Italy has about a million Espresso cafes scattered across the country. Every day Italians stop in for a quick shot of Espresso or cup of coffee.
As the first stop on our way to Pompeii, this day was no exception...a Diet Coke shot for me please!
Downloading
Rick Steve's travel guides to the iPad was a genius idea...I highly recommend it!
Pompei was founded in 600 B.C. and soon after became a booming middle-class Roman city.
There were about 20,000 inhabitants at the time of the city's tragic demise.
Two thousand years ago, Rome controlled the entire Mediterranean and Pompeii was a bustling thriving sea port until...
Vesuvius burst from it's mountain hideaway. Can you see it looming just 5 miles away behind the ruins?
At about 1:00 in the afternoon on August 24
A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted sending a mushroom cloud of ash, dust, and rocks rocketing 12 miles into the air. The city of Herculaneum, closer to the volcano was engulfed and destroyed.
Initially just the roofs were destroyed in Pompeii, leaving the walls in tact. Frightened to say the least, nearly all of the residents fled that day leaving only 2000 people behind.
The following day, the winds suddenly changed. The deadly flow came screaming down Mount Vesuvius about 100 miles an hour...enveloping everything in it's path...including Pompeii!
All of the remaining residents were killed immediately leaving Pompeii and it's inhabirtants entombed in millions of tons of volcanic ash for centuries.
About 250 years ago...Pompeii was discovered mostly intact under a thin layer of dust and debris The buildings, skeletons, and artifacts left behind in the buried city accurately depict everyday life in the ancient world.
Two raised stones in the roadway means this is a two-way street.
The baths were luxurious...
with intricate carvings and statues.
A typical home had inner courtyards taking advantage of mild Mediterranean climate.
I wonder if I would be able to cook 15 pies in one day from this ancient kitchen.
An original fast food establishment...would you like fries with that?
If you look closely, you can see the worn down wheel tracks in the cobblestone roads.
Today, the excavation of Pompeii has been going on for almost three centuries and scholars and tourists remain just as fascinated by the city's eerie ruins.
A short drive from Pompeii past Naples toward the Terranean Sea, the scenery changes dramatically as you wind around the Amalfi Coast.
One of my all-time favorite movies "Only You" takes place in this picturesque town with fantastic coastal views.
Positano Italy is perhaps the most charming town I've ever seen.
Tiny pathways...
lead down to the beautiful beach below.
Which is the perfect place to have a little lovely Italian lunch with friends.
Pizza was on all of our minds. Does our waiter look Italian or what?
Franco was always willing to take a photo or two of the girls.
This is a place I would come back and stay for a month.
Positano's charm...
is simply perfect for shopping,
hanging out with friends,
and taking in spectacular views.
And it's a perfect place to take a few photos as well!
