touring a bit of italy, 2006

We went to Italy; it was our anniversary. And I took a lot of photos, which is why after going through them and putting aside all the less important ones there are still (holy crap) over a hundred on this page. Appologies if it loads slowly.

I've been to the south of Italy on the Bay of Naples once before, in 2000, and during that trip I discovered that despite a few hidden gems, Naples is best avoided. Capri, however, is great. Pompeii is unmissable. And everyone says they love the Amalfi coast. So we planned a big loop: a quick rush through Naples to the ferry, a stay on the hydrothermal island of Ischia, then a tour of Capri, then Positano and finally Sorrento.

It didn't rain. We actually forgot what precipitation looks like.

Andrea at the port during our brief visit to Naples. This is one of the only parts of Naples you need to visit.

We hopped onto the ferry and were away in short order. This is looking back at Naples at one of the better neighborhoods around the port where there is a castle, a royal palace, and a restaurant that claims to have invented the pizza margherita.

Another view from the ferry. Vesuvio rises above the central part of the Bay of Naples, the only active volcano on mainland Europe. Its most famous eruption was the one that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum in AD 79; and its last significant eruption was 1944, though that was mostly harmless.

Just outside spitting distance from Vesuvio is the island of Ischia, which is also volcanic in nature (though its volcano hasn't actually erupted since classical times). Occasionally the island changes shape as the magma beneath it moves around, but the most well-known feature of the island are its hot springs. This is Andrea at our hotel, which overlooks the sea.

Another view from Hotel San Giorgio Terme. The distant island at the base of the cliff ahead of Andrea is Capri.

Maronti Beach, just below our hotel, is full of German tourists. Apparently Ischia is a big destination for Europeans.

In the evening we hiked west along the beach and discovered an area of sand that is heated geothermally - you can see the steam rising if you look closely. The warning sign explains in Italian and German that the sand really is hot. And it is - you can burn your hand if you dig down a few inches.

The nearby harbor town of Sant Angelo ...

... where Andrea walks down the cliffside road.

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There is a nice rocky area on a sort of sub-island just beyond Sant Angelo; this is the view back at the town from there.

And a great view of the sea ...

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We finish off the day with a gelato.

Morning at Maronti Beach. Check out how clear the water is: the water on Capri was even clearer.

The beach did become a little crowded during peak hours.

Another visit to Sant Angelo.

A door in Sant Angelo.

The pool at our hotel was filled with thermal water - warm (but not hot) salt water. It was easy and comfortable to float, and the temperature was just right, with a nice view of the sea. Best pool ever.

On our way out on the ferry to Capri we noticed Ischia's castle. We had skipped the tourist stuff on the island, mainly because we wanted to relax. There were also a few other towns and a Roman aqueduct across the center of the island. You can see the aqueduct on Google Maps.

Capri from the ferry ...

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This extremely tall cliff on Capri is home to Villa Jovis, which we'll visit further down the page. It was a Roman palace built by the Emperor Tiberius, and supposedly he had people he didn't like thrown off this cliff.

Our hotel overlooked the Marina Piccola, which is on the opposite side of the island from the main port. The cliffs to the right divide the island in half; the other side is called Anacapri.

Walking through the town of Capri, we found the town to be dense and enjoyable to explore.

Capri is known for its tile signs - from house numbers to navigational aids, everything is labeled in yellow, blue, and other vibrant colors on white tiles. This list of locations includes two we visited: the Villa Jovis and the Natural Arch.

We walked to Villa Jovis first. This is the view of Capri from the road up to the ruins.

And this is a lizard.

From the cliffs around the ruins you can see the jutting mainland along the south of the Bay of Naples: the left side contains Sorrento and the right side is called the Amalfi Coast.

Looking down the cliffs near Villa Jovis.

Villa Jovis is in remarkable condition, considering its age and the fact that it has been out in the open, exposed for nearly two millennia. When I visited on my own in 2000 I found the place to be less strictly controlled, and was able to walk to places that are not accessible. Perhaps it was that I visited in February, whereas June is in peak season. I found one room where the original paint was still visible on the walls, despite the ceiling being missing, but that room does not seem to be accessible now.

Andrea at Villa Jovis.

This arched doorway leading into a tall arched chamber should give a good sense of scale. The palace was absolutely huge, and probably quite nice when it was maintained.

At the top of the palace I pose with Vesuvio and Sorrento in the background.

One last glance down the cliffs. Yikes.

We walked to the Natural Arch, which is perched high above the blue sea. It was the entrance to a grotto, or seaside cave, at a time when the sea was much higher. The cave is now gone, and all that remains is the arch.

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A street in the town of Capri upon our return from a long, hot walk.

Andrea in the main square, where we ordered ...

Beer and olives. And they were the best olives I've ever had, anywhere. The beer is Nastro Azzurro, the local favorite in the Bay of Naples.

Back near the hotel, this is another view of the Marina Piccola.

A door in Marina Piccola, Capri.

A view from the rocky beach area at Marina Piccola. Those three massive rocks in the distance are the Faraglioni; the middle one has a cave running through it large enough to sail through.

A tile map along the road in Anacapri, which we visited the next day. There are two ways to get over the cliff to Anacapri: by the Phonecian Steps or via the road. The steps, which zigzag up the cliff, were probably built by the Greeks. A bus runs up the road, and is easier on the legs but a bit unsettling to the stomach (a photo further down the page taken on our return trip shows why).

Floor of Chiesa Monumentale Di San Michele, Anacapri. This is an Eighteenth century tile floor showing creation.

We walked down to the Blue Grotto from Anacapri - a rather long walk. In this cove is a grotto with a floor of white sand; when the light enters the water at the grotto entrance it causes the wate to glow bright blue.

Looking down into the cove. Large boats from the transport tourists from the marina to the cove for a fee; the tourists then transfer to smaller rowboats (which also charge a fee).

If you're in Anacapri you can simply walk down and stand in this line.

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This is what it looks like inside the Blue Grotto (except less blurry). Supposedly you can walk down in the evening when there are no tourists and swim in. There is a system of caves beyond the main one, where the Romans had a bath.

We walked from the Blue Grotto along the Old Fort walk, trying to reach a lighthouse. The forts were built by the British during the Napoleonic Wars.

Anyone know what kind of tree this is? There were a number of them around Anacapri.

This house along the fort path Fort walk had steps cut into the stone cliffs.

And this was our bus trip back to Capri, wich a good view of the marina. It was like being in an airplane.

One last view of the town of Capri.

We took a ferry to Positano, a town along the Amalfi Coast.

It is set on the side of a cliff, and the buildings rise up from the sea in layer upon layer, like a large beehive.

I have no idea how many hundreds of steps we climbed, but we eventually got to our hotel, the Posa Posa.

The town is filled with alleys and long flights of stone steps, through some of which you can catch glimpses of the sea.

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Stores displayed the latest in men's and women's fashion.

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The main church in the evening.

Andrea pauses on the steps in Positano. Steps were required to go almost anywhere.

Looking down into the center of Positano from one of the upper streets.

Yes, more steps.

Andrea at the beach in Positano. You can get a good impression of the shape of the cliffside town in the background.

This was our local beach. It was reached by a long flight of steps. This had the disadvantage of requiring us to walk up steps for ten minutes after leaving the beach. At which point we were hot and tired, and wished we were still at the beach.

There were way fewer steps across the mountains in Sorrento, which we found to be a rather nice town. This is the view from our Sorrento hotel. In the distance is the sleeping Vesuvio.

The marina, looking down from our hotel. Sorrento is set on a cliffside overlooking the bay.

This was rather interesting: a sail cruise ship. We saw it passing by Positano as we left that town, and when we were hanging out at the pool in Sorrento we watched it come into port and moor off the coast. Though it was a cruise ship, it actually did use its sails.

The Piazza Tasso, Sorrento. This is the main square.

From it runs a network of narrow streets filled with shops.

A market in Sorrento.

This was an interesting building: the Sedil Dominova. A rather old building with a mural painted inside its dome, it was home to a bunch of old guys smoking and playing cards.

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Paintings in a shop.

The streets were paved with very solid, volcanic paving stones. Above the stones wave many tricolor flags, hung in celebration of the World Cup. (Though Italy eventually won, our trip was before the final games.)

A hotel by the sea.

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We discovered a church in Sorrento that had bits of older buildings incorporated into it, including columns.

A bit of the borrowed stone here looks like a horizontal lintel from a Roman building.

Sunset from Sorrento ...

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Andrea is a blur in this cloister by the sea, one of many that was decked out with paintings for some sort of arts festival.

The main drag, at night.

One morning in Sorrento we took the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii. Pompeii was buried in ash and pumice in AD 79, when Vesuvio erupted. Only the upper floors of buildings remained, and the entire city was abandoned until excavations started in the Eighteenth century. This was the main gate on the west side of the city.

A typical street in Pompeii.

Andrea in the Basilica. A basilica was a public building; Christianity borrowed the word to describe major churches that were built in a similar architectural style.

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The city's forum.

Another view of the forum.

Quite a few buildings in Pompeii had visible traces of their original wall decorations; some had extensive wall paintings (called frescos by most guides, however frescos are wall paintings that are made while the plaster is wet, whereas these were painted on dry plaster). If you enlarge the photo you can see figures painted in the design.

Another view of the wall. Many of the walls in homes were painted with columns and arches that matched architectural designs of public buildings throughout the empire.

A face stares out of another wall painting.

This street bore chariot wheel ruts. They run through gaps between stepping stones that allowed people to cross the street from one footpath to another without dirtying their feet.

One of the city's bath houses still had its roof and ceiling intact. The ceiling was ornately decorated.

A dog in the baths slept beneath a case containing a plaster human figure. The city's excavations have revealed many cavities in the volcanic debris that turned out to have been occupied by victims of the eruption; pouring plaster in the cavities reveals the shape of the victims..

A lead pipe. A lot of buildings had visible plumbing running through the floors. (For a similar Roman pipe, see my Bath page).

One of the city's theatres.

Hercules supports the railing beside the seats in the theatre. There were actually two theatres, right next to each other.

A view of Vesuvio and the city from the top row of seats at the theatre.

Looking down into the theatre.

And this is the amphitheatre. It's not nearly as large as the Coliseum in Rome, but it's impressive because it's so intact. It's also the oldest known amphitheatre, built around 80 BC. It was famous for having been closed for a decade after mass rioting during a sporting event.

I pose in the arena.

Anothe view of the amphitheatre. When I visited in 2000 you could walk up to the upper levels and get a good view; the tunnels running beneath the seats were also open. Now only the entrances and the arena are open to visitors. It was built like any modern stadium, with tunnels running beneath the seats and steps coming up from the tunnels to emerge amid the seat aisles.

Andrea sits in one of the entrances to the amphitheatre, listening intently to an audioguide that explains the history of the Pompeiian amphitheatre.

Not far from the amphitheatre is a house with one of the best wall paintings in the city..

Also surviving throughout the city are political slogans relating to local elections, simply painted on street-facing walls like graffiti. The writing on the left side of this wall accuses the opposing candidate of lowering taxes for the wealthy in return for campaign donations; the writing on the right accuses the other canidate of flip-flopping on military spending for the wars against Germanic barbarians. (Yes, I made that up.)

Probably the most famous mosaic in the city, in the entrance to a house. It says CAVE CANEM. Beware of dog.

Another of the city's gates, this opening onto the road to Herculaneum.

The city wall. The pockmarks on the wall's outer surface date to the siege of Pompeii in 89 BC, when the Roman general Sulla conquered the city and made it part of the empire. By the time of the eruption the walls were no longer necessary because there were no enemies: the entire region was Roman.

A tower on the city wall.

Outside the city walls the Romans constructed a necropolis, or roadside cemetery.

Nearly a half mile outside of Pompeii was a villa that is now named the Villa di Misteri. It has the best preserved wall paintings in Pompeii - each room is very detailed, and the most famous painting is in this red room.

Another view of the necropolis on our way back into town.

So we were stuck in Naples after our flight was cancelled. easyJet sucks. But during our extra day we visited Herculaneum. It was a much smaller town than Pompeii, and located right by the sea. Unlike Pompeii it was hit with a volcanic flow of materials called a pyroclastic flow. This carbonized a lot of the wood and buried the city deeply. Most people ran to the sea forsafety, but were buried anyway. Today the ruins, much of which are still underground, give a really good idea of what a Roman town was like.

The harbor from above. The coast is now miles away, but in AD 79 it was right here where you see the green ground. You enter Herculaneum from a tunnel that deposits you on what was once the wharf. It's like you just stepped off a ship. In this photo you can see a bit of the present town of Ercolano, which sits atop the ruins and is one reason much of the city is still buried.

Andrea in a house in Herculaneum.

This house had a beautiful view of the Bay of Naples; now it looks out onto a wall of dirt.

It still has a complete mosaic floor.

I pose in Herculaneum. The columns amid which I stand surround an area that is still mostly buried: to the right you can see the rising wall of dirt..

Not an overly interesting photo, but look closely and you can see wooden shutters on the upper window, and a wooden beam in the foreground. Charred, but still in place after 1,927 years.

One of the main streets in Herculaneum. Most of the buildings along here still have their upper floors, in contrast with Pompeii.

A beautiful mosaic wall in one house, decorated with sea shells that may have been gathered on the shore.

A peek inside a house with an upper floor.

This bath house was rather interesting. The floor was warped, but the mosaic on it was intact. The warping appears to have come about because the bricks supporting the floor collapsed. Roman baths, including the one in the city of Bath in England, often had floors with brick columns underneath them. The spaces between the brick columns were vented with hot air from fires to keep the floor warm. You can kind of see the bricks near a broken part of the warped floor at the right of this photo, but ...

... here are similar brick stacks still in place at the Roman baths in Bath, England, to give you a better idea. I've seen these bricks a dozen times, so it was fascinating to see the floor in Herculaneum.

At the house of the Augustinians, who were a group of freed Roman slaves, this case contains a bed. And on the bed are the remains of a man, still in the spot where he went to sleep before the eruption.

I pose near wall paintings in the house of the Augustinians.

Andrea poses in the House of the Wooden Parition, famous for the wooden screen that partitions the main room. The wooden partition is remarkably like any door or wooden screen today: it folds, and each section of it has a thin central panel, surrounded by moulding that braces the panel within a thicker outer panel. Most modern houses have doors built in an almost identical style. A lot of houses in both Pompeii and Herculaneum had a layout like this one, with a central room that had a single skylight and a pool beneath it, plus an outdoor garden.

And then we left. There was a three hour delay in leaving; you can see our flight information on the monitor on the left. But let's get our priorities straight: the monitor on the right is shows the Italians playing in World Cup. And that ultimately ended up being important.