Pompeii, Capri and the Bay of Naples

 

Managing to retain its roots and traditions better than probably any other modern nation, Italy is a superb destination for a holiday with its stunning blend of excellent food and wine, gorgeous scenery, together with an enviable climate and a phenomenal cultural legacy. Add the Italians themselves with their legendary love of life and you have all the ingredients for a wonderful stay.

For gourmets Italy is a delight, its food and wine being amongst the best in the world and as you would expect in the area we are visiting, seafood is everywhere. Clams, mussels, sea bass, swordfish - the list is endless - as are the methods of cooking them. The pasta is mouth-watering and the wine is of good quality and reasonably priced.

The Sorrento peninsula and the Bay of Naples is simply one of the most beautiful corners of Europe attracting visitors for centuries in search of its outstanding scenery, tranquility and some of the most wonderous ‘sights’ from throughout history. Indeed in the immediate area we have a selection of places to see and visit which stand comparison with almost anywhere in the world. It has a long and violent history, and invasions by the Greeks, Phoenicians and Saracens have all left their mark - but none more so than the Romans. Even 2000 years ago the attributes of the region were well known with the Emperors Tiberius and Augustus, together with countless members of the ruling elite, having villas here.

Sorrento came to real fame though, during the late 18th century when many of Europe’s aristocracy came to spend their winters here - attracted by its mild climate and outstanding natural beauty. Sumptuous houses and grandiose hotels were built along the cliff-tops and today Sorrento is everything you expect an Italian town to be. Tiny cobbled streets and quaint squares with flowers decorating almost every building. Tubs of geraniums, dark blue clematis climbing up pastel-coloured almost crumbling walls, with pink hydrangeas and roses in almost every open space, all shaded by lofty palm trees offering welcome shade. Mouth-watering aromas drift from the numerous restaurants and bistros, some humble and homely, some grand and ostentatious with pavement cafés serving fine cappuccino on seemingly every street corner.

We see the legendary Amalfi coast, with every guidebook proclaiming it the most beautiful in Europe, and when you see it, it really is impossible to disagree! Rugged mountains covered with pine forests plunge dramatically into the calm blue Mediterranean. Next it’s Capri, which possesses a deserved reputation as a veritable Garden of Eden - it will come as no surprise why so many of the rich and famous have made it their home.

Wherever you travel in the Bay of Naples, the skyline is dominated by the majestic and still active volcano Vesuvius, rising loftily to over 4000 ft. No doubt you will be aware, it has erupted in spectacular fashion several times in its history – the most famous, of course, being in 79AD when the Roman city of Pompeii, together with many of its inhabitants, were entombed and whose state of preservation today is little short of remarkable. All in all there can be few places you will find which combine together so much of interest in an area of outstanding natural beauty as the Bay of Naples.

Managing to retain its roots and traditions better than probably any other modern nation, Italy is a superb destination for a holiday with its stunning blend of excellent food and wine, gorgeous scenery, together with an enviable climate and a phenomenal cultural legacy. Add the Italians themselves with their legendary love of life and you have all the ingredients for a wonderful stay.

For gourmets Italy is a delight, its food and wine being amongst the best in the world and as you would expect in the area we are visiting, seafood is everywhere. Clams, mussels, sea bass, swordfish - the list is endless - as are the methods of cooking them. The pasta is mouth-watering and the wine is of good quality and reasonably priced.

The Sorrento peninsula and the Bay of Naples is simply one of the most beautiful corners of Europe attracting visitors for centuries in search of its outstanding scenery, tranquility and some of the most wonderous ‘sights’ from throughout history. Indeed in the immediate area we have a selection of places to see and visit which stand comparison with almost anywhere in the world. It has a long and violent history, and invasions by the Greeks, Phoenicians and Saracens have all left their mark - but none more so than the Romans. Even 2000 years ago the attributes of the region were well known with the Emperors Tiberius and Augustus, together with countless members of the ruling elite, having villas here.

Sorrento came to real fame though, during the late 18th century when many of Europe’s aristocracy came to spend their winters here - attracted by its mild climate and outstanding natural beauty. Sumptuous houses and grandiose hotels were built along the cliff-tops and today Sorrento is everything you expect an Italian town to be. Tiny cobbled streets and quaint squares with flowers decorating almost every building. Tubs of geraniums, dark blue clematis climbing up pastel-coloured almost crumbling walls, with pink hydrangeas and roses in almost every open space, all shaded by lofty palm trees offering welcome shade. Mouth-watering aromas drift from the numerous restaurants and bistros, some humble and homely, some grand and ostentatious with pavement cafés serving fine cappuccino on seemingly every street corner.

We see the legendary Amalfi coast, with every guidebook proclaiming it the most beautiful in Europe, and when you see it, it really is impossible to disagree! Rugged mountains covered with pine forests plunge dramatically into the calm blue Mediterranean. Next it’s Capri, which possesses a deserved reputation as a veritable Garden of Eden - it will come as no surprise why so many of the rich and famous have made it their home.

Wherever you travel in the Bay of Naples, the skyline is dominated by the majestic and still active volcano Vesuvius, rising loftily to over 4000 ft. No doubt you will be aware, it has erupted in spectacular fashion several times in its history – the most famous, of course, being in 79AD when the Roman city of Pompeii, together with many of its inhabitants, were entombed and whose state of preservation today is little short of remarkable. All in all there can be few places you will find which combine together so much of interest in an area of outstanding natural beauty as the Bay of Naples.

Supplier info: Riviera Travel

Since their inception 25 years ago, Riviera Travel have endeavoured to exceed the expectations of the discerning traveller, on their fascinating and innovative European and Worldwide escorted tours.

They have passion for quality and looking after all their guests in the most personal manner possible and really ‘go the extra mile'. Over the years they have received many commendations from many household names in the publishing industry. They have recently been voted by the members of one of the country's most respected consumer organisations in their biannual survey of travel companies, as one of the UK's top two Tour Operators and the most outstanding of all in terms of value for money - by some considerable margin.

Riviera Travel offers European and Worldwide Escorted Tours by Eurostar and by Air.

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