Two of our residents spent several weeks traveling throughout southern Italy during the fall 2022. This article shares several photos and stories from areas they visited.
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Sorrento, Capri, & Amalfi Coast
We arrived in Rome, traveled to Sorrento, and settled in for a few days. After visiting the island of Capri, we explored the Amalfi Coast (Positano, Amalfi, & Ravello). Roads along the Amalfi Coast are very narrow & windy in parts. We enjoyed beautiful views, towns, & the Ravello gardens.
Paestum
We took a great 2-hour guided tour of Pompeii, & then saw more on our own. Pompeii is a huge archeological site! The next day, we traveled to see the amazing Greek temples in Paestum… spectacular when lit up at night.
Sicily
We drove 6.5 hours to Taormina (in Sicily). Southern Italy is much more mountainous than I expected, and the bridges & tunnels are impressive. We walked the mountain-side town and enjoyed views of Mount Etna & the Ionian Sea. Then, we traveled around Sicily to visit Sircusa, Agrigento, Palermo, and Messina.
Puglia Area
After leaving Sicily, we drove 5.5 hours to stay in a trullo (stacked stone home) near Alberobello. From there, we explored the Puglia area including Alberobello, Matera, Ostuni, Lecce, Brindisi, and more. These cities are in/near the “heel of the boot.”
Matera is a town of cave-dwellings and one of the oldest continually inhabited settlements in the world. Ostuni is an old town of white-washed buildings on a hilltop. Lecce is known for its baroque buildings and is often called “Florence of the south.” Brindisi is on the Adriatic with an interesting mix of old and new buildings blended together.
Bari and Polignano a Mare
We drove about 1.5 hours to Bari with a visit to Polignano a Mare along the way. Bari is a big city across the Adriatic from Dubrovnik and Polignano a Mare is a small beach town about 30 minutes south of Bari. There is so much to see in Bari. The city has a great energy and style.
Other Notes
Following our travels, we returned to Rome and then on to the port city of Civitavecchia. From there, we took a transatlantic cruise back to Tampa, Florida. The cruise was a great way to relax and travel homeward. The cruise also allowed us to avoid jetlag, since the time changed 1-hour each night or two. The cruise also allowed us to visit ports in Spain and the Canary Islands.