ITALY! Days 6-7: Nocelle & Pompeii

Day 6

On Day 6 we woke up very early to hike the Path of the Gods before the ground started boiling from the sun. Unfortunately Claire wasn’t feeling well (we're learning she's very sensitive to spending too much time in the sun) so she stayed behind to rest while we met our guide in front of our villa at 7:30 am to begin. The view from our front terrace never failed to take my breath away.

Per our handy travel app from Kaleigh:

The Path of the Gods is one of the most famous paths in Italy, moving from Bomerano to Nocelle. Walking between heaven and earth, it is possible to admire one of the most breathtaking panoramas in Italy: a stunning view of the coast which ranges from the archipelago of Li Galli and the isle of Capri. The Path of the Gods, despite its name, is also an extraordinary example of the work of human beings who managed throughout the centuries to colonize even the most impracticable locations of the region. Walking in this spectacular scenery, you might meet local sheperds and farmers. They still work and live in this little corner of heaven, facing daily difficulties of their job with passion and devotion, a trademark of the people here in Southern Italy. Through old vineyards, terraces, farmhouses, and monasteries, spended at 2100 feet above sea level, you will have the feeling of walking in a painting with an ever-changing landscape.

This was a perfect description of our journey.

We hiked 5 miles up, down, and along the spectacular coast.

Per my watch we took just under 12,000 steps and climbed the equivalent of 116 flights of stairs.

The views are absolutely incredible, I can't believe the path started just beyond our door.

Our guide Fulvio was wonderful- telling stories, pointing out plants and herbs, and introducing us to his friends who live on the path along the way.

We passed empty, crumbling farmhouses, abandoned when tourism came to Positano about 70 years ago and farmers could build a life in town.

We stopped at the home of an artist who makes amazing lemon granita and installed a row boat off the edge of his cliff.

We stopped for longer at a goat sheperd's home to be treated to fresh bread and tomatoes and the best (homemade!) goat cheese I’ve ever had.

Sitting at his table, with his mule named Limoncello grazing on grass in front of me and his collie at my feet (being petted by Cora of course), looking out of the sparkling Sea was simply incredible.

What a hard life, but what a view to see while you live it.

Claire had been texting me regularly on our hike with updates on how she was feeling and then suddenly the updates stopped. I was absolutely certain she was just taking a nap, but we raced back anyway to be sure. Our guide said it was the fastest time he’s ever made with a group on the hike, and we found her fast asleep in bed, resting comfortably and feeling better.

We walked to get sandwiches at a tiny shop on the cliff near our villa and enjoyed a very lazy afternoon. I don’t know what everyone else did, but I slept for 3 hours and it was glorious.

Dinner that night was very special. At the recommendation of our house manager, I booked us 5 seats at the single table of Mamma Luisa's.

We walked to the bus stop to meet Mariangela who walked us to her mothers house (the Mamma Luisa!) for the most *incredible* homemade meal on their rooftop terrace with a small group of others at one table.

Mariangela brought out at least 7 appetizers, all with organic ingredients farmed from their own gardens, their own homemade wine that might be the best we’ve had on the trip, a chicken dish with a citrus sauce that was so delicious, and endless amounts of homemade bread.

As the night progressed the moon made a beautiful moonbeam on the water.

They seat one table a night, 4 nights a week, and I feel so lucky to have experienced it. It was a magical way to spend our last night in Nocelle.

Day 7: Pompeii & Roma!

On Day 7 we packed up and said goodbye to our beautiful villa in the clouds. We hauled our luggage up, down, and around all the stairs to the little Nocelle parking lot to be picked up one final time.

This time we were heading to the train station in Naples, with a stop at Pompeii along the way. Our driver dropped us off and stayed with the car and our luggage while our private guide met us at the entrance to whisk us into the ancient and tragically well-preserved city.

It's amazing to walk through an entire city frozen at 79 A.D. It was brutally hot, but James was enthralled and Cora was delighted to see what she learned about in school. Claire was concerned about all the people who died, and Landon mostly wanted to play hide-and-go-seek in the ruins (no) and/or train where the gladiators trained (also no). Our guide was wonderful and told lots of stories and pointed out lots of details I hadn't learned on my first visit nearly 20 years ago.

Next, our driver took us to the Naples train station which is huge and crazy with great food.

We boarded our high speed train to Rome like the pros we were, sped along the countryside to disembark in Rome, hailed a Taxi, and met the owner of our VRBO at his top floor apartment one block from the Pantheon.

Next installment: Rome!