Our second week in Italy was as busy as the first. If you missed part one of this three-part blog, you can catch up here. Last week we arrived in Rome and explored Cinque Terre and Florence. In our second week we checked out the beautiful Amalfi coast and key sites in Rome.

Because we covered so much ground, this post will summarize the first half of week two and we’ll finish up the trip summary with a part three. 

We took the train from Florence to Salerno, which is the town on the southern end of the Amalfi Coast.

At first we weren’t sure Salerno was a good choice as it’s not actually on the Amalfi Coast. However, our travel agent’s recommendation was spot on, as being based in Salerno made it easy to explore the coast as well as Pompeii, yet rest in a less touristic city.

On our first day we took a day-long boat tour of the coast that included stops in Positano and Amalfi, along with three swimming breaks, lunch, prosecco, and lemoncello.

On a beautifully sunny day we cruised the colorful coast, admiring the famed lemon groves and hillside towns. Stopping to swim in the turquoise water of the Mediterranean was also a highlight.

We found the towns of Amalfi and Positano to be overly crowded with tourists. While the towns are spectacular, we were happy to return to quiet Salerno in the evening. 

Another highlight of our time in the Amalfi area was a half-day cooking class at Amalfi Heaven Gardens. This top-rated experience lived up to the hype.

We toured the terraced gardens and picked vegetables for our meal. Then, we worked with the chef to prepare an elaborate meal of fresh salads and appetizers, including stuffed zucchini flowers and eggplant bruschetta. 

The main course featured gnocchi which we made by hand. Brynn got to smash the potatoes, and we all got to roll the small potato balls into the traditional shape. 

Our meal, which was prepared in an idyllic setting overlooking the Amalfi coast, finished with homemade lemoncello and cream puffs. 

The staff was entertaining and the day just flew by.

On our final day in Salerno we navigated the train system to reach the ruins of Pompeii. On my birthday, we were guided through the vast complex by our incredible guide Rafaela, who is an expert archeologist at the site.

She was able to show us the most important features of this lost city. We saw the extensive homes, public baths, and key temples of this early Roman city, frozen in time. It was a great way to finish our time in the area while checking one more thing from my bucket list. 

Our time on Amalfi coast was punctuated by daily stops at the local gelateria where Brynn always got lemon. We spent our evenings the way locals do, strolling the waterfront and watching the sunset. The Amalfi coast is as magical as they say. 

And our story is not over yet. In the next post we’ll give you a report on our time exploring Vatican City and ancient sites in Rome, including the Colosseum.