Sept. 17, 2007. Coffee and Diet Coke break and checking GPS coordinates.

Randy leads the way on his bike from Rome to our final destination of Marina del Cantone on the Amalfi Coast. First glimpse of SORRENTO.

The coast line around Sorrento.

Sept. 18, 2007. We booked a boat tour to the Island of Capri and leave the Marina del Cantone.

View of Marina del Cantone and in to the left of the picture in the trees hide our campground.

First sight of the ISLAND OF CAPRI.

Motoring down past the tip of the Penisola Sorrentina.

Capri's main port of call the Marina Grande...

... located on the north side of the island.

Colorful houses and sail boats line the habour.

We stop at the GROTTA AZZURRA or also called the Blue Grotto, ...

Tiny fishing boats take us through a small opening inside the Grotto.

By small I mean we had to lie on the bottom of the fishing boat to make the opening. Randy seemed to be enjoying it, not sure if it was the incredible blue iridescent blue light or that he had Michelle and myself lying between his legs.

The cave bathed in iridescent blue light.

Even your hand illuminates to blue when placed into the water.

There are numberous caves in the area, but the Grotta Azzurra is the only one accessible.

The color of the water is due to a phenomenon of light refraction.

Returning to the daylight.

The light house on the southern tip of Capri Island (Point Carena).

The boat drops us off at the Marina Piccola and we hike up to Punta del Cannone (Cannon Point).

View of the Marina Piccola from Punta del Cannone.

View of the Gardens of Augustus and Carthusian Monastery.

Taking a rest at a picturques spot.

These are the most cool cars. This is a four door fiat and are actually all over Italy.

View from the Gardens of Augustus down the street called via Krupp.

The coastline around Marina Piccola.

View of the Faraglioni (two rocks poking out of the water), it reminded us of Cabo San Lucas.

On the return trip we had a closer look at the Faraglioni....

... by actually passing through this opening with the boat.

Natural Arch, a unique phenomenon of geologic erosion.

There is a person standing in the centre of the arch with a red shirt, which gives a better appreciation for the size.

Back at the campground we have new neighbours in this awesomely restored Volkswagen bus all the way from England.

Our campsite at the Villaggio Residence Nettuno Campsite www. villaggionettuno.it

Sept. 19, 2007. The gang at the train station in Pompeii. We took the bus from Marina del Cantone to Sorrento and then the train to Pompeii (2hrs one way)

Both Mike and I had been looking forward to this visit to POMPEII.

The ruins of Pompeii with Vulcano Vesuvius in the background.

Pompeii an ancient Roman city dating back to the late 7th century was burried under rock and ash in 79AD after Vesuvius erupted.

The Quadriporticus of the Theatres, a sort of foyer.

The Small Theatre was built around 80BC and was probably used for musical performances adn poetry readings.

The Great Theatre built in 2nd century BC in a horseshoe shape.

It is divided into three zones, of which the lower section is covered with marble.

Statue leading up the steps of the great theatre, which could seat up to 5000 people.

Roman Road and the grooves of ancient chariots running along them.

Almost all the streets are this well preserved.

Even Randy was taken with the Roman roads.

The Temple of Isis, built in the 2nd Century BC.

The House of the Cithara Player is 2700 square meters.

An example of how columns were constructed. The interior was made of red bricks and the exterior covered by marble or other material.

The Fullonica of Stephanus, which housed 13 laboratories processing raw wool, then spinning and weaving them. After dyeing the wool it was washed.

This is a room in the Fullonica of Stephanus. The wall paintings giving us a glimpse of what rooms used to look like.

This room is part of the dyeing process.

The House of the Lararium of Achilles. The wall paintings depicting the final episodes of the Trojan war.

Here is a typical Roman house and the main entrance. The square sunken centre part is open to the roof. Water is collected when it rains and stored in cistern.

The House of the Ceili. Hunting scenes are painted on the walls.

The Thermopolium of Vetutius Placidus, widespread in Pompeii, served hot food and drinks to the public.

Frescoed Lararium depicting Mercury (god of trade) and Dionysus (god of wine).

Ancient Olive Press.

The Garden of the Fugitives houses the plaster casts of a few victims.

These are victims from the 79 eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

These are copies and the originals are displayed in the Naples Museum.

Mt. Vesuvius, which erupted in 79AD and covered Pompeii in ash and rock.

The House of Venus in the Shell, made famous by the painting depicting the goddess Venus lying in a pink seashell with two cherubs.

The Bakery - displayed are the wood-burning oven and millstones made out of hared porous lava stone.

The House of the Faun, the largest house in Pompeii, built in 2nd Century BC. Here is a copy of the bronze statue of the "faun".

A beautiful mosaic covers the floor.

The House of the Small Fountain, named after this fountain-nymphaeum, covered with mosaics and decorated with sculptures.

The House of the Dioscuri. Columns made out of tufa used to support the roof.

Villa of the Mysteries. Along the walls of the Triclinium (dinning room) is a large fresco ...

... depicting a mystery ritual scene of a woman's initiation to marriage.

The Forum Baths consisted of the dressing room, cold bathing room and warm and hot room.

The vaults were decorated with geometric partitions ...

... and mythological figures.

The Building of Eumachia. Priestess Eumachia had the buidling erected in the Tiberian Period.

The Mensa Ponderaria, built into the temple of Apollo, is a public office to control weights and measures, gauged according to the local Oscan system.

The Temple of Jupiter dating from 2nd Century BC.

The Forum Granary, formerly the produce market and ...

... now storage of various archeologial material.

Another plaster cast of a seemingly praying victim.

Amphorae, architectural elements, marble garden furniture.

Statues of Apollo located in the Temple of Apollo, which dates back to 575-550 BC.

The Temple of Apollo and at the base of the stairs stands an altar from the Sullan period.

Sept. 20, 2007. We said good-bye to Randy and Michelle and took a scenic ride along the AMALFI COAST.

The road winds it way along the coast passing through Positano, Praiano to Amalfi.

We stop numerous times for picture opportunities.

The steep village of Positano on the Amalfi Coast.

The small town of Atrani on the Amalfi Coast.

The road turns into a single lane around the corner.

For the best views of the coast line we make our way to Ravello, ...

... high above the town of Amalfi.

The 11th Century Duomo has entrance doors by Barisano da Trani.

View of the village of Ravello.

Sept. 22, 2007. From the Amalfi Coast we head south to PAESTUM.

The sun is getting lower in the sky and we head from the campsite to the ancient ruins of Paestum.

Paestum is one of Greeks most important sites south of Naples.

The Temple of Ceres.

Paestum was founded in 6th Century BC & called Poseidonia.

It was one of our favourite sites, as besides ourselves only a handful of tourists were present.

The site consists of three (3) massive Greek Temples, all in very good conditions.

Excavations have revealed the remains of the ancient city, ...

... its public and religious buildings,...

... roads and protective walls.

The Temple of Neptune dating back to the 5th century BC...

... is the most complete at Paestum.

It is very well preserved. Ruby stands in the far right corner for scale.

28 doric columns hold up the roof and fregments of interior walls are still standing.

The interior of the Temple of Neptune.

Doric (Greek) columns.

This temple is a tie with the Temple in Agrigento (Sicily).

Beside the Temple of Neptune is the less complete, but still impressive Temple of Hera I.

It was completed mid 6th Century BC.

It actually is broader than the Parthenon in Greece by three (3) Doric Columns.

The amphitheatre is only partially excavated as the other half lies under the current road.

A lot of imagination required for the theatre.

The museum on location displays some great artifacts found at the ancient site, like this gargoyle for rain water.

This sculpture was found at Paestum and dates back over 2000 years ...

... it clearly shows a symbol that was later used by the Nazi Party.

Tomb Paintings recovered.

More painted tombs.

Campsite at Paestum. The site was actually closed due to the end of the season, but opened for us and another couple.

Sept. 23, 2007. From Paestum we head inland to the very south of mainland Italy and set up camp in METAPONTO.

This ancient doric temple took us actually a while to find, as signage was non existing.

15 columns of the temple still remain standing.

It is believed that the temple is dedicated to Hera.

Sept. 24, 2007. We return to METERA early in the morning.

The lower part of Metera is called Sassi (caves) and ...

... was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

Since the declaration of a World Heritage site the residents have been relocated into new housing.

The sassi divide into two main districts, the Sasso Caveoso (nearest the eastern end of the Strada Panoramica)...

... and Sasso Barisano.

View of the Chiesa di S. Pietro Caveoso.

The Chiesa del Purgatorio peeks out above the sassi.

Houses built into the rock.

One of the original traditional houses is now a museum ... (kitchen)

... allowing us to see what a cave dwelling used to look like when it was occupied.

This one seemed pretty cozy...

... with animals sleeping in the same quarters.

We buy a pass that allows us to visit six (6) churches cut into the rock.

Our first visit is to the Santa Maria de Idris seen here.

Some have partial frescos, ...

... reminding us of the rock-cut churches in Cappadocia in Turkey.

The quality of the fresco is very poor.

In most of the rock-cut churches pictures were not allowed.

View of the Sasso Barisano.

We climbed up to the Piazza Duomo for a better look-out point.

The Santa Maria de Armenis was quite large and probably our favourite.

It dates back to 12th - 13th century.

The frescos were well preserved.

The old town clings to the side of a ravine overlooking the gorge.

This place we found by accident, snooping around.

It was located beside the Santa Maria de Armenis Church.

We love exploring stairways and tunnels, mostly it always has paid off.

There are approx. four (4) types of caves...

... the oldest are the niches cut into the sides of the ravine, inhabited up to 7,000 years ago...

...the second type date from 2000BC and form the heart of Sasso Caveoso...

...the third are 1000 years old and fourth are the dwelling excavated during the 17th century.

A view of Sasso Barisano from the Chesa S. Agostino.

The Cathedral which stands in the Piazza Duomo.

The main entrance to the Chiesa del Purgatorio. The door is covered in skulls.

Small alleyways in Matera.

The cave dwelling on the opposite side of the gorge.

We wander the streets and cobble stoned alleys for about four (4) hours and continue on our merry way to Alberobello.

The part that will stay in our memory of Alberobello is the journey to the UNESCO town and also called Trulli Capital.

The GPS took us on some crazy back roads, through fields and fields of farm land.

Each piece of land separated by 1m high stone walls.

The road, only one car wide between the stone walls, winds its' way through this bizarre country side were Trulli's pop up suddenly everywhere.

ALBEROBELLO. No one can give an explanation to way these Trulli's were built.

Most date back to the 17th Century AD.

A Trulli is a circular stone house, with a conical-domed stone roof.

Alberobello is where most tourists head to see these strange houses.

We were fortunate enough to have seen already the Trulli's still inhabited around Locorotondo and Martina France.

Therefore the white washed Trulli's in Alberobello paled in comparison to the real thing.

A day of strange living quarters from cave dwellings to circular stone houses.

There is even a Real Estate market for these Trulli. This one goes for 140,000 Euro (approx. $210,000CDN).

This home is now a museum and allows us to see what living in a trulli is like.

It also is one of the only trulli's that has a second story.

The kitchen.

Sept. 25 - 26, 2007. We return to the Amalfi Coast to see if the courier company TNT had delivered the missing Passport.

Michele the owner of the Nettuno Campground gives us a good deal to stay in this look-out tower.

It is an amazing view from our room.

This is the closest we have come to staying in a castle.

Our Balcony.

Dining the Italian way with an incredible view of the Amalfi Coast.

Sept 26 - 28, 2007. We rent this Renault in Sorrento and head back to Munich to buy a new GPS. 2450kms in 36hrs. Car rental 120Euro for two (2) days with unlimited kms.

The restaurant at the Nettuno Campsite. The campground is located in Marina del Cantone, away from the overran Sorrento location.

Here are from the left former Aussi Steve, Super Dog and Michele. Many thanks for all your help.

Sept. 29, 2007. Passport & GPS in hand we continue on our journey south from the Amalfi Coast to the tip of mainland Italy.