Ostia Antica and our Last Day

Well, our last day is almost over and I'm a bit sad to be leaving tomorrow morning but it's time, I suppose, to get back to reality. It'll be nice to sleep in our own bed and do our own cooking again, though, as well as be able to get back to some semblance of a routine. Of course, I miss the cats and can't wait for a good, long run on Saturday. I'm really impressed with myself for not getting too out of shape on this vacation - it must have been our kilometers of walking each day. And I even managed not to get sick once.

Today we visited Ostia Antica, an ancient Roman port town that used to be right on the shoreline. Now, it's about 20 km from the coast, which is interesting because you don't really see how land has changed or moved in most cases. It isn't an excavation site, but rather just preserved ruins that were built between 4 BC and 6 AD. The mosaics on the floors that remain still amaze me in the durability that those little stones have.

 

 

 

I think we've both had enough of this heat, if anyone can believe it, as we just came back to the hostel and slept for 3 hours. No beach today, unfortunately but hopefully we get some hot weather back home this summer so we can get back to the beaches around there, maybe.

We are off for dinner and then will likely watch the football game tonight. It's the semi-finals for the Eurocup between Italy and Germany so it might be quite exciting around here. Then off to bed and to the airport for 6:30 AM.

Italy...'till we meet again!

 

Last Destination

We arrived in Lido di Ostia this afternoon to spend the last couple of days just relaxing by the water. I guess I didn't realize just how much of our Cinque Terre and Sorrento experiences would include the beach but in retrospect we are both very glad that I planned things out so that city sights were done first, followed by relaxation and sea sights.

This has been a truly wonderful vacation for me, more so by the presence of Bryan, because originally I was going to come alone. I know now that I would have had no problem traveling to all these places alone but it's been really great to have Bryan as my companion. It has shown us that we really do travel together well and that there will be many, many more vacations in our future.

I'm not looking forward to coming home one bit, aside from missing my cats and the gym. I love it here and am constantly thinking of the next time I will be in Italy. However, Bryan is talking about missing his Jeep and motorcycle and wanting to get back to normal, so I am slowly realizing this vacation is almost done. But, I know I'll be back and now I'm know what I should have wished when I threw my coin in Trevi Fountain all those days ago!

Tonight we are on the prowl for a good restaurant, not really finding anything at all on our brief walk around. Lido di Ostia is definitely a beach town and it's a nice quiet place to spend the last couple of nights. I don't think there is a lot to do here aside from the beach but it's so close to Fiumincino that it works for the timeline. The beach is extensive but the water shallow. I don't like this, having spent my summers growing up at a beach with a swift drop-off! Maybe tomorrow we can find a deeper spot.

I tried a bottle of Antica wine, just to taste something from the region. It's very good, fruity but light and not too dry. My favorite is still the Montelpulcino d'Abruzzo though!

 

We are staying in another hostel that looks like it was either an old school or a military dorm. It's huge but very plain. Our bathroom is very large, but the facilities small - the shower is about 2' x 2'! (Bryan gets the bottom bunk...)

 

But the view is awesome!!!

 

Yesterday we just spent the day relaxing by the beach in Sorrento. We bought some snorkel equipment and an air mattress and just played in the beautiful sea for a few hours. The place we rented chairs from and ate lunch at was great. The staff was super - friendly, funny and diligent. They even had a wonderful American Husky as their "mascot"! Bagni Delfino is a great place, we highly recommend them. I ate mussels with garlic, tomatoes and chili - I don't imagine I will ever order mussels again in Calgary as I've been so spoiled here by the freshness and tender texture!

Mount Vesuvius from Sorrento...

 

 

 

First Dive

I survived my first scuba dives today! We took a four hour dive excursion this morning with a local dive shop, Diving Futuro Mare, who took the small group to two different dive spots. There isn't a lot of large marine life here to see but we did see a number of different fish species, swimming in large schools, plus lots of starfish and corrals. It was very cool to be swimming along, just enjoying the water, sites and life around me.

I was a little nervous before the first dive and got frustrated as I could not figure out my buoyancy once we had descended. Finally after checking and testing my air and BCD, the dive master just look off my weight belt and threw in a 1kg weight into my BCD. That actually helped! I guess I don't need a lot of weight...am I built like a rock then?!?!

The second dive was much more relaxing for me as I had buoyancy and could just move easily through the water. Our dives were a bit shorter than the rest because Bryan was going through his air so fast. He had to take some from the dive master on the first dive, so we just ascended early on the second when his supply ran too low.

No pictures today, as our cameras don't work underwater. We planned an afternoon at the beach snorkling but ended up having a 4 hour nap instead! I guess our late night out watching Italia in the Eurocup semi-finals caught up with us. It was pretty entertaining to be included in the crowd of such avid football fans though, especially when Italia won in the kick off/shoot out after over time (I'm not sure what that's called in European football). The restaurant staff at Davide "Il" Gelato did a stellar job of keeping up with the patrons too, which is incredible considering some of the poor service we've experienced. The sauce on my pasta was simple yet tasty, and I plan to attempt to recreate it once at home; four ingredients - olive oil, garlic, hot pepper spice, and basil.

Tonight we ate at a restaurant overlooking the harbor, which gave us some spectacular views of the sunset, the lights across the harbor, and Mount Vesuvius. I'm not sure if Bryan and I are doing or saying something wrong, but the service was good up until we had our plates taken away, but after that point we sat there and had to ask for our bill 3 times, and still they took their sweet time giving it to us. It's really annoying, but it seems to happen everywhere we go. I'm tempted to just throw down some cash and walk out!

We did have a wonderful experience for lunch today though, and we plan to go back for dinner tomorrow night. The restaurant is called Inn Bufalito, and their concept is as follows:

"Light, simple and creative, our cuisine takes inspiration from the traditional Campania Region gastronomy. Our Philosophy is to use only local and fresh products, in particular buffalo meats and cheeses."

The food was amazing! Bryan had a great pasta with buffalo ragu sauce, and the buffalo mozzarella I had was so light and creamy. I'm looking forward to a buffalo steak tomorrow!

Herculaneum

Over the years, I have read a small number of books that have scenes set in the archeological site of Herculaneum, a town lost to the world when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Unlike Pompeii, this town was forgotten and it wasn't until 1709, when Austrian Prince d'Elboeuf was digging for wells, that the town was rediscovered. The excavations that can be seen today are the work of many people over the past 300 years, and there is still so much to be uncovered.

We spent an engaging 3 hours touring the "houses" of Herculaneum today, which was as interesting and humbling as I expected. These walls and their frescos, embellishments and, in some cases, possessions were buried by boiling mud almost 2000 years ago, yet it was because of this mud that the preservation of artifacts and wooden structures occurred. These pictures don't really do the excavation justice so I recommend visiting the site yourself. Pompeii is supposed to be equally interesting but it's also more visited, so Herculaneum was a nice, relatively quiet experience for us.

We arrived via the Circumvesuvian train from Sorrento, where we were accosted by tour buses offering cheap shuttles to the site. I'd done some research that had said the excavation was six blocks down the street so I didn't think the bus was worth it. Good thing we didn't get a ride because, yes, the site really is straight down the street, six blocks, as you walk out the train station exit!

Between the two of us, we took over 200 pictures today so I'm going to have to try to sort through them all to figure out which areas we captured. I also bought a couple of books so hopefully I piece it all back together!

 

 

 

This is Bryan and I waiting in yet another line to get tickets!

 

 

The streets are very similar to current Italian streets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wooden doors, they were preserved as initially burnt wood and behind the glass you can see how black and cracked they are. Yet, they still stood and maintained their shape.

Triton on the floor of the female baths in mosaic stones.

 

 

I think Bryan is starting to wish he were home again. He told me that he is not feeling up to going out for dinner tonight and wants to do some work. Granted, he just got his computer to boot up after a week or so of it looking like it had crashed but we are in a beautiful town with amazing weather and I think it would be sad to just sit in the room all night! I suppose, though, he isn't as used to this heat and humidity as I am so I will spend the night out walking around alone if he does decide to stay in. Sorrento is small and easily navigational so I think I will be fine wandering the streets myself! After all, everyone will be preoccupied by the Italy football game going on tonight anyway!!!

 

Paradise!

Our 7 1/2 hour trek from La Spezia to Sorrento was survivable, and we arrived early afternoon after a disappointing stopover in Naples. I had hoped to spend a couple of hours there, to see the city and eat a piece of Napolean pizza. After all, Naples is where this much-loved food originated! The city was noisy and, if possible, even more chaotic then Rome. I really wanted to find a true gem in this city to try pizza but the heat, smell and noise just drove us to leave earlier than planned. Bryan was especially annoyed with Naples, perhaps after experiencing a few quieter days recently? I did find a good couple of bananas at a market though!

 

Naples city street - I may not have had pizza but I saw the infamous apartments with laundry drying off the balconies!

But, it was worth it to arrive in Sorrento a bit earlier than planned. Sorrento is absolutely stunning in its character and views of the sea. The town is built in tiers, so while the map looks like streets intersect normally, we found there are times we end up walking down about 4 stories to access the next street. It is very touristy, but the city is energized throughout the day and night with people engaging in lively conversation and much laughter. I've already decided it was a wise, wise choice to drop two nights in Rome to stay here for two more.

 

Tunnel in Sorrento near our hostel.

A view of the Sorrento coast from one marina.

 

Sorrento boats docked at the marina.

 

Our "hostel" (Ulisse Deluxe Hostel) is certainly intriguing as well. When I booked it, it did seem to be a bit nicer than most, but it's designed like a 5 star resort with a very welcoming reception, a bar with many comfy chairs, a side breakfast room, as well as a full spa and wellness center. This hostel even has a parking lot on site! Our room is nothing special, but it's quiet, clean and comfortable. We have our own bathroom, and there is a TV. Really, it's not a lot different from many 2 star hotels at home, for a better price.

Today we visited the island of Capri, and I'm in love...with the nautical transportation; with the interesting tiered towns and many natural pathways; and most importantly with the sea. I have never seen such clear, beautiful blue waters! THIS may be where I buy a second home one day.

Capri (Marina Grande) from our tour boat.

 

As any tourist area, we had to pay to see the natural wonders that Capri has to offer. We took a boat trip this morning to see the Blue Grotto, a cave the Romans found hundreds of years ago. The island has remnants of the old fortress high up on the hills, and there was a door inside the grotto where the king and his men could quickly escape from enemies within. The Blue Grotto was so, so pretty! Once inside, the water glows the most natural blue color because of how the sunlight reflects off the white stone ocean floor. It was truly an amazing effect to see. But, after €13 for the boat ride over, €12,50 to swap into rowboats and go into the Grotto for 5 minutes, plus, of course, the vocally expected tips of the guides (€9), I think I would walk down from Anacapri and go in on my own to save a bit of money.

We took an overcrowded mini-bus to Anacapri and walked around before having some lemonade and lunch. Bryan managed to find a decent hamburger today! We then paid €10 each to take the chairlift up to the top of Mount Solaro where we were exposed to panoramic views of the island and surrounding Sea!

One view from the top of the mountain, overlooking Capri town with the mainland in the background.

 

True to any tourist area, of course there was a lounge and sunbathing area with bar at the top. Anything to exploit your beauty I guess.

 

It's been another scorching hot day so after waiting in the sun for the bus back to Marina Grande, we spent about 45 minutes swimming in the sea. Have I mentioned how wonderful the water is??? I swam out about fifty feet and floated above a patch of sea grass, watching four or five different types of fish swimming below me. I could see the bottom clearly at what I'm guessing was 7-10 meters deep. Amazing!

We've both become enchanted by the sea here and have begun discussing the likelihood of doing a sailing trip in the Mediterranean in the next few years. Being near water is one of our top loves, and I think sailing would be a great way to vacation for a few weeks! Yep, I am definitely coming back to Italy someday soon.

The gardens here are great, but my favorite edible vegetation are the fruit trees. They have orange and lemon trees all over the place, including growing in the middle if the restaurants! I'm loving the fresh lemonade made from the locally grown lemons, and appreciate how many restaurants try to support the local farmers and gardeners through serving locally grown menu items.

Bryan at his best on the ancient rock couch!

 

Cinque Terre

Our "home base" to visit the five beautiful towns of Cinque Terre has been La Spezia, as the trains out of here and places to sleep are more abundant. From here, it's a quick 9 minute train ride to the first town, Riomaggiore. Being the first town we saw, I was struck by its beauty and the architectural style of the town. It's built seemingly upon itself, in tiers, and over looks the sea. From here, there is an easy walking path called Via dell'Amore, which offers incredible views of the mountains, sea and coastline. All along the path, people have professed their love for each other, and interesting to us, people have left locks all over the place with inscriptions on them. We hadn't known of this tradition until coming to Italy.

 

Manarola is the second town and probably the smallest. Also built into the hills, this town has a walkway down to the port where people were jumping into and swimming in the water. Being such an insanely hot day, we were regretting not bringing swimsuits with us too!

 

 

I had originally planned to walk the 14km between each town to reach the final one but the path between Manarola and Corneglia was closed. Luckily, there is a train quite frequently between all the towns so we were still able to get over there. Corneglia is the only town without a natural port, being up high on a cliff. It's amazing to see the structures and designs of these towns that stand precariously along the coast, build hundreds of years ago.

 

 

Bryan was having nothing to do with walking the path between towns, so we decided I would walk to Vernazza and he'd take the train and we'd meet up somehow when we got there. However, he started walking the path with me and ended up doing the whole thing! Four kilometers doesn't seem like much but it was uphill most of the way, with uneven steps and washed out areas, in heat that had to be about 45 with the humidity. He was a great sport! And I think we must have broken a record because we made the trek in less than an hour (our tour book said to expect at least 1 1/2 hours).

Vernazza is my favorite of the towns because it's a bit larger with a beautiful port to swim in and set sail. I love how colorful the buildings are and how they use ancient existing structures for modern purposes, as seen in the picture of the old tower - you can see umbrellas where they have a restaurant set up, overlooking the port.

 

 

 

 

After the hike and crazy heat, we decided just to come back here to shower, change and find dinner. La Spezia is a port town and has a nice boardwalk along the water. It's another very pretty town with loads of gorgeous vegetation. However, it was really difficult to find an open restaurant at 8:00 PM! Everything was closed when we went out, and after about an hour of checking things out, taking pictures and enjoying the water, we finally found two restaurants with customers at them. It was a good meal, no doubt, but once we were finished and walking back to the b&b, we saw many different places open and quite busy! It's a strange town....

 

 

 

Today we visited Monterosso al Mare, the largest and most touristy town of Cinque Terre. The town also has the two best beaches of the area, so we brought our swimsuits, rented some chairs, and jumped into the sea! It has the most extraordinary blue hue and it just sparkles. I think it's even prettier than the Carribbean. And it was so very warm and refreshing! I loved being in that water, just hanging out and swimming around.

 

 

 

I have been researching any possible regional foods or specialties for each area we visit and then try to get a taste for one or two of the items as we visit the cities. La Spezia and Cinque Terre have some of the best seafood and olive oil in all of Italy, but three of their specialty dishes are their focaccia, pesto, and stuffed mussels. Yesterday, we were given focaccia with drinks, and it was light, very tasty. Pesto we ate with pasta earlier today, and tonight we shared some stuffed mussels with tuna bruschetta. Yum! The mussels were superb, the best I have ever had!

 

 

We have a 5:45 AM train tomorrow so it's an early night for us. Tomorrow is by far our longest travel day, from La Spezia to Sorrento, for a total of 7 1/2 hours on trains. But...I think it will be worth it once we arrive!

 

I have to admit, also, that I'm really quite liking that we booked these Bed and Breakfast places rather than hotels. We get our own set of keys and basically stay inside an apartment building in a regular residential area. I like experiencing life as it may be if I were to live here. It's fun and our hosts have all been amazing in each city, offering advice and suggesting places to see and at which to eat. As long as the room comes with an ensuite, this is a great way to experience the areas at a much lower cost!