Rome 22-25

All roads lead to Rome - we have walked the cobbled streets, sat around and people watched while drinking coffee in different Piazza's, eaten lots of pasta, pizza and gelato, and enjoyed the art, sculptures and historical sites of this wonderful city. Experienced a few tropical afternoon showers. Spring has been a great time to visit and enjoy the flowers that have added colour and life to our holiday. 

Colosseum

The Trevi Fountain or Fontana di Trevi is Rome's most famous fountain immortalised by Anita Ekberg's midnight dip in La dolce vita. This baroque fountain was designed in 1732 and depicts Neptune's chariot being led by Tritons with sea horses - one wild and one docile, representing the various moods of the sea.

 

The Vatican City  - the world's most sovereign state. It has it's own currency and newspaper, radio station and postal service. Did a 3 hour tour and included was a visit to the Sistin Chapel - our quick history lesson about Michelangelo's frescoes and the story of the The Last Judgement  was really fascinating, apparently if you stop for 60 seconds at each art piece it would take you seven and half years to view all. 

 The Villa Borghese - visited this beautiful park and saw a display of some unusual things!

Positano 17-21

Positano

Our balcony

The city of Pompeii is a partially buriedRoman town-city near Naples.  Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in 79 AD. The eruption buried Pompeii under 4 to 6 meters of ash and pumice and it was lost for over 1700 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1749. 

 

The Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) is a noted sea cave on the coast of the island of Capri. Sunlight, passing through an underwater cavity and shining through the seawater, creates a blue reflection that illuminates the cavern. The grotto was known by the Romans, proved by the antique statues which were found in the Grotto. .

our boat to take us into the Blue Grotto

Sicily 11-16

Mount Etna - the largest volcano in Europe. We went to the very top 3350m, considered the most active volcano in the world. It was all happening up there with the Giro d' Italia race on.

Taormina

Teatro Greco a horseshoe shaped theatre, built in the 3rd century BC, known to be  the most dramatically situated Greek theatre in the world.

Cefalu - a day trip from Palermo.

Taormina

Population 10,000