The weekend before Torri & Drew's wedding a group of 11 of us ventured to Positano on the Amalfi Coast. We gathered at the Napoli airport on Friday, all arriving within a 2-hour window (some from within Europe, others straight from the US) and then headed towards the coast. The drive out of Napoli isn't very scenic, but after driving through Sorrento the road rises and hugs the edge of the cliff providing breathtaking views over the Mediterranean. The town of Positano itself is nestled within an alcove along the coast, flowing down from the hills towards to water. It is reminiscent of the Cinque Terre towns, but maybe slightly bigger.
On Saturday the two of us decided to visit Pompeii while the others enjoyed a beach day (and fought off jet lag). A combination of bus (back along the curvy roads towards Sorrento) and train transportation dropped us off right at the gates to Pompeii where we picked up a walking tour group (they did a good job of marketing right outside the train station). We were surprised by the scale of the ruins, along with how well they are preserved (relative to other ruins we have visited). The entire city was destroyed when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. It was an interesting visit, with an entire house preserved (complete with wall paintings) as well as a brothel (with "interesting" pictures above each of the rooms). The guide joked that it was a bit like a McDonald's, where you pointed to the picture that you wanted.
On Sunday the group rented a boat for the day (complete with a skipper, and stocked with plenty of soda, beer and champagne) and headed out to sea to circumvent the island of Capri. We felt very much like high rollers! It was fun to see the cliffs from sea level and to relax while skimming the waves. There are various natural caves around Capri, and lots of small coves which were ideal for swimming (the water was surprisingly warm).
We disembarked at Capri and took the funicular from the waterfront to the town center where we enjoyed a tasty lunch with an amazing view. In the afternoon the waves picked up a bit and part of the cruise back was a bit more exciting than the way there (pretty bumpy!). Even so, we were able to find a protected cove along the Amalfi coast for one more swim before heading home to Positano. This was a great experience that we wouldn't have been able to do if it was just the two of us.
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