Next up is the incredibly interesting city of Pompeii. Situated just outside of Naples, it’s a bit of a trek from Amalfi but the journey is well worth it. Pompeii is a city that has intrigued me since my highschool best friends visited almost 10 years ago, and I’m glad I finally got to check it off of my ever growing bucket list.

It is possible to get to Pompeii from the Amalfi Coast via public transit, but logistically it’s a bit of a nightmare. I think we worked out that we’d have to take 2 trains and 2 buses and hope that they all arrived on schedule so we didn’t miss a beat. That being said, though I’m usually anti-tour (I hate being on someone else’s schedule. Maybe I’m a control freak. Maybe.) we did one for this leg of the trip and I think it was a wise choice. If you don’t do a full day tour, I definitely recommend hiring a guide simply to help you tour the ruins. Our guide was incredible – a serious wealth of knowledge. Per her job description, she taught us things we NEVER would have known on our own*, many things we would have completely missed**, which made the experience that much more enriching.

Having been completely destroyed by a volcanic eruption in the year 79 AD, and only recently discovered (and by “recently” I mean around 250 years ago), the entire Roman city had been almost perfectly preserved under layers upon layers of volcanic ash and pumice. Mosaic flooring perfectly intact, human bodies remain in the exact position they were in at the time of their death, entire buildings still standing… It’s pretty unbelievable to say the least. It gave us a very accurate insight into how people lived so long ago.

That afternoon, we headed out to climb Mout Vesuvius (the very volcano that destroyed Pompeii almost 2000 years ago). It’s still active, and is known as the most deadly volcano in all of Europe. It’s a quick but intense climb (around 30 minutes up a steep incline), but the views are well worth it. Plus? There’s a shop that serves beer and wine at the top (knowing this helped propel us during those last few minutes, I’m not going to lie). Drinking beer & wine on top of a volcano is kind of thrilling, if you ask me.

*As we walked through what was once the brothel, our guide pointed out faint fresco’s painted above the doorway leading into each room. We were told that each fresco was a representation of a different sexual position. Because many of the prostitutes at the time were slaves and, as a result, didn’t speak the native language, the fresco’s were used so that the men could point and communicate which, um, positions they preferred.

** There were penises carved into the ground throughout the town that would guide you to the location of the brothel. This way, men didn’t need to feel embarrassed while asking for directions. They literally simply had to follow the “signs”. Who knew!

all images original to lark & linen

The next leg of our trip brought us to the gorgeous town of Amalfi. As an aside, we actually took the city bus (the Sita!) from Maiori all throughout the Amalfi Coast. It costs a euro or two each way (depending on how far you’re going) and it honestly couldn’t have been simpler. The drive was slightly petrifying (note: two buses passing each other at virtually full speed with merely inches to spare and a 2′ high retaining wall separating you from a ginormous, rocky death? It’ll take a few minutes off your life for sure), however it’s unavoidable no matter which way you navigate the roads. Distract yourself with the glorious vistas an you’ll be good to go!

Though significantly more touristy than Maiori & Minori, Amalfi was everything I could have imagined and more. Incredibly picturesque with all the charm one would expect. We spent the entire day getting lost through back alleys, soaking up the ceiling fresco’s at the Cathedral and eating our weight in gelato (seriously though). Throughout our back alley travels, we stumbled upon the most adorable little restaurant. With no real plans, we decided to stay for a drink and a bite to eat. Unfortunately I couldn’t for the life of me tell you where we ended up (bad blogger!) but we both agree that our afternoon on the teeny patio was our favourite moment of the entire trip. We must have sat there for four hours drinking entirely too much mid-day wine with essentially the whole restaurant all to ourselves. Pure magic, really.

all images original to lark & linen

To be honest, at this point our trip feels like a momentary blip in time. It was beyond anything I could have anticipated, but it almost feels as if it never happened. Daily life has resumed in full force and our trip to Italy has since become a wonderful, yet distant, memory. So it feels especially nice to take the time to write everything out. To preserve it all, if you will.

We stayed in a tiny seaside town named Maiori, situated just a few kilometres east of Amalfi. To be fair, I wasn’t originally blown away by this little place. Having been basically destroyed during a flood in the 50′s and, as a result, since rebuilt, it was lacking that charm I had anticipated the weeks leading up to our trip. Over time, however, it grew on me in huge strides. It was calm, situated off the beaten path and had one of the most glorious, expansive, beaches out of all the places we visited throughout the week. It felt quaint and local and the more we explored the more we fell in love. Our hotel, though inexpensive (hello budget!) and nothing over-the top special, was clean, the staff were friendly and our oversized balcony had views of the glorious emerald coloured seas. We could hear the waves crashing as we drifted to sleep each evening.

Though we had one terrible food experience (my biggest pet peeve!!) on our very first evening (I found a chunk of a can in my pizza. A can!), we quickly learnt the ins and outs of where to frequent for true, local, italian eats. If you do find yourself in Maiori, I highly recommend Dedalo. The staff were crazy friendly, handmade pasta was abundant and the food was incredibly tasty. That being said, we collectively agreed that the best thing we ate the entire trip was also the simplest. It was something we stumbled upon during a moment of desperation while waiting for our bus. We rushed into a local butcher shop and asked him if he could whip us up some form of sandwich to take on the road. He quickly prepared a panini made up of fresh bread, layers of prosciutto sliced thinly before our eyes, and a generous, full-sized ball of buffalo mozerella. It was indescribable and it took all of our energy not to fight over the last bite.  We, of course, ingested a few more before weeks end.

Minori, a sweet tiny town situated just a 12 minute walk west of our hotel, became another spot in which we frequented regularly. Similar to Maiori, felt slightly more modern for the most part, yet had its own charm and personality. After visiting many of the more touristy spots, it was nice to head back to our little neck of the woods and socialize with the locals in these tiny, sleepy towns.

all images original to lark & linen