Yesterday we took the train from Rome to Civitavecchia to board our ship, Enchantment of the Seas. It’s a small but beautiful ship! We spent some quality sun time in the solarium then proceeded to tour the ship before dinner and a welcome aboard show. Really excited for the our first port of call, Salerno on the Amalfi Coast.

This morning we woke early to go on our excursion into Amalfi. We boarded a boat for a beautiful 45 minute ride up the Amalfi Coast. Amalfi is an awesome little town with a breathtaking church! Totally worth the 65 step climb. The street is lined with shops, restaurants and gelateries. Being famous for lemons, we ended our visit with a delicious lemon sorbet!

Janet is always on the lookout for a new and unique nativity. We found a great little holiday shop off the main square that hosted many creches where she was able to find one that will fit nicely into her collection!

After Amalfi, we took a bus into Pompeii. After kind of a forgettable lunch, our guide led us on a fascinating tour of these ruins. Pompeii was preserved in time by ash from the volcano, Vesuvius. So many buildings and roads exist nearly as they did 2000 years ago. Archaeologists have made plaster casts from ash molds around bodies that look like the bodies were petrified. Beautiful mosaics still adorn the floors of some houses, and even the walls have frescoes depicting life during that time. Some areas have been rebuilt to give tourists a better idea of what it looked like in 100 AD.

The day was filled with fun and adventure. It’s only our first port, but it really feels like we’re on a trip of a lifetime!