Today, Sea Cloud visited two Italian coastal villages. First was Otranto, a picturesque town first inhabited by Paleolithic people then Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and later the Ottoman Turks. Next was Lecce, also on the Salentine Peninsula, in the Apulia region of Italy.
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Anticipating rough weather, we woke early today to attempt a morning visit to the city of Amalfi. Unfortunately, the seas were already too rough to safely disembark, and we were compelled to make other plans. We instead spent a quiet morning at sea, including a presentation by National Geographic-Lindblad Historian Rebecca on shipwreck archaeology, a fitting topic for a ship prudently avoiding rough weather. Today’s lunch on the lido deck featured the famous Sea Cloud pasta wheel, a large wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano in which a delectable pasta is prepared. We managed to dock in Napoli around midday, and interested guests accompanied Expedition Leader John on a walk around some of Napoli’s historic neighborhoods. Our leisurely walk took us past the medieval Castel Nuovo, through the soaring Galleria of Umberto I, and alongside the expansive Royal Palace of Napoli. Back aboard Sea Cloud this evening, we enjoyed the guest slide show during cocktail hour followed by one final, sumptuous dinner in the ship’s elegant dining room.
Our journey through Southern Italy is coming to a close, but no voyage is complete without walking through some of the deepest parts of history. We’ve had the good fortune of exploring some of the most magnificent archaeological sites this region has to offer. This morning, however, was more than a field trip of exploration—it was an awakening, feeling the ground beneath us almost exactly as it was 2,000 years ago. Our morning in Pompeii was humbling and our guides did more than point and talk, they brought us to a time and place with a sense of familiarity. The stories resonated with all of us differently, but everyone felt connected. In the afternoon, we were fortunate to experience the historic streets of Salerno. The ancient streets we wandered were a work of art—from colorful laundry hanging on the line, to dainty symbolic murals and the ever so frequent scruffy alley cats. We couldn’t help but to marvel at it all.
After landing in Agropoli, the breeze carried the scent of the Mediterranean, a prelude to the historic wonders of Paestum just a short drive away. The coastal town, with its rocky shoreline and deep-blue waters, set the scene for a journey back in time. As we traveled inland, the landscape transformed into verdant fields, a reminder of southern Italy’s ancient agricultural roots. Arriving in Paestum, we were greeted by three magnificent Greek temples, each standing tall amidst a vast archaeological site. The Temple of Hera, the oldest of the trio, exuded a timeless elegance, its Doric columns still largely intact after millennia. The Temple of Neptune, perhaps the most imposing, felt almost alive, its grandeur a testament to the engineering prowess of the ancient Greeks. The quieter Temple of Athena, perched slightly uphill, offered panoramic views of the surrounding plains. Walking among these ruins, we could imagine the thriving Greco-Roman community that once lived here. The blend of art, religion, and daily life, preserved in both the temples and the museum artifacts, brought ancient Paestum vividly to life, making it an unforgettable day in the heart of Campania.
