Here we are back in Europe on our amazing Mediterranean cruise! Previously we visited Rome and the amazing Colosseum, Vatican City, and more!

Today we are going to visit the Amalfi Coast as well as the mysterious Pompeii.

I don’t know about you, but I have been fascinated by Pompeii since I was a child. It was quite an incredible experience to walk its streets and learn more about what life there was like. And it was so easily accessible from my cruise ship!

We were sailing on the Norwegian Cruise Line for this trip.

So let’s visit the Italian coast!

Europe Cruise Part 2 - Amalfi and Pompeii

Pictured is one of the many towns dotting the coastline in the region of Amalfi. They are each their own community and they are so beautiful. From our cruise ship we drove to a small inlet and got on a small boat. This boat then went along the coastline to take us to the little town of Minori.

Europe Cruise Part 2 - Amalfi and Pompeii

Europe Cruise Part 2 - Amalfi and Pompeii

We visited the beautiful cathedral there and enjoyed a cup of real Italian espresso. It was heaven!

We then wandered the tiny little streets and enjoyed the little shops. Lemons are the main export from this region and they are grown along the hillsides. Therefore there were so many lemon themed items for sale! And it smelled delicious. 🙂

Mysterious Pompeii

Next we headed over to Pompeii. This was quite the surreal experience for me. I tried to really take in all the details and soak in the area. The story of Pompeii is such a tragedy. But walking those streets I saw so much beauty.

This was one of my favorite details I found that day. The word HAVE means “hello” or “welcome”. In this picture you see an inlaid tile welcome mat at the doorstep of someone’s home.

Europe Cruise Part 2 - Amalfi and Pompeii

The view of Mount Vesuvius was something to behold. A grim reminder of what happened there so many years ago.

Europe Cruise Part 2 - Amalfi and Pompeii

Then it was back to the ship to rest those calves (ancient Roman streets of uneven cobblestone will do a number on your legs!) and eat some delicious food.

Next time I will whisk you away to Pisa and tell you about a little gem hiding in plain sight right next to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Did you miss part 1 where we visited Rome? Check it out here!

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