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| The ancient city of Pompeii that was buried when Mount Vesuvius (in the background) erupted in 79AD |
DAY 1
ARRIVE IN ROME
The best message ever was pinned up in the lobby of Crowne Plaza St Peter’s Hotel in Rome when we reached. “Welcome to Rome!” It mattered little that our next day began with a 6.15am wake-up call!
The next thing we did was walk down the road hunting for a pizzeria. The first meal in Italy just has to be pizza or pasta!
#Pro tip: When in Italy, instead of the regular penne pasta that we get in India, ask for orecchiette (picture below right), which is ear (oreccho) shaped small (ette) home-made pasta typical of south Italy, which is where we were. Even better, clam orecchiette!
DAY 2:
1) MEETING GIACOMO
Rome to Pompeii is around 200km or three hours by road. On the way, you pass the lovely Apennine mountains (marked in orange on map). “These mountains divide central Italy down the middle like a spine. On the west is the Tyrrhenian Sea, on the other, the Adriatic Sea,” explained our good-looking Italian travel director Giacomo from Trafalgar. With his Italiano accent, he had the eyes of all the 38 girls (yes, you read that right!) in the tour bus on him! Like they say in Italy to express surprise, “Mamma Mia!”
#Pro tip: Turn on Google Maps on your cell phone for a better understanding of your whereabouts. Geography can be fun when it’s not in the book!
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| Plaster bodies and urns at the UNESCO World Heritage Site that take you back to the tragedy |
2) Pompeii
Pompeii, an ancient Roman town-city in the Italian region of Campania, is the closest we had ever been to an active volcano. That was excitement enough to go click-click as Mount Vesuvius loomed large behind the ruins. The volcano erupted in 79AD and buried the Pompeii city under 20ft of ash and pumice stone and the city is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
#Pro tip 1: Pick up a audio headset or take along a guide who will explain the finer details of the excavations, else Pompeii could look just like a boring pile of bricks and stones to a tourist.
#Pro tip 2: Just outside the entrance to Pompeii is a Ristorante-Pizzeria where Margarita pizzas come fresh out of the oven. Wash it down with a pint of the local Peroni beer!
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3) POMPEII TO SORRENTO: Stop for selfies! On the one-hour drive along the Amalfi Coast from Pompeii to Sorrento, you will want to stop at each bend to click a picture of the breathtaking Bay of Naples before you reach Sorrento, a small town in Campania and believed to be the home of the Sirens who attempted to lure Ulysses on to the rocks!
Sorrento is home to Limoncello (picture right), the Italian lemon liqueur made from the zest of Sorrento lemons
#Pro tip: Thanks to Trafalgar’s “Hidden Treasure” experience, unique to the itinerary, travel director Giacomo took us to where the best limoncello, marmalades and jams are believed to be found in Sorrento — ‘I Giardini Di Cataldo’ at Via Correale 27, Corso Italia 267 and Via Capasso 8. These are things you won’t find on the Internet so look it up on your visit!
4) DINNER IN SORRENTO: Dine in a garden restaurant in Sorrento called Restorante La Favorita ‘O’ Parrucchiano. Established in 1868, it is set in a lemon and orange groove! The restaurant looks like a greenhouse and as you walk up the stairs, each room opens up into another. It’s not too expensive by Italian standards and a Cannelloni (two large pieces) comes for Euro 9. For dessert, pick from the tray. We tried a light and lovely Lemon Delight.
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| The stunning view of the Bay of Naples from the Villa San Michele in Annacapri |
ISLE OF CAPRI
Wake up early and take a cruise from Sorrento to the beautiful Isle of Capri. The view is, simply put, STUNNING.
#Pro tip: For the cruise, carry earmuffs and a scrunch to tie your hair. The sea breeze can be strong on the deck and if you’re very thin, hold on to the railing.
After descending at the port of Marina Grande take the funicular train up to the Piazzeta, the main square in Capri town, beneath the clock tower. Once there:
Check in on Facebook and Foursquare because you’re where the rich and famous from Hollywood holiday! Mariah Carey owns a villa here and everybody from Leonardo DiCaprio (no, that’s not why his surname is Caprio) to Lindsay Lohan to even Lenin have visited. The Ferragamo family has a palace there and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, a yatch.
Show off your Capri pants. Yes, the pants are named Capri after they became popular on the isle in the 1950s, worn by American actress Grace Kelly in her heydays.
Sip on the hot chocolate from one of the pavement cafes and watch the world pass by. It may be small but it’s the most glamorous square in the world. Since this is where Tom Cruise shops at Tommy Hilfiger, mere mortals can simply window shop.
Capri can also be explored from the turquoise waters of its bay. Take a boat excursion into the famous Blue Grotto sea cave flooded with blue light, one of nature’s miracles.
#Pro tip: Take a minibus up the hilly pathways to Anna Capri (anna means above). It’s quieter and less crowded than Capri and the air is fresh and free from pollution. Small curiosity shops and pizzerias line the path. Trafalgar, the tour company behind the trip, prides itself on its “insider” information to give tourists a better experience. So we were taken to a place only known to locals — the house of Dr Alex Munthe called Villa San Michele. “He was a psychiatrist who spent many years living in Annacapri. He created sanctuaries for the animals and birds and the poor. He made this his private home with a garden with the most magical view of Capri,” revealed Giacomo. This stunning view (above) is from the chapel in Munthe’s house.
DID YOU KNOW: Capri pants were named so after they became popular on the Isle of Capri when actresses like Grace Kelly wore them
