In April I will be taking an elderhostel class in Italy. (Elderhostel is now called RoadScholar. It is the same organization that ran the program I attended in Asheville in August.) Here's the itinerary, but if you wanted more info, it's at: http://www.roadscholar.org/n/program/summary.aspx?id=1-4PCI6Q
The area I will be visiting is shown on this map:
Itinerary for Apr 15 — Apr 27, 2014
Day One: Tuesday, April 15 - Departure from Syracuse - to Rome - to Naples - to Sorrento
Day Two: Wednesday, April 16 - Arrival/Welcome Reception
Note: Light day to adjust from jet lag.
Arrivals at Naples Airport. Transfer by coach to Sorrento.
Lunch: Lunch at the hotel.
Afternoon: Welcome to Sorrento reception and introductions to meet your group leader and fellow learners.
Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.
Lodging: Hotel Cesare Augusto until Thursday, April 24. http://www.hotelcesareaugusto.com/en/
Day Three: Thursday, April 17 - Orientation and neighborhood walk.
Note: Leisure walk around town and to the port. Some steps through the hotel's garden cut short the walk from the hotel to the main square in Sorrento.
Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Staff introduces program schedule, lectures and excursions.
Lunch: Lunch at the hotel served buffet style.
Afternoon: An orienting walk in the neighborhood pointing out stores, pharmacies and banking services. The walk continues down to the characteristic old port where it's not uncommon to see fishermen bringing in the catch of the day or repairing their nets. Later in the afternoon an expert illuminates Classical Roman art and archeology.
Dinner: Dinner at a restaurant in Sorrento.
Day Four: Friday, April 18 - Explore Pompeii
Note: The ruins of Pompeii reveal cobblestone streets, sidewalks and dirt paths. Pompeii was a city, so be aware of the size of the archaeological site. Its uneven terrain with inclines and steps makes walking a challenge. The stone pavement can be slippery when wet. Note there are few benches to stop and rest.
Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at hotel
Morning: Guided visit of Pompeii archaeological site. Explore the streets of the city frozen in time in August of 79 CE. Walk into the amphitheater, see where the gladiators trained, walk down Via Abbondanza, the main street, observe 1st century political grafitti. Notice the similarities between Pompeii where bars, restaurants, shops and bakeries line the streets, and that in any modern city in Italy.
Lunch: Lunch at a restaurant in the archaeological park.
Afternoon: Coach back to Sorrento. Late afternoon classroom session on Customs and Traditions of Sorrento.
Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.
Day Five: Saturday, April 19 - Greek Art and Architecture / Marquetry Museum and Workshop
Note: One mile walk round trip walk from the hotel to the Marquetry Museum
Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: In the meeting room of the hotel an expert illuminates Classical Greek art and archaeology.
Lunch: Lunch on your own.
Afternoon: Visit the Tarsia Museum (marquetry) that displays the materials, tools and traditional motifs used by master craftsmen of marquetry, or inlaid wood design. To ensure continuity for the decorative art tradition the museum is also a workshop to teach the craft to local youth.
Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.
Day Six: Sunday, April 20 - Archeological Museum in Naples / Royal Neighborhood
Note: Ability to walk up a few flights of stairs at the museum. Note there are few benches in the gallery rooms. Leisurely walk around the ex-Royal palace.
Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at hotel.
Morning: Guided visit of the Archaeological Museum in Naples which houses treasures and artifacts found in Pompeii and Herculaneum, including the famed Alexander Mosaic, Flora and Fauna, and the Farnese Bull.
Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant in Naples.
Afternoon: See the San Carlo Opera House, the Galleria Umberto, and the Royal Neighborhood. Some free time to enjoy some refreshment at the elegant Gambrinus Café.
Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.
Day Seven: Monday, April 21 - Full Day Excursion to the Isle of Capri
Note: Ability to board the vessel to reach the Island. Transportation is provided from the port to Anacapri, the town at the top of the island, although some walking to visit the traffic free town, gardens and sites of the island.
Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at hotel.
Morning: Board a boat to Capri. Indulge in a full day on the Mediterranean's most lush island while roaming the intricate cobbled laneways and the chic neighborhoods. Guided visit to the villa of Axel Munthe. Weather permitting enjoy the scenery from the convertible car with the top down.
Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant in Capri.
Afternoon: Capri visit continues. Some free time to climb the ruins of the villa of Tiberius or savor a gelato at a waterfront cafe. Boat returns to Sorrento by late afternoon.
Dinner: Dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Day Eight: Tuesday, April 22 - Herculaneum / Contemporary Life in Italy
Note: Uneven pavement on streets and cobblestone sidewalks in the archaeological site make walking somewhat challenging. There is a short incline to visit some of the houses and sites in the archaeological site. Few places to sit and rest.
Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at hotel.
Morning: Coach to and guided visit of Herculaneum, an upscale resort town destroyed by mud flows unlike Pompeii, which was buried by ash in 79 CE. The excavated Villa of the Papyri was the inspiration for the Getty Museum in Malibu, California.
Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Examine the issues facing Italy today in a lecture and discussion of the country's contemporary health care system, education, religion, and women's issues, and discover the ways in which Italy continues to undergo rapid economic and societal change. Question and answer period follows.Free time till dinner.
Dinner: Dine at the restaurant of your choice, suggestions made on site.
Day Nine: Wednesday, April 23 - Music in the Neapolitan Tradition / Cooking Demo in the Countryside
Note: Non strenuous walk from coach drop off point to the farm.
Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at hotel.
Morning: A musicologist expounds on the Neapolitan music tradition, complete with recordings.
Lunch: Lunch at the hotel.
Afternoon: Panoramic drive through the Sorrento countryside for a hands-on cooking demonstration of dishes of the regional cuisine.
Dinner: Enjoy the dinner you have observed in the making.
Evening: Coach to Sorrento after dinner at the agriturismo.
Day Ten: Thursday, April 24 - Positano / Transfer to Amalfi Coast hotel
Note: Boat ride from Positano to Amalfi. In case of bad weather prevents boat from leaving, ability to walk up the hill along the sidewalk to reach the bus parking lot.
Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Amalfi Coast Drive, the scenic narrow winding road cut into the steep cliffs above the Mediterranean Sea. On route, visit the elegant seaside town of Positano with its characteristic white houses that cling in tiers to the rock face. Board a boat bound for Amalfi from where you can fully appreciate the cascading houses and luscious gardens on the mountain face.
Lunch: Lunch at a restaurant in Amalfi.
Afternoon: In Amalfi, visit the cathedral of St. Andrew and an interesting museum that illustrates the techniques of milling paper, an industry that flourished in Amalfi in the 12th century. Transfer to Minori and check into the hotel.
Dinner: Dinner at the hotel. Sample limoncello, the liquor made from lemons from nearby groves.
Lodging: Hotel Villa Romana for the rest of the trip http://www.hotelvillaromana.it/
Day Eleven: Friday, April 25 - Paestum
Note: Uneven dirt paths lead to the famous Greek temples, the terrain is level. Leisure walk to the adjacent museum. Few benches to rest during the visit to the archaeological site.
Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: A drive (1 hr 40 min) south takes us to the Greek settlement of Paestum, dedicated to Poseidon. The highlights include doric style temples dating from the 6th and 5th centuries BCE dedicated to Hera. The adjacent museum contains the famed painted tomb of the diver.
Lunch: Lunch at local restaurant overlooking the temples.
Afternoon: Observe the making of the highest quality of mozzarella cheese from water buffalo milk at a working farm. Coach to Minori late afternoon.
Dinner: Dinner on your own.
Day Twelve: Saturday, April 26 - Ravello and Amalfi
Note: As a hill town, visiting Ravello requires managing hills on foot from the bus drop off point to and around the town. Villa Rufolo's gardens are terraced with paved steps.
Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Morning: Coach to Ravello, a medieval hill town above Amalfi for a visit to the world renowned Villa Rufolo, inspiration to Wagner and other artists.
Lunch: Lunch on your own.
Afternoon: Excursion on the Amalfi Coast continues. Some free time late afternoon in Minori.
Dinner: Farewell dinner at the hotel.
Day Thirteen: Sunday, April 27 - Departure
Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel; continental style for participants with early morning departure.
Morning: Coach to and Depart from Naples airport.
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