We weren’t sure just how safe southern Italy would be and for that reason we decided to book a tour of five days, prior to our Australian departure.
Our bus happened to seat just eight passengers, a guide and of course, a driver. The tour departed from Rome and after, shall I say, an exhilarative ride along a narrow highway with a precipitous drop to our immediate right, we arrived in the coastal town of Sorrento.
That evening, we were treated to traditional Italian dishes. The waiters just kept coming, as we were served food of a high quality. It almost reached that stage when we felt as though we could not eat another bite.
The following day we travelled across the Bay Of Naples to the famed Isle Of Capri. There we had the privilege of entering the breath-taking Blue Grotto. Something, judging by the seemingly endless queue of those who were hoping to gain access, I felt we would not have achieved had we not been on a tour.
The Grotto to us was the highlight of the tour! This, in spite of us having to lie prone in a rowing boat as our oarsman guided us about. The cavern’s ceiling appeared to be quite high and when, I would occasionally lift my head, I could observe that its waters were, indeed, a magnificent deep blue. The oarsman told us that they possessed a depth of sixty feet.
There was a chairlift on the island and while Tiki decided against riding on it, I did. Each of its seats was for a solo person, with each seat being some ten to fifteen metres distant. It was the serenity of the experience more than any feeling of exhilaration, that I really enjoyed.
Our tour took us as far south as the town of Lecce, which is in the ‘heel’ of Italy. We headed north from there to the town of Alberobello, best known for its unique houses, known as Trullis. The tiny structures possess conical roofs of local stone. One lady gave us permission to enter her home.
Our next stop was the historic town of Matera. It was constructed on a hilltop and our guide allowed us the opportunity to view it from a lookout, prior to us entering one of the town’s ancient houses. I remember her stating that Mel Gibson had select the town in which to film scenes for one of his movies.
Prior to our return to Rome, we visited the ancient site of Pompeii. It was in nearby Naples, that, for the first time, we and our fellow passengers perceived the need to stay relatively close to our guide.