the finale of our pizza and pasta filled vacation

We have three more days to go and I am fitting it all in this post because there are other things going on in the world, aside from our vacation. I loved it and will appreciate capturing the memories, but this cannot go on forever.

A building in Rome from our
walk on Christmas morning.

I woke up in Italy on Christmas morning. It was the first time in my thirty-four years of life I did not wake up at my parent's home on the twenty-fifth of December. Talk about change! We spent the morning site-seeing outdoor attractions because we didn't think the streets would be crowded, but the city was bustling. Apparently it is popular to walk around Rome on holidays - even the gelato stores were open (thank goodness). After we checked off the last site on our list, we went back to the family's apartment, exchanged gifts, and had a big dinner. It was lovely. Bed was early that evening because we had to be up and at 'em the following morning for a guided tour of a lost city called Herculaneum. 

A colorful mosaic
in Herculaneum.

Herculaneum is similar to the more well-known town of Pompeii. However, instead of being covered in ash after the eruption of nearby Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D., Herculaneum was covered in actual lava (and mud). The combination of lava and mud did wonders in preserving the details of this small resort town located directly south of Naples. It was a much wealthier town than Pompeii and the brightly colored marble and mosaics that adorned the buildings can be viewed today. It was crazy! It has taken one hundred years to dig the city out from the lava it was encased in and you can view original rooftops, building beams, beds, doors, and even jugs that once held wine and olive oil. My husband's sister had gone to Pompeii and although impressive, she was told Herculaneum was far more interesting - she was given great advice. Once our tour was finished, we drove an hour south to the beginning of Italy's Amalfi Coast for lunch and it was one of the biggest treats on the trip for me. I tried over and over to figure out how to spend time there without feeling overwhelmed and rushed - and it just didn't fit into our itineraries. Our tour guide insisted we go and experience true coastal Italy and I could not have been more grateful. If When we return to Italy we will most definitely be returning to the Amalfi Coast. It was breathtaking - huge mountains are nestled directly next to the Mediterranean Sea and sea towns are built right into the hillsides. It is pure beauty and such a gift to see with your own eyes. It was a four-hour drive back to Rome, so we planned for one last late dinner out, stopped by a fountain of turtles on our walk home, and fell asleep for our last time in a different country. 

The view from Sorrento.

We were able to sleep in a little the following morning, which was not hard in Italy - every hotel we stayed in was pitch black in the morning. I applaud whoever started that movement because I can appreciate waking up in pure darkness. I can also appreciate the free slippers all the hotels gave out. There weren't always robes, but there were always slippers. All of the hotels also had bidets and towel warmers, but I just couldn't get into those as much as the darkness and the slippers. The travel gods were with us going home, as we did not have any flight delays and made it to the ferry with minutes to spare. It was a great trip and I couldn't be more grateful for having the opportunity to experience another country as beautiful as Italy. The end.