Reuben and Katie: Southern Italy

We've had an amazing time in Southern Italy - it has a different feel to the rest of Italy: olive groves, vineyards, clay/volcanic ground, lemon trees, bouganvillia, lots of seaside towns attached precariously to steep cliff-faces, and everything looks slightly bleached from long days in the sun. The southerners seem a little more relaxed and friendly, although everything is a bit more rundown (we were very glad we took recommendations to not stay in Naples - it looked very hectic and dirty from the glimpses we saw from the train/train station).

We explored Positano one day - where the steep hillside leading down to the beach is cluttered with buildings painted in pastel shades with small alleyways and narrow cobbled streets winding down through lots of shops and restaurants. We are still enjoying warm weather, although have been told it's normally raining and cold in the south at this time of year (we are a little wary of what their version of 'cold' is though since every day we have had in the 20s)...

We also spent a day at Pompeii - amazing to explore such an extensive site that shows how people lived. We couldn't help but compare it to Ostia (where we spent our last day in Rome) which was much less crowded and just as fascinating, although different again. It was cool to see things like marble bench tops with circular holes cut out for pots of food in the taverns, and a built-in wardrobe in a bedroom with slots for shelves. It was also a reality check to see wallpaintings created 2000 years ago still intact, including graffiti and caricatures of locals...

Our last day was spent on the island of Capri, which was such a great experience. It has a really holiday island feel to it, and slightly greek in look with many whitewashed buildings and curved rooftops contrasting with the azure blue sea. We climbed to the top of the hill on the Capri end of the island to explore the ruins of Villa Jovis (where the emperor Tiberius spent the last two years of his rule before his death). From here we saw amazing views of the bay of Naples, with Naples sprawled out at one end, the Pensinsula of Sorrento at the other, and Vesuvius sitting somewhere in the middle.

P.S. we managed to see St Peters on our last morning in Rome before catching the train south, and no queues which is always a bonus! We had a slightly hectic departure from Rome however, as the metro and bus people were on strike all day (and it was not possible to book any taxis in the city as they were being used non-stop, although we managed to flag one down after about 20 minutes walking towards the train station...)

P.P.S. Thanks for those who have sent emails to us - we are feeling a bit lonely out here so appreciate all your news!!!!