First stop: Salerno, Italy and a snapshot of the Amalfi Coast

The car was packed (it was organized too until we were in the car for about 5 minutes) and we were off for a 2 week driving extravaganza!  After driving up to Messina, we boarded the car ferry that took us across to Calabria.  This was the first long day of driving and quite frankly I was concerned about how it was going to turn out.  It turned out to be no trouble at all!  Could it possibly be true that we were all going to survive this vacation?!  It was a beautiful drive and it was clear that driving through Italy and France was going to be a feast for our eyes.

Of course, a gas station stop must include ice cream!

 

I wanted to go to the Amalfi coast.  I had heard how beautiful it was and didn’t want to leave Italy without visiting.  I had also heard many times over that people with motion sickness would have a hard time managing keeping breakfast down with all the winding roads.  I felt like I had prepared myself for this and was going to enjoy our time.  We made it to Salerno, Italy a town just before entering the coastline drive and settled in to our hotel with a fabulous view.

 

We took a walk through this charming town while waiting for restaurants to open for dinner. 

 

I love these tiles with the painted scenes! 

 

 

Tiny door!  My friend found the smallest door I've ever seen in Sicily, so I got excited when I found a small door too!

 

After the kids finished dinner, they played in the piazza while Greg and I sat at our table enjoying watching the children from a distance!

At this point I would offer an entire post to the drive along the Amalfi coast, but we didn’t make it very far.  I thought I had prepared myself for the curves but I think all of the stories got into my head.  I was scared before we even left the hotel parking lot.  We curved and turned and I was managing OK until Juliette said she was going to be sick.  I get sick and nervous when a family member feels ill, so that set me off.  I panicked and just wanted off the road as soon as possible.

 

My only picture from the drive along the coast.  Sad but true.

 

Just before we reached the town of Amalfi, we took a road that took us off of the coast and wound us through the mountains. 

 

 

It was once again a beautiful drive and we eventually found ourselves overlooking the city of Naples.  Pompeii here we come! 

 

 

 

Segesta

On our second day in San Vito we ventured out to Segesta.  The ride was breathtaking views of farmland and tree covered hills.  Every time we explore our island I am taken with all the beauty.  People complain about living here and are quick to mention "it's not Tuscany."  This is true, however, Sicily is beautiful and charming in its own way.  Our favorite guidebook describes Sicily as "well-preserved decay" which I think is most appropriate.  Anyways, I digress.  On to Segesta we go!

 

 

The temple was started in 424 BC, but was never completed.

 

 

 

We boarded a bus and took a short ride to the top of a hill near the temple to view some other ruins.  We made our way to the ampitheater and oh the view!  We sat down for a quick snack and made sure we were back down to catch the bus on time.

 

 

 

 

 

Memorial Day in San Vito Lo Capo

This is the second Memorial Day we have spent in San Vito Lo Capo, a beach town on the Northwest side of the island. 

We “camp” in a cabin that is equipped with a porch with a table, a kitchenette stocked with some basic cooking supplies with a small dining table, bunk beds at the other end of the kitchen, a separate bedroom, and a bathroom.

  We bring all of our own food, grill, and other toiletries and kitchen necessities.  The car is generally packed to the absolute limit because I haven’t figured out how to not pack “just in case” items.  Maybe next year!

We have been with friends and we stay on a little street in the back of the campground that has 3 cabins on each side of the street, facing each other.  At mealtime, tables are pulled in the middle of the street and we all pile our food out and eat family style.  The kids have a blast running around with water guns, playing hide and seek, and watching movies in each other’s cabins.  The parents have a blast sitting around the fire… sans kids… see previous sentence!

We arrived on Friday evening and took the time to get settled in and let the kids play.  Bright and early Saturday morning, we were off to the beach.   This year it was a little chilly which didn’t distract many of the kids, but mine aren’t fond of being cold.  They played in the sand and ate snacks.  Brady braved the water every once in a while, but then he would come sit next to me with a towel wrapped around him as his teeth chattered. 

After coming back to the cabin to rest for a few hours, we took a walk through town.  The beach is beautiful and the town is certainly charming with flowered terraces and various shops.  You can tell it is very much geared towards tourists which is ok when you are one!