It was time to get out of Dodge and I decided to take a tour to Sicily and The Amalfi Coast. Long story but the ticket that I was given first took me to Moscow and then from Moscow I flew to Rome. Proof my Moscow Airport adventure.Lol
So I arrived in Rome completely exhausted and then met the group in the hotel lobby (Hotel Le Clarisse al Pantheon ) at 5:30 to take a walking tour. We saw The Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navon, the Pantheon and a few other important-when you’re in Rome have to see highlights. This was my second time in Rome so I was okLol with the brevity of the tour.
Here are some photo highlights…
And my very 2 favorites were the breakfast room at our hotel with our adorable waiter and the feeling that I was definitely in a Fellini movie 🙂
So the next day I meet the tour in the lobby and we had a 12:20 flight to Catania Sicily which got us there at about 1:35. Then after another 45 minute mini van ride we arrived at our hotel in Taormina (The Panoramic Taormina ) which was the island, ideally located across from the beach.
Here is a photo of my room’s balcony-Yeah!!
And here’s the view…
Now, I must tell you that I loved, loved, loved Taormina. It’s an upscale, classy beautiful town which is basked in the idea of all things beautiful and beautiful.
So here are some random photos of images from Taormina. Oh, by the way, my hotel was located near the beach and to get to the main town you had to take a Funicular which was 3 Euros each way but was the best option besides walking up a steep mountain. Yikes…!
And I also took a 5 hour cooking class and 2 hour bus ride all around the island and both were fabulous!
After 3 days was sad to leave Taormina but it was then it was time to get to the airport to fly to Naples and from there drive to Positano where our Hotel Conco D’Oro Positano awaited us.
Here is my view from the room’s balcony-Yeah! window.
I really enjoyed this hotel except for the big fact that it was higher up the mountain than most hotels and required an additional 100 steps at least to get up to the door of the hotel and then another 20 to 25 steps to walk up into the hotel lobby. So I can’t say that that wasn’t a really big challenge for me especially since the dock with all the boats and ferries that take you to the different coastal towns like Capri and Amalfi was at least another mile through the town of Positano to get there. So do I recommend this hotel. No. Not unless you like to walk slightly steep hills and a painful number of steps with no consistent railings. Otherwise, the hotel itself is wonderful. —–
So the two highlights of staying in Positano were the boat trip to Capri and then an all day boat trip to all the smaller coastal towns. When I got to Capri I couldn’t help think of all those Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn movies 🙂
Welcome to Capri….
I also just want to share here that on the all day boat ride we went to a small inlet in Salerno for lunch which Jackie Kennedy put on the map. It was a fabulous experience but I’ve put it under my food tab. Check it out!!
So after our 3 night stay in Positano we boarded our mini van and we went to visit the ruins of Pompeii. But before the ruins it was time to check out Italian pizza. Trust me-New York City Pizza is much better. Sorry-Lol
And now images from Pompeii…
Next, off to Mt. Vesuvius to see where the lava came from that destroyed this city in 79 AD.
OK. OK. There was no way that I was going to climb up to the top of the volcano. No way. It was cold, raining and SoLol I was still recovering from the terrain and the steps in Positano!!! But it was interesting to visit.
Then we drove to Sorrento which I must admit I really enjoyed. OK. Granted we only had 45 minutes in town but I could feel the community and Thank Goodness it wasn’t crazy full of tourists like Rome, Positano, Taormina, and Capri.
Then we drove to Naples and spent our last evening at The Mediterranean Napoli. We really had no time to see anything but I do want to share my last dessert in a restaurant in Naples. It was lemon cake and creme covered with a Lemon icing. It was divine.
So here what I say. If you need to escape your day to day working reality then as a watch shop in Taormina brands itself, It’s time to change. So why not-Italy 🙂
