Italian History and Geography

Italian geography made Italian history in Pompeii.

When I last toured Italy - back in 1977 - I took a day trip to Pompeii and Capri. As a result, I had an idea of what this area along the west coast had to offer. I was not familiar with Sorrento, however, and I soon realized that my memories of so long ago were very limited.

Terry explains what happened at Monte Casino in WWII

The trip from Rome to Sorrento takes about four hours, Along the way, we made a stop at Monte Casino, the site of an important battle in WWII. Terry's father had fought there, so he was the perfect person to explain the significance of this area, which is now a large cemetery, a war memorial.

Another view of the Monte Casino cemetery

Not long afterwards, we left the main highway and headed towards Sorrento, where we would stay for the next four nights. I was awed by the scenery. As the bus twisted and turned towards our destination, we looked down towards the Bay of Naples, and the small towns that dot its shores.

On our way to Sorento

Our hotel was also quite remarkable. We stayed at a lovely resort, with a dining room that afforded us views of the sunset every evening. The place was an oasis for us after days filled with sightseeing.

The dining room at our hotel

On our first full day in the area, we backtracked towards Naples to visit the impressive ruins of Pompeii. I was very much looking forward to this excursion since I knew that much more of the ancient city had been uncovered since my experience there almost forty years ago.

Our group inside Pompeii.

A street of Pompeii

I was not disappointed. Pompeii is a wonder of archaeological preservation! Bob and I both took a great many photos, although we have left the x-rated ones out of the blog. Haha. The students were fascinated by the place as well - as they should be. Is there anywhere else on earth like it?

The very well preserved decor of the bath house

Mount Vesuvius was once much larger, but it still looms over the city.

A cast of one the volcano's victims sits in a glass case below a Roman fresco.

Part of the Forum at Pompeii

Nearby, as always, sits Mount Vesuvius - and after lunch, we were driven part way up to climb it. This was an exciting prospect. I had never climbed an active volcano. As it worked out, the ascent was not as thrilling as I anticipated, since the day had turned quite chilly and the view inside the crater was merely a spectrum of greys.

Freezing on the way up.

Inside the crater

Nevertheless, determined, I climbed to the top where I was rewarded with a panoramic view over the Bay of Naples and the city itself below us.

The view from the top. 

Our second full day in the area provided an entirely different experience. First we walked to the Sorrento harbour to board a boat, which took us twenty minutes later to the island of Capri. There we were met by our local guides whose goal was to show off this island from four different perspectives.

We arrive in Capri

Most of our group on the shore level.

We spent only a few minutes at the first level - the shore level - long enough for a group photo. In short order, we were shuttled to the second level where we were shown where the rich and famous ate and shopped. This is the part of Capri with the most exclusive hotels and the most expensive shops. Here too is a perfume industry that produces very enticing scents.

Our guide explains how a former monastery has become the centre of the Capri perfume industry.

After about an hour or so, we ascended one more level to the third tier, where more shops and restaurants awaited us. Here, we were encouraged to take a chair lift even further up, in order to experience the most spectacular perspectives available. Bob and I decided against this move, until, hearing from others that I had missed a great experience, I changed my mind, spent 10 Euros, and rode to the top of the island with a couple of the boys. The view from the outlook at the top of Capri was stunning and, by going when we did, we actually had better weather conditions than those who ascended before lunch.

The view from the top.

Finally, back at shore level, we opted to take a boat tour of the circumference of Capri, the famous Blue Grotto being closed on this day. Our tour guide doubled as a guide on this boat too. From here, we witnessed beautiful aquamarine waters, and interesting rock formations. On a precipice, we glimpsed a goat, a most unusual sight, according to our guide.

A view of the lighthouse from the boat tour.

By 16:00, we were on our way back to Sorrento. I was looking forward to exploring the town itself, something we did both on this day and the next. The shops were very enticing and my time in Italy was running out!

A Sorrento Square

Italian linen for sale

On our final day in the region, we again boarded a bus, this time to drive along the Almalfi Coast, a breathtaking – and harrowing drive. This 40 kilometre stretch of coastline takes a long time to see, as the roads are very narrow, especially for a 50 seat bus. With drivers coming from the other direction, we had several "Mexican standoffs" along the way, but Enzo, our driver, was a magician, and we completed our journey unscathed.

The Amalfi Coastline

Enjoying the sunshine in Almalfi

Cathedral in the main square of Almalfi

We made a stop over lunch in the charming town of Amalfi itself but while I was keen to wander, the students couldn't wait to hit the beach. On this sunny and warm day, I was content to sit outside a cafe and sample the local dessert specialty.

Alexa on the hotel patio

Relaxing on the patio

Eventually, we made our way back to our Sorrento resort for our final evening there. Again, the students decided to bask in the sunshine and take in the view from the resort patio.

One last view of the Sorrento harbour from the hotel.

The next morning we returned to Rome, having completed the first week of our Easter vacation. Another week to go!

Sunny Rome

After the rains of Easter Sunday, we were thrilled to see a clear day the next morning. As expected, Rome was even more beautiful lit up by the sun. Like most other great European cities, Rome is best explored on foot, and we had perfect weather conditions to do so.

Our group at Vatican City

We met our guides at the hotel and ventured out to see the Rome that was a centre of art and architecture during the Renaissance. Much of the best of that world was housed in great churches, as you shall see. To make the most of our time, we traveled by Metro to our first stop.

Horses and carriages awaiting business at the Spanish Steps

We began the day at the square below the Spanish Steps, so beautiful and inviting. This was an opportunity to pose with a variety of backgrounds: in front of the 135 steps themselves, beside the Fontana della Barcaccia in the piazza, or even among the horses and carriages awaiting tourists.

No rain today. Let's celebrate.

A short walk away is the Trevi Fountain. Part of it was under scaffolding but there was enough to see to still be impressive.  Some of the students tossed coins into the makeshift pool created during renovations, while others joined me on the ramp in front of the statues to get a closer look at the art of the fountain.

The Fountain of Trevi and some scaffolding

We continued our stroll through the restored Galleria Sciarra, past the Colonnade of Hadrian's Temple,  to Piazza di Montecitorio. There were two monuments of note along the way: the beautiful Marcus Aurelius column in the Piazza Colonna with its elaborately carved images, and the obelisk of Monte Citorio in front of a 17th Century Palace now used as the Chamber of Deputies for the Italian Parliament.

Detail of the Marcus Aurelius Column

The Obelisk of Montecitorio in front of the Palace

 Walking in Rome reminded me of spending time in Paris. While tourists flock to the major sites, such as the Fountain of Trevi, there are wonders to be found with every twist and turn of the streets. And with blue skies as background on this day, I loved everything that I saw.

The Colonnade of the Temple of Hadrian

We made a longer stop at the Pantheon because of the special nature of this building. Once a Roman temple, it is now a Catholic church. This is important because the building's survival depended on it being "saved" by the Christians who destroyed many other Roman buildings.

The Pantheon

What a marvel it is on the inside! The massive dome has a hole in the middle, and when it rains, the centre of the building gets soaked. Of course there is a drainage system which must work well, since there were no signs of the waters from the previous day.

Inside the Pantheon dome

I had heard that there was a church nearby that housed three Caravaggio works, so our guides directed us there next. Again, I was reminded of the wonder that is Rome: in a small basilica yesterday, there were statues by Bernini; today's treat were large paintings in a corner chapel with the unmistakeable Caravaggio style. Impressive!

Two Carravaggios in San Luigi Dei Francesi

The last stop on our walking tour was the Piazza Navona, a large open area with two lovely fountains and several artists set up to do quick sketches of tourists. We said goodbye to our guide and found a restaurant in the open air to enjoy lunch. I could have stayed in this place much longer but there was much more of Rome to see.

Our guide led us to Piazza Navona waving her Canadian flag

One of the fountains in Piazza Navona

We headed next to Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio, a Jesuit church that I had read about; even Dan had never been there though, so we were excited to see its Baroque interior. It was lovely, with beautiful frescoes on the ceiling and walls.

Inside the Chiesa Sant'Ignazio

Dan had suggested that the students might wish to see the Capuchin crypt not far from the Spanish steps so we hurried there next. This oddity consisted of designs created using human bones - fortunately taken from bodies after they died - not before. The students loved it, of course.

This ordinary building houses bone crypt. No photos allowed inside.

At this point in the day, Bob and I split up from the others and headed by Metro to the west end of the city to see even more churches.

The impressive facade of the Archbasilica

The Papal Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (San Giovanni) was our first stop. This massive building is the seat of the Bishop of Rome (the Pope). It is older than Saint Peter's in the Vatican and similar in size, with many features that suggest its importance. We were very impressed.

The beautiful apse of the Archbasilica, with its very elaborate ceiling.

The cloister at San Giovanni

Nearby, we followed a group of pre-teens into the Scala Sancta, the "holy stairs" where pilgrims ascend the flight on their knees in order to honour the passion of Christ. At the top, there is a small chapel. This small building has great religious significance to Catholics.

Basilica di San Clemente

A few minutes' walk away, we entered the Basilica di San Clemente el Laterano, a small church recommended by the mother of one of my students. Like San Giovanni, the ceiling was particularly notable.

Ruins below San Martino ai Monte

At the end of a long day of touring, we decided to visit one more church, San Montino ai Monte, as it was on our route back to the hotel. It seemed unspectacular, until we descended into the crypt, where we discovered the remains of an older church further below. We had heard from our guide that Rome was a layered city, with many ruins below existing buildings and inadvertently, we had discovered such a place. Very cool.

On the grounds of the Vatican Museum

Martina, our guide, waves the Canadian flag as she leads us through part of the Vatican Museum.

On our final morning in Rome, we visited Vatican City. We spent a great deal of time inside the Vatican Museums, before entering Saint Peter's Basilica and the square in front of it. It was still set up for the Mass that had taken place there Easter Sunday. Just after lunch, we headed to our hotel and boarded our bus to leave the city.

The breathtakingly beautiful pieta

Arrividerci, Roma. You are a wondrous place, rain or shine!

Rainy Rome

Easter weekend began the two week trip known affectionately at NJC as Gritaly. Forty-four students and four supervisors took part in this wonderful adventure. I was very fortunate to be able to experience this journey with my husband, whose skill behind the camera will be obvious in many of the photos we took along the way.

Our first destination was Rome. I had visited the Eternal City in 1977, but that is a long time ago. At that time, I was part of a tour, and was limited in what I could see. This time around, I had a chance to see the "real" Rome – and it was fabulous, even though we nearly drowned under heavy rains on the first two days there.

Inside the Catacombs of San Callisto

Shortly after our arrival on Saturday afternoon we were bused to the Catacombs of San Callisto, where our guide, an Australian priest, led us through the maze below the earth where many popes and martyrs were buried - a good escape from the rain. Unlike the Catacombs I saw in France several years ago, these contained no bones. Human remains have disappeared over time.

There was a street market behind Santa Maria Maggiore

Inside the Basilica

Later in the day, the skies cleared long enough for us to explore the area near our hotel. Most notable was the beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a few minutes away. This was the first of many impressive churches we visited during our time in Rome.

The facade of Santa Maria Maggiore 

Sunday morning, Easter Sunday, was very wet, and unfortunately for us, we were scheduled to visit several outdoor attractions on foot. At 8:30 a.m., there was a light drizzle but as the morning progressed, we found ourselves in a downpour. I was okay since I had a raincoat on and an umbrella with me, but many of the students were forced to support the local economy, investing in ponchos and umbrellas that were on sale everywhere. We soldiered on anyway, because the Colosseum and the Forum were too spectacular to miss. What's a little water anyway, compared to the conditions the ancients lived in?

Tourists inside the Colosseum

Posing in the rain

The guided part of our tour lasted about two and a half hours. In spite of the weather, I really enjoyed seeing the Colosseum again. I remembered it well from that visit long ago, and was expecting to see many cats among the ruins. Surprisingly, they were all gone - a recent clean-up. Also, the walk through the Forum was an improvement over the last time I was there when we merely looked at the area. This time, we got our feet wet – literally - as we trudged through rivulets of water.

Drowned rats in the Forum

More of the forum area

Of course, as soon as the formal tour ended, so did the rain - at least for a while. The students dispersed, many to the hotel in search of dry clothes, while the staff found shelter in a local restaurant near the Colosseum. I even found time to shop, picking up a wallet to replace the one I had had stolen in Barcelona.

The Victor Emmanuel Monument also known as the typewriter or the wedding cake

The teachers after the rain

In the afternoon, after a change of footwear, we teachers headed out again; the rain continued but it was never as relentless as it had been in the morning. We took the Metro to Piazza del Populo where two identical churches stand on opposite corners. Apparently, one of these was the setting for the film Angels and Demons. 

Piazza del Populo

Inside the Santuario-Basilica Madonna del Miraculo

From there we strolled through old Roman streets past the Spanish Steps to a small sanctuary nearby which housed several Bernini statues. There is so much terrific art and architecture in Rome that a visitor could become blasé. I was determined not to let that happen to me. In fact, even though the day was getting long, I stopped at each of the four corners of Via del Quattro Fontane and Via del Quirinale to photograph the fountains depicting the four seasons.

Bernini statue

One of the fountains at Quattro Fontane

By the end of the day, we had explored a lot of Rome under grey skies. We would see her sunny face the next day.