Next day we got up early and took the train to Naples. Italy has high-speed rail so the the trip was quick and easy, although our train was delayed leaving Rome so it took longer than expected. We got to Naples and checked into our hotel. It was in the old town in a neighborhood near the train station. Like Rome, Naples is a real, large city.
The main activity of the day was to check out the famous Roman ruins of the city of Pompeii, a short ride from the city on the commuter train. The Bay of Naples is dominated my Mount Vesuvius, with Naples to the north and Pompeii to the south. Pompeii was fascinating. Although not as rich and fancy as downtown Ancient Rome, it was much more expansive and much better preserved. You really could understand the architecture and the layout of the the town and get a feel for how people lived and worked. Towards the back was the amphitheater where Pink Floyd filmed their famous concert movie over fifty years ago. There was a little exhibit about it underneath the grandstand. The amphitheater was more intact than the one in Rome, and there was a feeling of intense energy standing in the middle of it.
We had thought about maybe taking a trip up to the top of Mount Vesuvius, but even though it was no longer 100 degrees, it was probably still about 90, and after several hours of wandering around we had had enough. It stays light really late in Italy in the summer, so back near the hotel we found a restaurant and had another long languid dinner of pasta and that sort of thing. This place had wine for seven euros a bottle, so we had three of four before we finally left, and then another drink at the hotel bar.
Next day the goal was Sorrento. We got up early and took the city subway to the harbor downtown, just a few stops away. Jeannie was delighted to see a cruise ship she follows on the internet was in port. We hopped a ferry across the bay, very beautiful. Sorrento is a charming seaside resort town atop some cliffs; down at the shore they have a series of little beach resort clubs where you can rent a beach chair, umbrella, towel, etc. for the day, and have drinks and food brought out to you. The beach itself is pretty minimal and most of the place is built out over the water on piers and breakwalls, creating a semi-enclosed swimming area. Still it was very nice; the water was calm and warm and blue and beautiful, and the whole vibe was very relaxed. Beautiful views of scenic seashore and cliffs and mountains dotted with villages, with yachts and other boats crisscrossing out on the bay. The music was euro dance remixes of American pop and rock hits, mainly from the 1980’s. The food included things like octopus and tuna tartar.
When we were done there we went up to the town and walked around and looked at the shops. We took the ferry back to Naples and had another great dinner the next restaurant down from the night before.