Amalfi
If would like to follow my 15 day cruise then read the previous posts here: Venice (1) https://peakd.com/hive-163772/@zo3d/mediterranean-cruise-venice-1 Koper (2) https://peakd.com/travel/@zo3d/mediterranean-cruise-koper-slovenia-2 Sarande (3) https://peakd.com/travel/@zo3d/mediterranean-cruise-sarande-albania-3 Split (4) https://peakd.com/hive-163772/@zo3d/mediterranean-cruise-split-croatia-4 Catania (5) https://peakd.com/hive-163772/@zo3d/mediterranean-cruise-catania-sicily-5
Naples, Italy
Amalfi, Positano & Sorrento
Well our cruise just continued to get better and better. My husband and I didn't decide to cruise for the ship experience, we had an inside cabin with no windows so guess that saved us a fortune. We wanted to cruise for the destinations that the cruise offered. We realised that if we wanted to see 15 cities in 7 countries on our own it would be logistically tedious and extremely costly.
On this cruise we visited Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, France, Spain and Portugal. We would need a heck of lot more time to travel from one place to the next and flying or local transport would waste so much time. On the cruise you literally go to sleep in 1 city or country and wake up the next morning in another. No stress, no packing, no figuring out where to get food, it's all organised. And that's what we enjoy about cruising.
This 15 day cruise cost us $1150 per person excluding flights and we got the cheapest possible flights from Cape Town to Venice with Taag (Angolan Airlines) and their tickets are cheap because their planes are falling apart and their service sucks. But they got us there in one piece.
Views of Naples and Mount Vesuvius in the distance
On this 6th Day of our cruise we woke up in Naples. My folks had been to Naples in the past and had already visited Pompeii and Herculaneum (where the towns were buried in ash from Volcano eruptions). So we decided we would all love to do a day trip of the Italian Riviera, the Amalfi coast. Straight off the ship we found a 6 seater taxi and negotiated a rate for the day and he agreed to get us back to the ship on time.
First we went up over the Monti Lattari or "Milk Mountains" which got their name from the goats grazing on the slopes which provided milk. The roads up and down the other side were windy and not advised if you are prone to carsickness.
The Lattari Mountains and homes built on the slopes
We stopped near the top of the range to take in the views of Naples and Mount Vesuvius in the distance. I can't imagine experiencing a volcanic eruption of the kind experienced in Naples.
The houses and vineyards are built in steep terrain and roads are extremely narrow with only single lanes.
Over the other side of the range, the ocean came into view. The steepness of the slopes and cliffs was even more exaggerated. The best part of the day was at the bottom of the cliffs at sea level.
As we rounded a bend Amalfi came into view. This gorgeous village nestled in a Kloof with its own private bay of blue water.
Atrani
Amalfi Village and Beach
Amalfi
Amalfi is something special. The architecture is quaint with most buildings sporting arches on their lower floor. Every passage way that we entered had an arch entrance. Back beyond the coastal road we walked up cobbled streets flanked by small stores selling clothing, leather goods, coffee shops, curios and of course...Limoncello!
Neither my husband nor I had ever tasted Limoncello, so we bought a small souvenir bottle to enjoy back on the ship. It was incredibly sweet and lemony at the same time and there was nothing left to eventually take home. Ha!
Limoncello store
Next we walked up a long set of stairs towards the Cathedral of St Andrew Apostle or Duomo di Sant'Andrea Apostolo. The Cathedral was beautiful but I especially liked the front covered patio with its black and white marble floor and looming arches above. Photos don't do it justice.
Cathedral of St Andrew Apostle or Duomo di Sant'Andrea Apostolo
We took a stroll back towards the harbour and walked the pier with small transfer boats and large ferries transporting guests on excursions or simply from another town or Island to Amalfi. Unfortunately we didn't;t have time for other excursions, but this day trip was perfect.
We met up with our driver and continued the drive along the coastline. We made a quick stop at the lookout above Positano. We didn't have enough time to make the long walk down the many steps of Positano, but the news from above were magnificent. We were also treated to fresh strawberries from the local vendor. Everything along this coasted is decorated in lemons with lemon table cloths, art and decor.
Views of Positano
Positano
Our last stop of the day was Sorrento. It was about a 45 minute drive further from Positano and the road wound inland and across a peninsula. We were beginning to get tired and hungry and my one mission of our day was to have Napolitan Pizza! There was no way I was getting back on the ship without getting my taste of the local delicacy. Unfortunately I was so focussed on my food that I didn't get a photo of it, but the views are far more important than my food.
Views of Sorrento sea walls
Sorrento
Each Hotel has its own Sea Wall protecting the beach below from waves and weather. Th private deck chair and umbrellas are set up by the hotels only for guests or you can pay to get access.
Sorrento street and courtyards
Everything about Sorrento was manicured to perfection. It was perfectly clean with special touches everywhere. The restaurants on the main town area were expensive and we didn't spend too much time there, but I eventually got my piece of Neapolitan Pizza at a tiny Italian restaurant on one of the walking alleys. I was HUNGRY and it was delicious!
There is always so much more to see in all of these towns and cities, but I would like to think that our 1 day means that we squeeze in as much as we possibly can and get the most from our time.
If I ever get back to Naples I would do the boat trip to the Blue Grotto, Anacapri and Capri Islands.
Next up is Rome where we did 24 000 steps in a day, so get ready for a whopper of a blog.
