28th October Pompeii & Sorrento

Today on the bus we watched a documentary about Monte Cassino as we headed towards the Bay of Naples. Patrick has shown us a few DVD's along the way to give us a deeper insight into some of the sights we see. While it gives us new knowledge it's also been great to pass the time on the bus...although many have commented that they haven't seen the end of one documentary yet as we tend to be asleep by the end of it!!! The weather today was gloomy looking as we approached Pompeii, although while it tends to rain while we are on the bus, it usually clears by the time we get out to have a look around and today was no exception. In Pompeii we met our guide who took us through this amazing city at the foot of Mount Vesuvius and revealed to us the unique history of this 'petrified' Roman town. Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, covering Pompeii in a layer of volcanic ash, where it lay undiscovered for centuries. It was not like nearby Herculaneum which was covered in a thick layer of volcanic material which solidified into extremely hard stone. This has meant that the city of Pompeii has remained intact until the present day, not only as far as its buildings are concerned, but also in regard to the contents inside the houses and shops which provide a fascinating picture of daily life. I was outside one of the buildings talking to Margaret and didn't hear what the building was we were lining up to see. When I walked in I saw some pictures above the door so started taking some photos...I got a shock when I zoomed in...and then realised where I was!!!! I was amazed at how much excavation has been done on this site to reveal so much of this buried city. Many of the artefacts and bodies however are now located in a museum in Naples. This afternoon we checked in at our "5 star hotel" in Sorrento, it is VERY beautiful! Then we boarded a couple of smaller buses and drove along the Amalfi coast, taking a few picture stops along the way and then we stopped in Positano for a nice glass of red wine...or gelato, whichever you preferred. Then it was back to the hotel for the night.