Isola di Ischia-off of the Napoli coast

     Our last excursion for this Italian adventure, was to the island of Ischia.  We can't see it when we are in the city but when we stand on the beach near Il Faro church, we can see part of the island.
    Since it was Juliann's birthday and she expressed interest in going over to the island, we made it happen.  Also, Aaron really wanted to go check out the natural hot springs that the island is famous for.
    I didn't really grasp what we were going to be doing on the island so I didn't prepare very well to be there.  I brought a swim suit and a towel but that was about it.  Oh well. The day was about Juliann and she had a great day!
    We started with a bus ride around the island.  I had read that the bus circumvented the island, pretty much; so that is what I wanted to do.  Aaron did not want to be that free-spirited and he bought a map and picked a destination.  However, the bus we got on, took us for a long ride around the island-much to Aaron's chagrin. It would have been more fun, though, if there weren't so many stinky smells on the bus and we went around lots of curves,bends,etc. while I happened to be sitting backward on the bus...barf..I did get queasy.
     We did get to a stop that was close to our destination so we walked down to Poseidon Resort.  Again, I wasn't really prepared, so I didn't fully understand what we were doing(I admit I got a little grumpy ;-(.  Aaron just told me we were going to a hot spring resort.  We paid to get in and started looking around.  There were pools-man made, bright blue, tiled pools-not the natural hot springs I had envisioned. There were so many 'grandma-kinis' and 'grandpa-speedos' and none of us were prepared for that! haha  (not to mention 'uncle sack'- the middle-aged guys dressed in speedos or small swim trunks while stretching their legs up as far as they can on a bench or edge of the pool)
     There were about 20 different pools-all different sizes and most of them were different temperatures-15 degrees Celsius-40 Celsius (and a stream that was 90 Celsius! Caldo!) I challenged the kids to go in every pool-even the pool that didn't allow children. They reached that goal and they even went in to the sea.  Fun day!

 view of the port in Napoli. Castel Nuovo in the background;  Mt Vesuvius below

 The resort required that we wear hats or swimcaps. Race's hair rejected that idea.

 We ended the night with dinner out at one of our favorite restaurants. Robin Hood

Paestum: Greek ruins and another tour of the Amalfi

We had a tremendously full day last Monday. We had the car for the day so we took full advantage of that and started our day at shoe alley(Poggioreale Mercato).  Amber really wanted to go so I was happy to help her realize that dream..:-)  Race and Dante were on the look out for shoes to go with their sweet suits so they zipped through the market in minutes.  I went back through with them and found them matching black dress shoes. Success!  After we shopped for a while, the kids and I stopped at the refreshment stand for beverages-it was really hot that day.  We had a nice visit with a family from Washington D.C. I love meeting people from all over the world!

 

 Bridesmaid shoe ideas?!

 I had to have Race take this picture because I got 'shoed' away when I pulled the camera out, funny.

 

 

Paestum ruins was one of the coolest places we have visited here.  Below are some pictures of the Greek ruins.  Several times I stopped to just look at the structures.  I was in awe..

 

 Leave it to Juliann to find an animal to visit

 This is a picture of some small statues.  The room that these were in (in the museum) smelled of roses.  There was a vase with very large wood reeds soaked in rose oil.  It smelled wonderful. (I wish I could add 'smell-o-vision' to this post :-)

Above are some things used on horses back during the time Paestum(once called Poseidon) was a thriving city. (Yikes!!)

 Race, Dante and Juliann finding lizards,etc.

The kids looking on in awe...haha  not

 Are you surprised to see this picture of J holding a lizard?!

It was so fun that we all got to be there. However, I think Aaron would have loved this place. Wish he could have been there too

This is a picture of a German tour group at Paestum.  I took this picture because while I was standing there I listened in a little bit and understood a little of what the guide was saying. I wish I had kept up on my German.  I miss it..

One more go around on the Amalfi... also another opportunity for Race to drive it. He is a spoiled boy

Happy, happy joy, joy! A beach to enjoy. and it was free!

  I wish I had taken a picture of Dante up to his knees in the sand. just like old times

just had to give you a little glimpse of 'Grandpa speedo'  oh, and some ruins in the background

There was a horse on the beach!!   yeah for me :-)

We wore Dante out (I guess the allergy medicine he took probably made him sleepy too) Juliann 'built' him a sling to sleep in