25th Chapter / Amalfi Coast
Because this is being posted all at once, you can read it from the top down in chronological order.
Almafi Coast Trip Sept 26 to Oct 6, 2025
Cannes/Naples, Friday, Sept 26, 2025
Because we are flying with EasyJet, we had to consolidate our things into one carry-on bag each. Here is all my gear for a ten-day trip.
Unfortunately, Rebecca brought a large purse plus an overstuffed suitcase and had to pay an extra baggage fee. Her suitcase was specifically purchased to comply with EasyJet, but it was a bit too full.
We took the train to Nice St Augustine station and then a tram to the Nice Airport for our 15:40 PM flight to Naples to arrive at 17:05
We arrived on time and took a taxi to the apartment RAGGIO DI SOLE at Via Vicaria Vecchia, 22. This was a one night in Naples before taking a Ferry to Sorrento. The taxi dropped us off a few blocks from the apartment due to the street being closed to car traffic.
The Naples experience was like being in Max Max. The cobblestone street was crowded with locals and tourists who were constantly being challenged for space by mopeds zig-zagging through the streets, driven by people paying little attention and using their horns rather than brakes. Naples itself was crowded and dingy.
Our apartment was fine, but the building left a bit to be desired. The actual apartment was on the 4th floor. The elevator required 10 cents each time it was operated, payable by a coin machine inside the elevator. A nice lady in the building offered us a 10-cent piece to get upstairs, as we didn’t have the correct change when we arrived.
After dropping our bags, we headed out to explore the area and catch dinner.
We finally decided on a place to eat (1906 Imperatore, Naples) and had Napoli Pizza
Naples/Sorrento, Saturday, Sept 27, 2025
We checked out at 10 AM and stored the bags in the Naples apartment as we explored the city before our ferry to Sorrento at 17:15. Wandering about, we chanced across a Napoli pastry specialty called Sfogliatella at Sfogliate. a well-known shop.
As we wandered about, we dropped into the basilica San Lorenzo Maggiore, which we explored.
The Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore (Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore in Italian) stands as a privileged witness to the thousand-year history of this fascinating city. Situated on the site of the ancient Greek agora and Roman forum, and aligned with the decumanus maximus, now known as the Via dei Tribunali, this basilica is a gateway to Naples’ past. Founded in the 13th century, the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore remains one of the city’s oldest basilicas, revealing a majestic Gothic-style interior, whose choir is often considered the pinnacle of French Gothic.
From there, we headed to the Napoli Sotterranea. We just missed the 10 AM tour and would have had to wait another hour in line to enter, so we passed. It would have been interesting, however.
Underground Naples exists because of the particular morphological and geological characteristics of the Neapolitan area, whose light, crumbly tuff rock was used to build almost all the houses in the city’s historic centre.
It’s thought that the first excavations date back around 5,000 years, almost to the end of the prehistoric era.
It was the Greeks, in the 3rd century BC, who opened the first underground quarries to extract blocks of tuff. The rock was used to build a city – Neapolis (New City) – and the underground tombs that can still be seen today at the Catacombs of San Gaudioso and San Gennaro in the Rione Sanità neighborhood.
Later, in the Augustan Age, the Romans built the first underground tunnels and cisterns, creating a whole series of aqueducts fed by water from the Serino springs, 70km from the centre of Naples.
These cisterns remained active until the cholera epidemic of 1885, when they were abandoned in favour of the new aqueduct that’s still in operation today.
We headed over to the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, which was hosting an exhibition of treasures from Pompeii.
The National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN) is one of the most famous and visited museums in Italy, and among the oldest and most important in the world for the richness and uniqueness of its heritage.
The MANN is among the oldest and most important cultural institutions in the world, due to the rich and unique nature of its heritage and its contribution to the European cultural landscape. Impressive in its architecture and collections , a key player in the city’s cultural life, the museum is a fundamental stop on an initiatory journey into the world of antiquity .
The place was well worth the visit and gave us some insight into how vibrant a city Pompeii must have been.
We caught the 17:15 ferry from Naples to Sorrento. It is a 45-minute ride. From the dock, we took a taxi to Apartment Vallone Dei Mulini Suite Sorrento, (21 Via Fuorimura).
After dropping the bags, we took a stroll around town and had a great dinner at l’Antica Trattoria (P.R. Giuliani, 33), The food and service were impeccable.
After dinner, we waddled around Sorrento a bit before heading back to the apartment.
Sorrento, Sunday, Sept 28, 2025
We explored Sorrento during the day and evening, including a church or two.
Pompeii / Herculaneum, Monday, Sept 29, 2025
We booked a guided day trip to Pompeii and Herculaneum. The bus picked us up a few blocks from our apartment. Our recent visit to the Pompeii artifacts at the museum in Naples broadened our appreciation for the ruins.
We were told that many of the buildings were more than one story tall, but the weight of the eruption material collapsed them. One of the Roman baths was very well preserved.
Pompeii, an ancient Roman city located near the Bay of Naples in southern Italy, was founded around the 7th or 6th century BCE by the Oscans before coming under Greek, Etruscan, and finally Roman influence. By the 1st century CE, it had become a thriving resort town favored by wealthy Romans for its pleasant climate and scenic views of the sea and Mount Vesuvius. The city boasted luxurious villas, bustling markets, temples, baths, and an amphitheater, reflecting the prosperity and cultural vibrancy of Roman urban life. With a population estimated at around 11,000 to 15,000 inhabitants, Pompeii stood as a model of Roman civic planning and daily life before its sudden and tragic destruction.
The catastrophe that befell Pompeii occurred on August 24, 79 CE, when Mount Vesuvius violently erupted after centuries of dormancy. The eruption unfolded over roughly 24 hours, beginning with a massive column of volcanic ash and pumice that rained down on the city, collapsing roofs and suffocating inhabitants who sought shelter indoors. The next morning, surges of superheated gas and ash—known as pyroclastic flows—swept through the streets, instantly killing those who remained by extreme heat and asphyxiation. Within a day, Pompeii was buried under 4 to 6 meters (13 to 20 feet) of volcanic material, sealing the city in a tomb of ash and pumice that preserved buildings, frescoes, and even the final moments of its citizens in remarkable detail.
The ruins of Pompeii remained lost for nearly 1,700 years, forgotten beneath layers of hardened volcanic debris until their accidental rediscovery in 1748 by Spanish engineer Rocque Joaquín de Alcubierre, who was excavating on behalf of Charles III of Bourbon, the King of Naples.
Early excavations were driven more by the desire for treasure than by scientific inquiry; precious artifacts, statues, and frescoes were removed and sent to royal collections in Naples, often with little regard for preservation. Looting and unrecorded digging damaged much of what might have provided valuable archaeological context.
It was not until the 19th century, under the direction of Giuseppe Fiorelli, that systematic and scientific excavation began, leading to the careful study and conservation of Pompeii as one of the world’s most important archaeological sites.
Before going to Herculaneum, we were dropped off at a shopping center for lunch. We visited Alice’s, a pizza-by-weight place we enjoyed in Rome recently.
Herculaneum is smaller but much better preserved than Pompeii. The extreme heat of the eruption carbonized some of the remains. Much of the original city remains covered as a new city was built on top of it.
Herculaneum, an ancient town situated on the western coast of Italy near the Bay of Naples, was smaller and wealthier than its neighboring city, Pompeii. Founded by the Oscans around the 6th century BCE, it later came under Greek and Samnite influence before becoming part of the Roman Republic in the 4th century BCE. By the 1st century CE, Herculaneum had evolved into a prosperous seaside resort, favored by Rome’s elite for its stunning coastal views and luxurious villas. The town was known for its fine architecture, intricate mosaics, and well-planned streets, offering a glimpse into the leisurely lifestyle of the upper classes in the Roman world.
The destruction of Herculaneum occurred simultaneously with that of Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, but the manner and timing of its demise were markedly different. While Pompeii was buried primarily under falling ash and pumice, Herculaneum was initially spared, experiencing only light ash fall for several hours. However, later in the night, a series of pyroclastic surges—fast-moving avalanches of superheated gas and volcanic debris—raced down the slopes of Vesuvius, engulfing the town within minutes. The intense heat, reaching temperatures of up to 500°C (932°F), instantly killed the inhabitants, vaporizing soft tissues and preserving their skeletons in remarkable detail.
Ultimately, the city was buried under more than 20 meters (65 feet) of volcanic material, which hardened into rock, sealing organic materials such as wooden furniture, papyrus scrolls, and food in an unparalleled state of preservation.
In contrast to Pompeii, which offers a vivid picture of a bustling Roman town frozen in mid-activity, Herculaneum provides a more intimate portrait of elite Roman life and domestic architecture. The thicker volcanic deposits preserved wooden structures, textiles, and even foodstuffs that were lost in Pompeii, allowing historians and archaeologists to study materials rarely surviving from antiquity.
Whereas Pompeii’s excavation began earlier and was marred by extensive looting, Herculaneum’s more challenging conditions led to slower, more systematic recovery in later centuries. Together, the two cities complement each other: Pompeii illustrates the public, civic, and commercial aspects of Roman society, while Herculaneum reveals the private, refined world of Rome’s affluent classes, both forever united by the tragedy of Vesuvius.
Positano/Alamifi, Tuesday, Sept 30, 2025
We booked a trip via ferry to Positano and Amalfi. We were picked up at our apartment and driven to a nearby port for departure.
Positano
Perched dramatically on the cliffs of Italy’s Amalfi Coast, Positano is one of the most picturesque and romantic destinations in the Mediterranean. Its origins date back to the ancient Romans, who built luxurious villas along its shores, taking advantage of the breathtaking coastal views and temperate climate. According to legend, the town was named after the Greek god Poseidon, who created it out of love for a nymph. Once a quiet fishing village, Positano rose to prominence as a fashionable retreat in the 20th century, particularly after being rediscovered by artists, writers, and celebrities seeking inspiration in its pastel-hued houses and narrow, winding lanes cascading down to the sea.
Today, Positano captivates visitors with its blend of history, beauty, and charm. The Church of Santa Maria Assunta, with its iconic majolica-tiled dome and Byzantine-era Black Madonna, stands as a cultural centerpiece near the beach. The town’s main beach, Spiaggia Grande, offers a lively hub of seaside cafés, boutiques, and panoramic views of the surrounding cliffs. For adventure seekers, scenic hiking trails like the Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei) provide stunning vistas of the coastline. Meanwhile, elegant boutiques, fine dining, and boat excursions to nearby Capri or the Li Galli Islands make Positano a perfect blend of relaxation and exploration—a timeless jewel of the Amalfi Coast.
The ferry ride to Positano takes one along the coast, which is dotted by ancient watchtowers.
A centerpiece of the city is the church of Santa Maria Assunta
The history of the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption is closely linked to the Benedictine monastery of St. Mary, which, according to oral tradition, was built when a Byzantine icon of the Virgin was brought to Positano and venerated in our church thereafter.
The abbey allegedly dates back to the second half of the 10th century. It was mentioned for the first time in a manuscript of the late 11th century, by which Duke Sergio authorized abbot Mansone from the monastery of St. Mary in Positano to freely sail the sea of his dukedom.
The abbey had immense prestige until mid mid-15th century, when Antonio Acciappaccia from Sorrento, the last Benedictine abbot, and his monks left the monastery, maybe fearing the raids of the pirates from Cilento. Some years later, the monastery was entrusted to Nicola Miroballi, a commendatory abbot, who later became archbishop of Amalfi. Other commendatory abbots of Positano abbey were Federico Borromeo, one of the relatives of the famous Cardinal Borromeo mentioned by Manzoni, and Cardinal Vincenzo Maria Orsini, who later became Pope Benedict XIII.
The years of commendatory abbots were mostly negative for our church. Its architectural traces were almost totally lost, while the church started to fall into decay, in spite of continuous reproaches by Amalfi archbishops and a thorough rebuilding at the beginning of the 17th century.
When wondering about the town, one must ascend up a coastal street for the best view of the city. It was worth it.
Amalfi
We spent about an hour and a half in Positano and then proceeded to the town of Amalfi by ferry, passing several seaside villages along the way.
Nestled between steep cliffs and the shimmering Tyrrhenian Sea, Amalfi is one of Italy’s most historic and enchanting coastal towns. Founded in the 4th century CE, Amalfi grew into one of the great maritime republics of the Middle Ages, rivaling Venice, Pisa, and Genoa as a powerful trading hub across the Mediterranean. Its sailors and merchants helped shape early navigation and maritime law, and the town’s wealth is still reflected in its grand architecture and artistic heritage. Though a devastating earthquake and tsunami in 1343 ended its dominance, Amalfi’s legacy as a center of culture and commerce endures in its graceful piazzas, winding alleys, and centuries-old traditions such as papermaking—a craft still practiced today in the famed Amalfi Paper Museum (Museo della Carta).
Modern Amalfi offers a perfect blend of history, beauty, and coastal charm. The magnificent Amalfi Cathedral (Duomo di Sant’Andrea), with its striking Arab-Norman façade and sweeping staircase, dominates the central square and stands as a symbol of the town’s former glory. Visitors can explore the Cloister of Paradise, lined with elegant marble columns, or stroll along the harbor and enjoy fresh seafood in seaside trattorias. Nearby, the Valle delle Ferriere nature reserve provides scenic hiking trails through lush lemon groves and waterfalls, offering a peaceful escape from the bustling waterfront. Whether for its medieval splendor, crystal-clear waters, or relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere, Amalfi remains a quintessential jewel of the Amalfi Coast.
We landed in Amalfi for a three-and-a-half-hour stop. Some people take the bus up to Revello, about 30 minutes away by bus, but looking at the line to board the smaller buses, we decided to pass and relax.
The town was flooded with tourists (like ourselves).
A local favorite is lemon gelato served in a lemon shell.
We visited Museo Della Carta a paper museumwhere they demonstrated the process of making paper from discarded cotton rags. It was located in a stream because they used water power to drive the hammers, which beat the cotton into fibers. It was a favorite visit of Rebecca.
Papermaking in Amalfi, Italy, has its roots in the early Middle Ages, when the town was a flourishing maritime republic and a vital link between the Islamic world and Western Europe. By the 12th century, Amalfi had adopted and refined papermaking techniques that had originated in China and spread through the Arab world to the Mediterranean. Using rags made from linen and cotton as raw materials, Amalfi’s artisans produced a high-quality, durable paper known for its smooth texture and elegant watermarking. The city’s location, with abundant fresh water from mountain streams, provided ideal conditions for powering paper mills, which became an important part of its economy and cultural identity.
Over the following centuries, Amalfi’s handmade paper—known as Carta d’Amalfi—gained a reputation across Europe for its craftsmanship and beauty. Although industrialization in the 19th century led to the decline of traditional mills, the art of papermaking never completely vanished. A few workshops preserved the ancient techniques, passing them down through generations. Today, Amalfi’s paper is still crafted by hand in limited quantities, prized for its historical authenticity and use in fine stationery, calligraphy, and artistic printing. The continued production of Carta d’Amalfi stands as a living testament to the town’s medieval ingenuity and enduring artisanal tradition.
We returned to Sorrento in the early evening.
Sorrento, Wednesday, October 1st, 2025
Today it rained in the morning, so we didn’t venture out till noon. We took the time to explore Sorrento a bit more.
For lunch, we stopped at Piccadilly, which was billed as a Brazilian steakhouse. We thought we’d switch from pizza and gelato carbs to protein. The food was horrible. Rebecca sent her steak back as it was way overcooked. Mine was Ponderosa quality. A big disappointment.
Around town, we stopped into a DaVinci museum with some models of his various apparatus.
We both exercised our credit cards a bit by investing in a bit of new clothing.
Sorrento, Thursday, October 2nd, 2025
I took a pizza-making class at Tirabuscio in the morning. They picked me up and drove me to their restaurant. It was fun and I learned a few good tips on making Pizza.
Our afternoon wanderings took us into the Basilica St. Antonio
Named after Sorrento’s patron saint, the town’s oldest church Basilica St. Antonio, barely looks like a church at all from the outside. The interior paints a more ecclesial picture with its Roman artefacts, dark medieval paintings, gilded ceiling, and the oddity of two whale ribs in the lobby by the front door. Apparently, the much-loved saint performed numerous miracles, including one in which he rescued a child from a whale’s stomach. The saint’s bones lie beneath the baroque interior in an 18th-century crypt.
That evening, we celebrated Rebecca’s birthday a day early at our favorite Sorrento restaurant L’Antica Trattoria. It was all we had hoped for and more. They added two extra desserts for us.
Sorrento/Anacapri, Friday, October 3rd, 2025
Happy Birthday, Rebecca.
We left Sorrento and took a ferry to Capri. BTW it is pronounced CAPre not caPREE (like the ladies’ pants)
At the taxi stand in Capri, we met a nice couple and shared a taxi to our B&B in Anacapri, at Rio Lincaino, 14
Many of the taxis in Capri are stretch convertibles, quite unique.
After unloading our stuff, we explored Ana Capri. One stop was the church of St Michele, which had a colorful glazed tile floor. One has to walk on a wooden path.
The Church of San Michele, completed in 1727, is a sanctuary of Neapolitan Baroque art. The altar is an elaborate marble structure crafted by Agostino Chirola, and above it is a dramatic depiction of St. Michael the Archangel by Nicola Malinconico. But the most striking feature of the church is its floor, which is covered in a stunningly detailed mosaic by Leonardo Chiaiese called The Expulsion of Adam and Eve.
The titular event takes place in the center of the floor, where an angel orders the couple out of the Garden of Eden. They are surrounded by animals, including a unicorn, waterfowl, camels, and a serpent wrapped around the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Considered one of the finest works of 19th-century Neapolitan Majolica craftsmanship, the mosaic is made of 1,500 tiles and was completed in 1761.
Anacapri, Saturday, October 4th, 2025
We headed over to the Anacapri chair lift to take it to the scenic overlook of the island. The view was spectacular with the wakes of the many boats appearing as contrails tracing their paths.
The station for the CHAIR LIFT is in Via Caposcuro in Anacapri, near Piazza Vittoria.
During the rapid ascent in the chair lift to the summit of the mountain, the tourist has an opportunity to enjoy the splendid views of the Gulf of Naples with Vesuvius in the background, the Gulf of Salerno, Anacapri, the Isle of Ischia and the incomparable beauty of the colour of the sea. Monte Solaro is the highest point on Capri. It is characterized by a deeply eroded slope to the east and south east right down to the sea and a incline which falls towards Anacapri.
Monte Solaro offers the visitor all the scenic beauty of Capri, from the proud Faraglioni emerging from the sea to the majestic rugged coastline.
We caught the bus down to Capri we visited the church of Saint Steffano
The former Cathedral of Santo Stefano is the main church of the town of Capri. It is located right at the top of the stairs of the famous Piazzetta. The building was designed by the Neapolitan architect Francesco Antonio Picchiatti (already author of some works in Piazza San Domenico Maggiore in Naples) to recover the ancient Benedictine convent of ‘500 and built between 1688 and 1695 by the master martial Aniello Desiderio.
Rebecca discovered the upscale street in Capri with all the high-ticket stores.
Sorrento, Sunday, October 5th, 2025
There was a general ATC strike scheduled to begin on Tuesday, so we changed our plans to book a flight home for tomorrow. We had to eat the Naples hotel for Tuesday, but we wanted to play it safe and get home without too much hassle.
We headed over to Villa San Michele with great views of the Capri coast. It has a very interesting history worth reading about.
Villa San Michele is the life’s work at Capri of the Swedish physician and author Axel Munthe (1857–1949).
Axel Munthe recounts the story of his life and the creation of the villa in The Story of San Michele (1929). It became one of the first international bestsellers in modern time.
We were seeking a new destination using GPS, and we were confronted with an exhausting number of stairs. Our reward for this descent was to be unceremoniously dumped on the twisty highway with no sidewalk. Our other alternative to climbing them again was to walk along the narrow, twisting street, dodging cars and buses to Capri, a hair-raising adventure.
We finally ended up in Capri and had lunch at the first decent restaurant we found. The food was unremarkable.
Then we set out to visit The Gardens of Augustus
These gardens have their origin on the property of German steel industrialist Friedrich Alfred Krupp who, in the early twentieth century, bought this stretch of land to build his home. From then and up until 1918, the gardens carried the name of Krupp. In 1918, the gardens were renamed the Augustus Gardens, name that has remained to the present day. From the Augustus Gardens, a stunning 180-degree panoramic view of the island of Capri can be enjoyed and, in fact, from there you can see Monte Solaro, the Marina Piccola bay, Via Krupp and the famous Faraglioni.
After our visit, we stopped off at a takeaway restaurant and picked up two sandwiches for dinner back at the BnB.
We packed up for our return the next day.
Sorrento, Monday, October 6th, 2025
We left the B&B to catch an 8:00 bus to town. It was running late when a bus marked Capri pulled into the stop. I was looking for a bus marked Marina Grande and was reluctant to hop on. Rebecca told me just get on the damn bus, which I did. It turns out it was the correct bus, just marked wrong.
We made it to the dock in time for our 9:05 ferry.
We landed at the Naples dock around 10:00 and took a taxi to the Naples Airport for our 12;05 flight. We stopped for a quick bite and ran into a long line at security.
We were able to make ot to the gate with a few minutes to spare for our EasyJet flight to Nice.
After landing, we caught the Tram to the Nice Train station and connected via train to Cannes.
We were there just in time to catch our 21 bus home from the train station.
It was a great trip and even better to be home.