Rome, Italy (Excursions)
This is one of two posts from our trip to Rome in the December and January of 2018/2019. You can see our post from the city of Rome in a separate post.
Pompeii, Italy and Naples, Italy
We rented a car in Rome and drove to Pompeii arriving in the early afternoon. We went straight to the ancient city that was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. We bought tickets at the entrance. Getting a glimpse into what life was like in ancient Rome was fascinating, and taking in the impressive view of the volcano that destroyed it while preserving every day life in its tracks was intriguing. Afterwards we went to our apartment with one of the best views ever overlooking the Mediterranean and Mount Vesuvius.
The next day we had plans in Naples, but the crazy traffic there and the complete lack of parking in the city forced us to change plans and head back to Rome early. Jay dropped the boys and I off at a restaurant while he went to park the car. Three hours later he still hadn’t found a parking spot! 😮 Not kidding! The kids and I had finished lunch and stopped for dessert and he still hadn’t parked. We started tracking him on the map and finally caught up with him. After about another hour and a half we gave up on parking and went back to Rome. We did get to see a lot of the city, but only on wheels. And we did bring him a to-go box with pizza and some really good pastries! 😋
Pompeii, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
View from our Apartment near Naples
Naples, Italy
Frascati, Italy
We booked a pasta-making class and wine tasting in Frascati on Airbnb. We took the train from Rome, and our host, Paolo, was waiting for us along with the others in our group at the train station. He took us on a short tour of Frascati and then to his family’s restaurant where we cooked, ate, drank and had a great time meeting people from around the world including the US, Malta, Germany, and Ukraine. It was a lot of fun!
Frascati, Italy
Pasta-making in Frascati
Pasta-making in Frascati
A Hike in Tivoli, Italy
We also booked our sunset hike in Tivoli on Airbnb. We took the train from Rome and had lunch in town. We walked around the town a bit and then met our guide, Francesco. We were with a group of about eight people. We drove to a beautiful waterfall and then to the start of our hike at the Monte Catillo Nature Reserve. The weather was just right, and the views were stunning! We stopped for a break at a gorgeous spot at sunset and had wine and home-baked snacks that Francesco made himself. After the hike, we took the train back to Rome and packed for the flight home the next day. It was an amazing finale to an unbelievable trip!
Monte Catillo Nature Reserve, Tivoli, Italy
Monte Catillo Nature Reserve, Tivoli, Italy
Monte Catillo Nature Reserve, Tivoli, Italy