Still filled with impressions from the Amalfi Coast, today was dedicated to the Gulf of Naples.

After breakfast, we rode our Vespa to the village of Vico Equense, where we had already changed transport several times, but which we hadn’t yet explored in detail.

Vico Equense – unlike the Amalfi Coast – is still in the hands of the locals. You won’t find souvenir shops, and tourists don’t really stray into this small town.

We strolled through the narrow alleys, drank delicious cappuccino, and enjoyed a refreshing gelato from a traditional manufacturer. On the beach, we enjoyed the fresh sea breeze, which mingled with the aromas wafting from the fish restaurants in the harbor.

Then another highlight awaited us. Since we had already visited both Pompeii and Herculaneum several times, we wanted to see Villa San Marco in Stabiae this time – a site that, like its famous neighbors, disappeared from the earth’s surface for almost 2,000 years during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The villa was incredibly impressive. We were the only visitors – only two restorers were on-site. The building is enormous and better preserved than the houses of its more famous neighbors. Since no other tourists were there, you could almost feel how people once lived, loved, thought, and hoped there. This building exuded an incredible calm, as if it had fallen into a Sleeping Beauty slumber 2,000 years ago and hadn’t awakened since. Absolutely awe-inspiring.

After this outstanding experience, we returned to our hotel, relaxed in the pool for a while, and finally ate the leftovers from our first evening on the balcony while watching the sunset once more.

A Morning in Sorrento

The next morning, we drove back to Sorrento to return our Vespa. Afterwards, we wanted to take a closer look at the “City of Lemons.”

Sorrento is a gem. Although many tourists are around, the city has retained its original charm. Narrow alleys lined with souvenir shops wind through the old town and offer protection from the blinding sun. Small cafés, bars, and restaurants invite you to linger again and again. Of course, there’s also a large shopping street with all the well-known stores.

We strolled through the old town, bought souvenirs for our loved ones – and of course for ourselves – drank cappuccino, and enjoyed Italian specialties that made our mouths water just from the name.

We spent the afternoon by the hotel pool. Since it was our last day of vacation, we wanted to relax a little more and enjoy the cool water.

In the evening, we visited the wonderful fish restaurant from the second night once again. The food was a dream this time too.

That evening, a local festival was taking place in the main square. We mingled with the locals, who treated us as one of their own. It was the perfect conclusion to a wonderful vacation.

The Day of Departure

The next day, after packing and checking out, we stayed by the pool until early afternoon and enjoyed the last hours of sunshine before heading back to Naples and the airport, where our flight home departed in the evening.

From the airplane, I took one last look at Naples, the gulf, the islands, and Mount Vesuvius towering over it all as the sun slowly set. An hour later, we landed back home. But this vacation will remain in our hearts forever.