Our second day in Rome, we were up quite early to get ready for our next Walks of Italy tour: "Pompeii Tour and Amalfi Coast". As far as we were concerned, visiting Pompeii was a must-do, and we were not going to let jet-lag stop us!
View from the meeting point in Rome
We met up nice and early with our small group before boarding a bus that would take us to Pompeii. The ride to Pompeii was almost 2 1/2 hours on the tour bus. We did make a pit-stop along the way to recharge our batteries and use the bathrooms. Otherwise, the guide who was assigned to us for the day kept us entertained while the other time was spent snoozing off and on while checking out the views. Fortunately, the ride was comfortable, otherwise it could have been an unpleasant start to the day.
Once we arrived at Pompeii, we met up with a PhD who was currently working on excavating parts of Pompeii. She would be our guide throughout our 2-hour tour. Was 2-hours enough time? Probably not even remotely close if you want to see every nook and cranny you can. But then, I'm not sure even 2-weeks would be enough time to spend in Pompeii as there is so much to uncover and learn.
Our tour guide, from Walks of Italy, in Pompeii
Our guide provided a phenomenal wealth of information as we saw the main highlights, including a stellar view of Mt Vesuvius...
Mt. Vesuvius
... the Theatre of Pompeii ...
The Theatre of Pompeii
... and the unusual yet depressing plaster death casts.
Death casts in Pompeii
Seeing this magnificent, ancient city was worth every minute we spent on that bus. After our 2-hour tour was complete, we headed back to the bus for a drive along the Amalfi Coast. Our driver took his time, letting us out and certain vantage points along the way so that we could take in the breathtaking beauty that surrounded us.
The Amalfi Coast
As we continued along, our driver deposited us and one of the guides in Positano, a resort city resting in the side of the cliffs. The bus could not take us all the way in to Positano as the road turns into a walkway, surrounded by merchants. All the way at the base of Positano, we were on the beach, looking out at the amazing waters in front of us.
Positano
We decided to have a lunch overlooking the water at Chez Black. The service was friendly, and the food was reasonably priced and pretty decent for what seemed like a tourist-trap.
We spent about an hour or two in Positano before heading back up the steep road (and, it is steep!) to board the bus. Everyone was pleasantly exhausted on the way back to Rome, with the drive being another 2 1/2 hours before we returned to the Hotel Lunetta.
Any questions about our day in Pompeii and Positano? Leave them in the comments section below. Cheers!
