Although we could have stayed in Norma forever (peaceful, warm, beautiful, with fantastic paragliding . . . ), we couldn't quite give up on the rest of our trip, so after a morning flight, we headed south.
We got to Pompeii about 3 p.m. (last entrance is at 3:30 during low season) and unfortunately, all of the official guides were gone by then (normally they are available, just hanging around the official ticket line). Instead, we got the audioguides, which were OK, though I would have preferred a guide to tell the full story. Still, Pompeii was impressive and there was more to explore than we could see in a couple of hours. Of course, one story of Pompeii is those 4,000 who died in the eruption. There are a few casts to remind us of their loss.
The bigger story, though, is of all the people who lived! Pompeii was huge. A thriving trade center where people lived and loved and created. It was fascinating to learn of their water systems and societal norms.
The mosaics, many of which have been transferred to the archaeological museum in Naples, were stunning. With so much of the art now removed, however, we decided we had to see the full collection (more on that later). The craziest part of Pompeii for me was how old everything is, but still so well preserved. And they haven't even finished excavations yet!
Traffic from Pompeii to Sorrento was surprisingly slow and finding a good place to eat was harder than expected. We finally opted for a little restaurant where we tried the traditional Margarita pizzas (named after Queen Margarita and boasting the Italian flag colors—red sauce, white mozzarella cheese, and green basil).
We were a little underwhelmed (one basil leaf?!). It may not be traditional, but I like a loaded pizza! Still, even mediocre pizza in Italy is delicious and we ate every bite. Our hotel had an incredible view of the bay and Mt. Vesuvius and My Man set an alarm so we could watch the sunrise. It was worth the early wakeup.
We drove straight to Positano after breakfast, intent on hiking the Trail of the Gods (Il Sentiero degli Dei). Although most people hike from Bomerano to Nocelle (the path with an elevation drop and the best views), since we were driving from Sorrento I decided to start at the trailhead in Nocelle, above Positano, to minimize driving. My Man and I were going to hike half the trail (roundtrip) to avoid the problem of a transfer. My Man, however, had been hit by a cold and that combined with the terribly hard beds we’d been trying to sleep on meant he wasn’t thrilled by the idea of the hike. Instead of canceling, he gallantly offered to drop me off at the trailhead in Nocelle and pick me up at the other end. He’s really awesome like that. I could have kissed him at the offer (if he hadn’t been so germy) since hiking the trail had been one of my top priorities for the trip. It’s a good thing he is an intrepid driver, because the road up to the trailhead (and back down) is pretty insane—narrow, crowded, and extremely windy (apparently most of the Amalfi coast road is similarly difficult and if we go back we will avoid driving there).
I followed the well-marked signs to the trail’s beginning (and climbed about a million stone stairs on the way!). Unfortunately, that’s where the clear marking ended. I stood looking at the big official map and then turned to look at the trail. Or rather, trails. I could make out at least six paths branching out from the official sign with no official markings or indications about which was the actual trail. The fact that I thought to take a picture at this point to document the many trail options should have been a sign (haha, sorry, bad pun).
Stumped, I set off on what looked like the most well-used path. After awhile, I met a group of goats, their bells clanging merrily as they ate. Not long after that, my well-used path began to dissolve into a series of goat trails and soon it was impossible to tell what was the main path. Hmm, I wasn’t sure if I should head back to the beginning (about 10 minutes behind me) to try a new path or, it seemed that I could see a more established path along the hillside above me. I probably should have turned back. Instead, I climbed up to the other path. It was a lovely path. I was surprised not to see any official markings, but the path was wide and clear and headed the right direction, so I happily hiked along. It had a decently steep incline, but I was expecting that. I was, afterall, hiking the trail backward. The views were stunning.
As the trail neared a steep ravine, it also became smaller and steeper. It was clear I was not, afterall, on the Trail of the Gods, but on the Trail of the Goats. So, faced with the decision whether to continue or head back and try to find the official path (now more than 30 minutes behind me), I opted to push forward since it was such well-used trail that I figured maybe it would still go through and I didn’t want My Man to be waiting too long for me on the other side (this is where My Man would interject that while I am a master planner, my on-the-fly decision-making skills could use a tune-up). Soon after, however, the trail deadended into a spectacular cliff—towering above and below. There was no option but to turn back.
The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the ocean was spectacular in front of me. So, while the setback was frustrating, it wasn’t all bad. As I backtracked, I considered the experience a bonus hike. About halfway back, I spotted the real trail far, far below me down the mountain. With a wooden banister and other people hiking there, it was obviously the real deal. The question was how to reach it. I could continue all the way back to the original sign and hope that I made the right choice this time, or try to make my way down to the path I could see. Since there were myriad goat trails heading down and I was already behind schedule, I opted for the more direct path. There were a few setbacks when goat trails ended in drop-offs, but it didn’t take too long for me to make it down the mountain to the actual trail to “begin” my hike.
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| My shadow selfie celebrating finding the correct path at last! |
And wow. The earlier hiking had been wonderful but the Trail of the Gods was really phenomenal on a whole other level. I loved stumbling across old stone ruins, turning back to see the precarious and colorful seaside towns perched on the mountainside and running down to the ocean, and the cliffs set a dramatic backdrop for everything.
I counted myself very blessed to have a husband patient enough to humor my passion for getting away from it all and hiking. As I climbed, drinking in the fantastic views and sunshine, I was grateful just to be alive.
I would hike that trail again tomorrow (or tonight) or any time I have the chance. It was definitely worth it and one of my absolute highlights from our trip (and the real trail is well marked with red dots/dashes every few meters. Not sure how I missed it originally—must be less clear at the end because most people are traveling the other direction). Anyway, I made it to the end in just over 2 hours (estimated time for the trail that direction without detours is 3 hours, so I felt pretty good about myself). My Man just barely beat me to the other side and took the chance to hike a bit of the trail himself. Perfect.
Although hiking the full trail meant I missed the Amalfi Coast drive (we didn’t stop at the Emerald Grotto as I’d planned or lunch in Positano), I felt like I’d seen plenty from the trail and My Man had had more than enough of that drive, so we headed overland toward Mt. Vesuvius.
The trail up Mt. Vesuvius isn’t very long, but it’s steep and after my morning scamper my legs were burning! We reached the top and were adequately awed by the views of Naples, the ocean, and Pompeii. We looked over the edge into the deep gulf of the crater and watched the sulfurous steam waft toward us. It was humbling to imagine the magnitude of the eruption that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum while standing on the rim of the volcano that is overdue a similarly huge explosion. After a sufficient time spent gaping and imagining, we headed back down the hill to tackle the chaos of Naples.
Parking on the edge of town (at Parcheggio Brin), we taxied straight to the Archaeological Museum of Naples to explore the riches of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The mosaic collection is unbelievable, especially after exploring Pompeii. I was amazed to learn that the museum has housed the Pompeii artifacts since 1750—that means that the museum has been a museum longer than the United States has been a country!
After the museum, we had one goal: pizza from the birthplace of pizza! We walked from the museum to Spaccanapoli, soaking in the intensity and grittiness of Naples. It was fascinating. And then we found it, the best pizza place in the world: Vesi Pizza. My personal pizza smothered in mozzarella cheese and tomatoes and arugula was big enough that I ended up eating it for three straight meals! My Man managed to finish his pesto pizza in one sitting (impressive!). You'd think that after all this pizza we'd be ready for something else, but no. I would eat that pizza again tomorrow. And the next day. And . . . well you get the picture. After pizza it was time for one more Italian gelato (yum!) before heading for home.
And that was our trip: sun-drenched, cheesy pizza and gelato-filled chaotic cities, historical sites, and beautiful mountains and sea. Did we see all of Italy? Nope. But saw a lot and we loved every bit. Italy—we love you! This trip was not our last!
**Disclaimer, we visited during the beginning of low season when crowds and prices were down but we lucked out with perfect weather. We probably would have had a less enchanted view of Italy if it had been cold and rainy or hot and crowded. November travel is a gamble, but for us it worked great!
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