Ruins, Heat, and Ferries, oh my...

Wednesday morning we drove to Pompeii. This ancient city was covered by a volcanic eruption and was discovered in 1748. It was very interesting to see the planning that had been done to build the city. It was so hot that day and no air movement within the ruin walls, that Cornie and I ducked out early and relaxed in a cafe in the shade until they were done. Others were jealous of our quick thinking!!

Then we headed to the Ionian Sea for an overnight ferry ride to Greece. We actually got a very good night's rest and some much appreciated down time. Close to shore we spotted a few jellyfish.

We spent the evening in Athens with a delicious Greek meal. Tomorrow we start the cruise. We will likely not have internet there, and then it's another overnight ferry and a late arrival in Venice, so...

signing off until Tuesday orWednesday evening. In an emergency, call our travel agent, Gloria at Marlin Travel and she will get ahold of us. We wish you all a good weekend!

Positano

Positano was our next stop. (from the movie Under the Tuscan Sun) We were amazed at how this city could have been built on the mountainside, with cliffs all around. Gorgeous views, interesting shops! Another great photo shoot!

Driving in Italy, especially this area is a story in itself! Yikes!! You'll have to wait for the live version though.

Bay of Naples, Italy

What a change from the fast pace and busyness of Rome! After a scenic drive to the Bay of Naples, our day started with a tour of a local farm in Sorrento. They grow various kinds of fruit and also make mozzarella cheese. First they showed us how they turn olives into olive oil. Anywhere from 5 to 20 percent of the fruit is oil. The rest is skin and water. Then we had a cheese demonstration by the lovely Rosa. She makes it look so simple. She has 7 cows and makes mozzarella cheese by hand every day. She braids the cheese to make it look more attractive to sell. 

Four volunteers were chosen to make pizza for our lunch, and you guessed it, Cornie was the lucky winner! He was given a lovely apron to wear. Have you seen Michelangelo's sculpture of David? Well, around here, pictures of it show up on all kinds of items. It was a lot of fun, and I must say he did a fabulous job of making pizza! Lemons are another big item on this farm and we had a delicious lemon cake for dessert, followed by a taste of their famous lemoncello, a lemon wine.

Rome Wasn't Built in One Day

This is the biggest understatement there is! Rome is incredible! The size of the buildings, structures and statues is incomprehensible to me! We were told that the colessium was built in 8 years. I don't know how that is possible! It is enormous! St. Peter's Basillica is the length of two football fields. Every time you turn your head there are more domes, statues, paintings, tapestries, etc. and all larger than life. I can't stop wondering how they ever managed to build these enormous structures back then with no modern equipment. The paintings in the Sistine Chapel are beautiful! I am in awe of the talent and intelligence that is evident in both the art work and the design of the structures.

The pictures:  Trevvi Fountain- you must throw the coin over your left shoulder with your right hand; one wish per coin, as many as you would like. Pantheon. Sistine Chapel and Gallery-the ceiling shot in the hallway looks 3D but isn't (we couldn't actually take pictures in the Sistine Chapel, so they are photos of posters). Did you know that in Michelangelo's "Creation"' God is sitting inside the outline of a brain, and a woman's torso can be seen in David's leg? There are many hidden messages. St. Peter's Basillica. Colleseum. (only a small sample of the pictures we took)

Who is Royally Strong?

Today, as on many days, we felt like we were on the Amazing Race. Here is what the clue would have said:

Take the train to Pisa. Take three pictures:

1. Holding the bell tower in your hands
2. Holding the tower up
3. Wearing the tower as a crown

Then eat a cone with 2 scoops of gelati. Be back at the bus stop at 2:00 to receive your next clue.

More than Nice

What a great day!

It started off by sleeping in until 8:30 as opposed to the usual 6:00 or 6:30. We enjoyed a casual morning strolling on the promenade of the French Riviera (Mediterranean Sea) and wandering in and out of the shops in Nice. We enjoyed a coffee at a cafe with fabulous people watching. (witnessed a hilarious scene between two cafe owners across the way, which we will have to tell you about because it's too long to type)

In the afternoon we headed to the most beautiful town we've seen -- Saint Paul de Vence. Wow! It was very hard to choose the photos for the blog.

From there we toured Fragonard, the perfume factory followed by a delicious supper, or dinner as the Aussies would say. The accent is coming...