Naples to Sicily

It’s difficult to describe the pure madness that Naples is.  Crazy drivers, agressive scooters, polluted cobblestoned laneways, pot-holed roads that change from two lanes to four without notice, people just everywhere.  A day in this city feels like three.  Having said that, it’s a total buzz.  Definitely a city that can only be done in small doses, particularly for relaxed, easygoing folk like the JB and I.  By the way great pizza and fantastic gelato.

San Gennaro Cathedral in Naples

Interior of San Gennaro, Naples

The JB about to rob one of Fonz's favourite 'gelaterias'

Pozzuoli, pretty little seaside town outside Naples

After taking 2 hours hours to cross the 7km perimeter of Naples city, we arrived in Pompeii.  Amazing.  We wandered through the ruins of this absorbing city, imagining life as it were for those before the eruption.  For those who haven’t already read Pompeii by Robert Harris, suggest you do so.  The site is extensive and there’s much to mention, but I’ll let the photos do the talking. 

Pompeii plaster casts

Pompeii relics

Teatro at Pompeii

Apollo's Temple at Pompeii (Vesuvius in the background)

Pompeii street

Pompeii

Cathedral remains, Pompeii

Pompeii

Next stop was Sorrento on the Costeria Amalfitara.  Our room directly looked over the island of Capri – a beautiful sight to watch the sunset and sunrise over each day.  We drove the along the beautiful coastline, taking in gems like Positano (the only city in the world built on a vertical axis), Amalfi, Ravello and Salerno. 

Sunset over Capri as viewed from our room

Positano on the Amalfi Coast

Amalfi Coastline

Amalfi Coast, near Smereldo caves

Ravello

Amalfi Coast

Our next leg was probably the most exhausting day of the entire trip thus far.  We drove from Sorrento all the way to Messina.  About 600 kms taking into account diversions we had to take. Heavy rain over the winter months has caused major landslides blocking the major freeway at Cosenza.   We boarded the ferry (to cross the Messina Straits) and before the JB could polish off his second arancini we had to disembark. 

 Sicily has been amazing so far.  I know many ’Australian Italians’ will find this an outlandish statement, but we have been the beneficiaries of the best hospitality, most delicious arancini (one of Sicily’s most famed delicacies), the warmest weather (it’s been between 16 and 25 degrees each day), amazing beaches and coastline views, and I honestly cannot find a negative word to say about this place – probably because the Greeks were here before the Romans.

Cefalu village and Cathedral towers (b/w Messina & Palermo)

Monreale Cathedral

Chiostro at Monreale Cathedral

Teatro at Segesta

Our guide at Segesta

Temple at Segesta

Segesta Temple

We arrived in Agrigento this afternoon, via Segesta and Valley of the Temples.  Tomorrow we go looking for Montalbano…well Andrea Camilleri who wrote the original novels based his fictional towns of Vigata and Montelusa on Agrigento and Ragusa.         

Hercules Temple at Valley of the Temples, Agrigento

Concord Temple at Valley of the Temples, Agrigento

Giunone Temple at valley of the Temples, Agrigento

Tomorrow we travel further east on our journey through Sicily.  Hopefully we find Montalbano…  Until we next post, keep watching Affari Tuoi.