RAVELLO & OUR VILLA

Tuesday 28 September:
Ravello:
We were supposed to be going to Isle of Capri today, but the weather didn’t look great, but Thursday is supposed to be, so we have put that off till then. So instead we decided to go by ferry to Ravello via Amalfi. Ravello is high in the mountains above Amalfi, and I would have to say this is the hidden Jewel in the crown of the Amalfi Coast. We didn’t expect this place to be this beautiful, the vistas up and down the coastline from different vantage points is stunning, it was a pity it was so hazy today, our photos probably can’t capture how great it really is.
Cameo’s are legendary here, from Camo, where the owner told me he has been doing these for 40 years. His customers photos are all over the walls, Presidents (Fords and Clintons), actors like Sigourney Weaver, Nicholas Cage, Wynona Ryder, Pierce Brosnan and royalty, have bought here. We found this deli for lunch, and the lady behind the counter made us rolls,(local bread) with Prosciutto, Mozzarella (world famous here) and fresh cherry tomatoes , basil, and olive oil, wow!!! Nothing tasted as fresh as this, just delightful.
Then we were told earlier in the day to make sure we didn’t miss the Villa Cimbrone, so we went, and we are glad we did. This estate is perched on the top of the mountain, that juts out and from Ravello, and as you walk through it’s magnificent gardens to the Terrace of Infinity, you have Amalfi and Minori either side way down on the coastline below. The Villa itself now a 5 star hotel, the grounds house some wonderful pieces of sculpture, like David, with Goliaths severed head at his feet, and Eve’s Grotto, where a white marble sculpture by Tadolini, sits alone, just amazing.
That’s was a big day, time to put the feet up tonight.

Our Villa:
Here are a few photos of our villa, it is awesome, works really well for us. Great outdoor area, our bedroom and bathroom are just so nice, it is a real blessing to be staying here, and we are about 2 minutes from the action in the main Piazza. You could really party all night in this place!!

POMPEII

Monday 27 September:
Pompeii:
After our early morning jaunts to find some coffee (we are getting up way too early for holidays (5 am ‘ish, hope our body clocks adjust soon), the weather was still not good, raining again this morning. We decided to do Pompeii, and had an early start with 45 minute ride on bus from Positano to Sorrento then 30 minutes on the metro to Pompeii. When we arrived we opted for a tour guide, this place was so huge, we weren’t expecting that, so the guide was a smart move. It was great to get the history and ask questions along the way, powerful story of the earthquake 17 years before the eruption and how this city was on the rebuild before Vesuvius let loose, on what was the port city of Pompeii (now a few km’s inland), a mix of Greek and Roman architecture.
The preservation of what was not vaporized from the gases when the ash fell is truly amazing and the lifestyles they lived were not dissimilar to ours. There is nothing new under the sun. Their city was a model of what we have had for thousands of years now, just mind boggling how technically advanced they were.
When we got back, we headed down to organise our trip to Isle of Capri tomorrow as the weather is supposed to be good, and no wind, which is important for the ferries to run, as Positano is not a sheltered harbour.

ROME & POSITANO

Sunday 26 September:
ROME & POSITANO
Well, it has been a fast few days, First day in Rome Friday) we just saw a bit around the streets and a few of the Basilica’s that were close. We stayed in a B&B with great sized rooms, (unusual for Rome), and the ladies there Angela & Serafina beautiful Italian Mommas, spoke no English, but looked after us, and we had breaky in their kitchen the next morning, it was great.
Saturday was travel day from Rome to Salerno (by Train) then we went to take the ferry from there to Positano, but they had cancelled ferries because it was too rough, so it was the famous bus ride for 2 hours up and down winding roads cliffs, quaint little villages and vistas to die for. Then we arrived just before dusk, (Photo is our first view on Positano).
This place is unbelievable, it’s hard to describe really, while the photos are lovely, it’s the atmosphere of the place that really gets you. It takes you back in time to the 60’s in some of the places, but it is also very ancient and modern at the same time. The bus loads of tourists off the cruise ships arrived, just after our mid- morning stroll, and they took over the place, so we hiked it back to our villa (I’ll put photos of it in next Blog Update). It wasn’t the best weather today, mind you the rain passed on, but seas are choppy, so no ferries to go places, so we had a rest and plan day today for the rest of the week.
Night time here, is just exquisite, after dinner at Chez Black restaurant (many famous celebs photos cover the wall) we stumbled upon a guy busking in a little Piazza with a small crowd around him, playing an unusual instrument, a cross between a mandolin and a harp, man could he sing, quite moving, just magical.
Off to do some shopping (food) and organise Pompeii trip for tomorrow. Ciao for now!

SINGAPORE

Thursday 23 September: SINGAPORE: Day 1 on the ground, We landed in Singapore not as refreshed as we would have hoped, not the best night’s sleep on board our 777. Anyway we spent the day with Craig and Wendy Smith ex LIFE’ers who are now living here. They took us to the $6 Billion, Marina Sands Hotel and Casino. Its 3 towers with a massive span that has observation decks, alfresco dining and an infinity pool that looks back across the city. Fairly impressive building, I remember seeing it on Megastructures on SkyTV recently (see the pics). We then hit Orchard Rd for the shops just to browse, no buying though. Had a great dinner down at the beach, at a seafood place, jammed packed, and great food. Now I’m sitting here in Changi Airport awaiting to board our 1.05am flight to Rome, let the fun begin!!!! But the free Wi Fi is working….

Ready to Go

Getting Ready to Go:
It's Monday night 13 September 2010. Just setting up the blog, remembering how to do all this.... Awesome, 9 days to go!