Blogs from Pompei, Campania, Italy, Europe - page 9

Mt. Vesuvius towers over the skyscrapers of Naples and is the only active volcano in mainland Europe. If it were to erupt, many lives would be lost along with their homes. The Italian government has tried to persuade residence to move away from the vicinity of the volcano with a relocation incentive of 30,000 Euros, but these incentives have not been successful. An eruption would be catastrophic for the 600,000 people residing within seven kilometers of the volcano. The last eruption occurred in 1944 and the current lull, the longest in the past 500 years, has scientists worried. Grace and I decided to conquer this giant and climbed the 860 meter trail to the summit. The mere 860 meters wouldn’t be difficult if Grace’s flip flop had not broke. The few threads that were holding her ... read more

12th day - Wednesday We had planned on going into Napoli today but instead went to Pompeii. Sam & Terri went to Pompeii and we went to Ercolano. Beth & I hopped on the Circumvesuviana shuttle and headed to Ercolano/Herculaneum. The two sites are approximately 10 minutes apart by shuttle. Parking however is far easier at Pompeii than at Ercolano. Access to the autostrada is also easier from the parking lots at Pompeii. If you are up for it, you could see both sites because Ercolano can be easily seen in about an hour. Pompeii is a different story. At a minimum, I suggest that if you are going there, you should allot 3 hours. Sam later told me that he was not prepared for the sheer size of the site. It is quite spread out. ... read more

This morning was sunny, despite the calls for rain. Our plan today is to visit the ruins of the two cities that were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius: Herculaneum and Pompeii. On the way to the train station, we stopped on the bridge again and were able to get our email and confirm the booking of an apartment in Rome. It is always a relief when the next part of the accommodation puzzle falls in place. We planned to visit the travel agent this morning to buy bus tickets for Rome, but they never turn up, despite having told us yesterday to come back at 9 am. In the end we phone and find out that we can just buy tickets on the bus, though they will cost a bit more. We take the ... read more

06 Oct 2008 We got up early today - well relatively early I suppose, and into the Pompeii Ruins after 9am. Pompeii is surprisingly large. One has impressions from photos and descriptions that its a few buildings clustered together like a hilltop italian village, but Pompeii is extensive. We spent three hours traversing it, and then only looked into 4 buildings. First we headed for the Villa De Misteri, or Villa of Mysteries. This attracted us because it houses the popular red frescoes that you see splashed around the souvenir stalls: That isn't the only frescoe in the 2,000 square meter building, none of the others are as dramatic as the right of Diana, but fascinating and colourful all the same. img=http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg71/inspire-and-shine/Italy... read more

So I spent the last weekend in September touring Sorrento, Pompeii, Capri, and Naples. It was interesting going to such a different place, well different from Florence anyway. It is so therapeutic to ride on the trains in Italy. Crossing fields of grapes and cutting through the hills going through tunnels that make your ears pop. People watching and seeing who else is also riding with you. Small casas pass at lightning speed, like they were never there to begin with. The old blending with the new in the form of power lines next to ancient battle sites. This small country that is only 70 miles across at one point, full of history that would make any writer excited. Passion is not an emotion that Italians are short on either they definitely have it in abundance. ... read more