Pompeii Amalfi and Positano

Pompeii is a fascinating mix of beauty, history and culture. As you explore the uncanny ruins of this ancient micropolis, the nearly 20 centuries that separate its streets, buildings and inhabitants from us seem to fall away like the 20 ft. of hardened ash that were removed to bring its story to light. Nothing could have prepared Pompeii’s residents for the force building below their beloved grass covered mountain (portrayed in many a fresco), so when Mt. Vesuvius blew its top on August 24, 79 AD, virtually everyone and everything remained. As a result, a stop motion photograph of each phase of the eruption and a perfectly rendered portrait of how these ancient people lived has been handed down to us. Today Pompeii represents one of the largest archeological areas in the world, Unesco World Heritage site, it is a very popular tourist destination. Not to visit he so-called “buried town” means missing a unique experience in the world.

It is considered by Unesco an important example of a Mediterranean landscape, Amalfi is one of Italy’s most favourite destinations of the international tourism. Amalfi, which also gives its name to the coast, is situated at the mouth of the Valle dei Mulini; it was the first of the Four Maritime Republics of Italy and for a long time had the monopoly of trade with the East. It looks like a cluster of white houses clinging to the rock and connected to each other by covered alleys and stairways. At the center of the main square there is the beautiful Cathedral of St. Andrew, with its impressive staircase, the bell-tower in Arab-Norman style and the charming Cloister of Paradise. The Handmade paper Museum and the Ancients Arsenals of the Republic also worth a visit.

Positano is one of Italy’s most romantic vacation spots and one of the top Amalfi Coast towns to visit. Built vertically on the face of a cliff, it started out as a fishing village and became popular with writers and artists in the 1950’s. Today it’s a fashionable resort yet still retains its charm, with its pretty pastel colored houses and flowers, high-end fashion boutiques, luxury hotels, cafes and fantastic views. Just off the shores of Positano, you will see the three islets of Li Galli: legend has it that they were inhabited by Sirens who attempted to seduce with their song all those who sailed nearby. Among those to have been enchanted by the islets’ mysterious beauty, the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who spent the last years of his life here, is, perhaps, the most famous. And Positano, like the legendary Sirens of Li Galli, never fails to seduce.