We spent a day roaming around Pompeii. I had pre-purchased an audio tour, but it wasn’t very well done, was difficult to follow, did not come with headphones and what content I could hear lacked depth and context. Of course, Pompeii was crowded and hot, but our innkeeper had given us a map of the can’t miss sites, so we saw all of those before leaving. One of our last stops (pictured) was the Villa of Mysteries ihat houses one of the most famous frescos in all of Ancient Rome. Discovered in 1909, It stretches across more than 55 feet and features Dionysus, who was the most popular god for Roman women. He was the source of both their sensual and spiritual hopes.

After Pompeii we spent two nights in Capri. We decided to pack light (for a photographer), leave the car and most of our luggage at the inn and take the train to the ferry. I don’t know if I’d do that again. I’d probably just drive and pay to park, even though it is exorbitant. Afterall, everything about Capri is exorbitant, except perhaps the sorbet. We had been to Capri many years before, but I wanted to photograph Arco Naturale and Faro de Punte Carena, the lighthouse at the tip of Anacapri. Both are beautiful and popular and Capril is stunning. However, it is definitely not a place for travelers on a budget.

We had beautiful weather and decided to walk from our hotel in Capri to the lighthouse and then get a taxi home after dark. I don’t recommend walking from Capri to Anacapri (neither did the folks at the hotel who I ignored) as many places on the uphill route are along narrow mountain highway and there are 921 steep stairs to climb along the way. It's about a five-mile walk to reach the lighthouse.