Naples to Pompeii, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast

Pompeii, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast Tour- November 9, 2024

We had this tour booked with ItalyTours EU with our Cruise Critic roll call group. We could not meet the group any later than 7:14 am, and the cruise ship was not calling and was not calling that we had been cleared by customs and could get off. The "going to shore" signs by the stairs were turned around backwards. We had already had breakfast and our bag ready to go. We watched and could see people trickling off. I thought that they were cruise line excursions (though I guess that would be a big group) or possibly crew. Finally, we were just going to try, found a cruise director staff member, asked him, and he said that we can get off. Thinking, geez, why wasn't it announced and why are the "exit ship" signs backwards? I have been stressing about making the tour. The only day that they did not announce that we were cleared and could get off.

We met the group in the parking lot outside the cruise terminal and were the last ones there :(. We loaded on the bus; we got the backseats to sit together and get the right side to watch the Amalfi Coast go by. The back was four seats across, and the others were 2, aisle, 1. I guess we should have let others pick first since they had to wait for us. A look back of Naples.

Aged tomatoes to make the best pasta dishes.

Our first stop was an overlook to Positano. The Amalfi Coast was beautiful.

Amalfi Coast pictures from the bus and then a stop to see Sorrento from above.

A crazy road in Sorrento. The Limoncello store was fun that our tour guide lead us to. They had free samples of the drink, cookies, lemon covered chocolate, and truffles. We bought some lemon, coconut truffles, but they were better in the store. Just seemed more dried out. We found a lemon tree.

We were supposed to eat lunch while we were in Sorrento, but it was 10am and not much open. The restaurant that our guide recommended did not open until 11am, though he said to eat early, and we needed to leave at 12pm. The first place that we found open was Good Pizza. We shared a slice, an arancini, and a fried mozzarella. Again the arancini was not as good as we have had in the US or as the one in Trieste. The fried mozzarella and pizza was good.

We finished walking around, stopped for a gelato, and then went back to our bus meeting spot. We also paid for a restroom here; I think they cheating me on the change and were not very friendly, but oh well. Back with our guide, we paid our 18 EUR each for Pompeii entry, that I had been working to collect the correct change for during the trip. I planned for 19 EUR, so we had an extra 2 EUR for that restroom.

We arrived at Pompeii and had a few minutes for a paid restroom break or to buy some water. We then got our speaker system with earbuds to hear our guide. Inside she allowed us a stop at the free restrooms that we used. Travis marked where we walked on the tour. However, you can see in the full map just how much in total there is to see! Then info on the different buildings.

Our guide was great

Theater

She called this fast food that citizens grabbed dinner on the way home from work. From the brochure above, I believe that it is called Thermopolia.

Original pavement

The fancy house that still has some of the original paint. Pompeii was very colorful before the eruption.

Original pictures drawn on the wall in the fancy house

Back outside, public fountains

Original pipes made of lead and bronze

These are blocks that the horse and buggies went over (bottom picture; the top is covered over to make it safer to walk today); all the buggies had to have a standard wheel base and height.