Wrapping up Italy {Castellammare di Stabia}

I've been thinking about travel lately, with our recents trips to Vancouver and Whistler, and especially with planning NYC and DC this summer - and realized I never did wrap up with pics from our Italian vacation last summer. Here are some pictures from our stay in Castellammare di Stabia. (I'll also share some pictures from Arezzo - and Prada outlet shopping still gets its own post - those are next.)

We stayed at La Medusa Grand Hotel in Castellammare di Stabia because of its proximity to Pompeii and the Amalfi coast. It truly was like a little oasis in the area - beautifully decorated inside, with lush gardens and a nice pool. Their website shows great photos of their gorgeous garden/park. The staff was also absolutely lovely, kind, and helpful - and wonderful with our children. We had two rooms that adjoined from a small private foyer and stayed here for four nights while we explored the coast, Positano and Amalfi, and Pompeii, Paestum and Oplontis. I booked through booking.com and found it very easy to use the online reservations process to find accommodations for five. The pricing was exactly as quoted, and booking.com did not require a deposit - we paid at the hotel as usual.

our view of Mt. Vesuvius

breakfast

really fresh orange juice

heading to the pool

hallway on our floor

staircase to lobby

dining al fresco at the hotel

On our first night we arrived rather late and the kitchen at the hotel was closed, so we drove up the street and found a place down a narrow drive behind the "Sava Gas" sign. The food was fantastic.

They gave us an English menu but I don't think I heard anything but Italian from other customers. Definitely didn't feel like a tourist spot.

Here's a little video I shot of one of our drives in the area. Sorry, I don't know exactly where we were (that happened a lot). We didn't get physically stuck like we did here, but our tomtom gps sure did guide us through some narrow streets while we were south:

xoxo