We had a great summer visiting friends and family in the US! It was so wonderful to spend time catching up with our loved ones! A big THANK YOU to everyone who put us up for the night (or a few), drove us around, shared a meal with us, and took time out of your lives to celebrate our time at home!!!
On our way back to the UAE we did a stopover in Italy and spent a week site-seeing. We spent 3 days in Rome, a day in Pompeii, and 3 days on the Amalfi Coast. It was a great educational experience for all of us and we were totally in awe of the history, architecture and breath-taking beauty of southern Italy.
From Rome, we took two trains to get to Salerno and then another 3 buses to the village where we stayed, Cava de Terrini, which was up at the top of a mountain. The further we got from major cities, the more we wished we spoke a little bit of Italian...
It was hard to say goodbye!
On our way back to the UAE we did a stopover in Italy and spent a week site-seeing. We spent 3 days in Rome, a day in Pompeii, and 3 days on the Amalfi Coast. It was a great educational experience for all of us and we were totally in awe of the history, architecture and breath-taking beauty of southern Italy.
The Colisseum was amazing!
The Roman Forum
Trevi Fountain
Circus Maximus, where chariot races and other games were held
Piazza Venezia
Another piazza
Basilica
Castle Saint' Angelo
We had pasta and pizza every day
Enjoying Italian beer at a restaurant right across from the Colisseum
We loved the gelato!
St. Peter's Square, Vatican City
The Swiss Guard
In St. Peter's Basilica
A fresco inside the Vatican Museum. It was literally miles and miles of artwork...a bit overwhelming.
The kids really liked the Ancient Egypt area
From Rome, we took two trains to get to Salerno and then another 3 buses to the village where we stayed, Cava de Terrini, which was up at the top of a mountain. The further we got from major cities, the more we wished we spoke a little bit of Italian...
We took a day trip to Positano. The ferry ride was beautiful!
The city is built on the side of a mountain. No cars can reach the bottom so all the streets are made up of winding stairs going up and through the mountain.
Instead of sandcastles, we made rockcastles
Being silly on the ferry ride
We spent a day exploring Pompeii, an ancient Roman city that was covered in volcanic ash for nearly 2000 years and naturally preserved. It was incredibly fascinating.
An ancient temple
These frescoes on these palace walls were still in good condition
The kids loved exploring and imagining what life was like for the people who lived in Pompeii
These round holes were once stove tops and had large urns of fire underneath. This was probably one of the bakeries in town.
Inside the huge theatre, which held 10,000 people or more for games and shows.
They were able to recreate farm land in Pompeii based on the seeds that have been found in different areas. We saw lots of grapes of course.
All roads lead to Rome...
And after a lovely week in Italy, we headed back to the UAE to begin year two! Stay tuned!
