorite of mine) for a few nights, then to Orvieto for a few nights.

Pete visiting with a suit of armor at the torture museum in San Gimignano.

Towers in San Gimignano

Orvieto has an incredible Italian Gothic Cathedral - it's striped! Here is a detail shot I like to call Marching Eagle. Besides being striped like a zebra, the detailing on the cathedral is gorgeous.

Proof of Pete in Orvieto.

Proof of sausage in Orvieto. Popular local snack is wild boar sausage (chingale), so delish. After the truffles, that was probably the second item I ate most.

Zebra Cathedral in Orvieto!

Inside detail of Orvieto cathedral

Orvieto cathedral. Relatively impressive, no?

Little tiny Amy in front of massive Gothic Cathedral

View of stripey cathedral from our hotel room.

We visited Civita for the day. It is the epitome of a hill-top town. Photo of town in the distance following shortly. Until recently, it had approximately 5 inhabitants, people who grew up there and were now well into their retirement years. Recently however, big shots from the cities have rediscovered it and are buying up the old homes to get away from the hustle and bustle. Unfortunately too many of them have done so, and now the hustle and bustle can be found in Civita. Sigh. Anyhow, cool shot of old school (Madonna and Child altar) and new (Vespa. Vroom).

Entrance to Civita. It was a workout to get across the bridge and up the hill. No cars allowed.

Detail of Civita. I'm awfully proud I got this shot with all the tourists roaming about.

Getting ready for the climb to Civita.

View from our room in Cortona. I seriously *heart* Cortona. It's a place I could hole up and live for a long time. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming, the food is lovely, and well, it makes you want to snap up a villa like Diane Lane in Under the Tuscan Sun.

Relaxation in Cortona.

TRUFFLE HAPPINESS!!!

Someone's backyard. Note grape bunch. Ahh, idyllic.

Downtown Cortona. We saw a wedding on the steps!

View from Cortona over the farmland and towards the lake.

Sunset in cortona.

Amy at the center-of-town well in San Gimignano.

Pre-Moon!

I wish I could come up with the perfect way to explain our trip, but I simply don't think I could do it justice. I'll work on it. In the mean time, we are having an absolutely spectacular trip, Italy is soooo wonderful, and each stop is better than the last. And, success! Pete is really starting to unwind. Here are the photos! (Rome and Siena. We're currently in Cortona, off to Civita and Orvieto tomorrow. I'll post those soon! Attraversiamo!)

Dinner at the same restaurant in Piazza Navona where Pete and I drank wine with Robert (right) until the wee hours on the very first day we met. This was our first night in Italy, and a perfect way to kick off our pre-moon.

Sitting at the Fontana di Quattro Fiumi (fountain of four rivers) in the Piazza Navona

Spectacular ceilings in the Vatican Museum. And proof of oodles of tourists.

Pete on our rooftop terrace at our apartment in Rome. You can see the dome of San Pietro in the distance (left). We had a glass of wine up there each night before wandering out for dinner and the Roman nightlife. They are party animals!!

Our street, Via Giulia. By the way, there were banners posted all along the street announcing the celebration of the street's 500th anniversary. Yes, 5-0-0. Tends to put things in perspective, doesn't it?

I have oodles of photos of details like this from the trip so far (so many in fact, that today when I told Pete, "I brought my camera!" he replied, "of course you did"), but didn't want to bore you all. Italian cities are covered with details like this - small altars, mostly of the Madonna carved into alcoves or fountains or just stuck into rock walls along these streets. So beautiful. As a girl whose formative years didn't include much in terms of organized religion (Pete calls me his Hawaiian Heathen), I am constantly amazed and impressed by the intensity of Catholicism. THe older folks highly devoted, and going to church each day. The younger generation a bit more relaxed, but still attending every Sunday. Actually, on a similarly impressive note, the "neighborhood churches" you can wander into - not just the world famous numbers - are incredible structures, with soaring ceilings, gold inlay, the whole nine yards. The whole experience is kind of awe inspiring.

Photos from the Roman Forum and the Palentine Hill. This was our third day in Rome. I finally wore sensible shoes. Yes, I know.

The history here is kind of spectacular. Romans with spears and stuff used to wander around here! I made the point to touch a chunk of marble pillar lying around because maybe a Caesar touched it too!!! Although at that time, the marble column probably wasn't lying on the ground....

Pete standing under a sign announcing that this was the Augustus residence.

Now here we are at the Coliseum. Doesn't matter how many times I see it, it always takes my breath away. But! I had never been inside before! Total treat to wander around inside.

Those are the pits where they kept the gladiators and the animals that the gladiators were either supposed to fight/kill or be eaten by. The wooden floor over the pits could be flooded so the gladiators could have sea battles. You know.

Our view from lunch.

The Pantheon. Another take-your-breath-away wee structure.

Inside of the Pantheon - we were really lucky and while we were visiting, the British Royal Choir was singing inside, yay!

Sunset from our rooftop terrace.

After Rome, off to Siena! The main square is made up of nine of the "old family" houses. The family rivalry is still alive and kicking.

The view from our hotel.

Each of the Sienese families have family flags. Each little street was lined with them! Usually paired with a matching lamp. So cool.

Gelato. Oh the delight.

Amy with well.

The main piazza at sunset.

The cathedral at sunset.

Zebra-y stripes inside the cathedral. Again, we were lucky with timing - apparently the detailed marble floors are kept covered the entire year EXCEPT during September. Yay us. They were pretty neat.