Sorrento

If you drive a few hours south of Rome you will find the little sanctuary of Sorrento with the hidden gem of Positano tucked away over on the gorgeous Amalfi Coast. But before you reach both of them, a side trip to Pompeii should be on your list. 

As most people know, Pompeii lay buried after the eruption of Vesuvius in similar circumstances to that of Buried Village of Te Wairoa after Tarawera, but what I find crazy is that it was left hidden for nearly 1700 years. Coming from a country where we think a KISS record from 1976 is "pretty old", to walk along ancient Roman roads with cart wheel tracks etched in the stone was a truly mind blowing pinch-yourself type of moment.

Postcards from Pompeii, Positano & Sorrento:

The roads of Pompeii.

Modern Bronze Face in Pompeii that doesn't look that out of place.

Bay of Naples.

Where else can you find a cat casually sleeping on the department store bed?

Positano is a hair raising 30 minutes drive along the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento. If you like the Skippers Canyon road in Queenstown, then you'd enjoy this road with most of it built literally hanging off the cliff face. Positano is a largely tourism driven enclave but if you use your imagination you can almost get a taste of what life was like before the clothing boutiques popped up along the streets leading to the beach below. 

Sorrento has to be one of my favourite places so far on this trip. Not flashy but not some dead backwater either, this town is small enough to have everything you could want within walking distance with stunning views over the Bay of Naples to match the vibe of the town at night.