Salerno / Pompei / Vietri

Salerno was quite a relaxing switch from the crowded and bustling city of Rome. Salerno is a beautiful coatal community located in the province of Campania. It's located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. There's a medieval sector, a 19th century sector and a post-WWII area. Salerno gave us the opportunity to relax and see a different side of the people of Italy. From participating in the Feast of Corpus Christi processionaly down the middle of town to watching the local football team celebrate 98 years as a team, it was nice to just mingle amonst the community.

On our second day in Salerno we hired a driver and a tour guide and headed to Pompei. Our guide was a PhD student in archieology and made our visit to Pompei unique. It's hard to imagine going to such an historic place without someone helping you understand not just the history and the aritifacts, but also sharing insights about what we know about the people and their lifestyle of the time. He was an excellent guide and made a visit to Pompei a memorable one.

On our way back from Pompei we stopped in Vietri Sul Mare a gorgeous village known for their ceramics. Our patient driver (who spoke almost no english) gave us plenty of time to walk around and visit the little shops. We picked up several nice ceramics while we were there!