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Published: June 24th 2005
Pompeii
Portions of it really are well preserved.I'm really glad I made the snap decision to take an excursion south. The tour is basing out of a campsite in Sorrento (Camping Santa Fortuna). Wisened by my experience in Venice, I opted for the best accomodation option available. The result was a dorm-style cabin with 4 beds in my room, a kitchen, private bathroom and fridge. It overlooks the swimming pool, and is overall quite nice for a campsite. Finally, I checked: there is hot water! The only downside will be mosquitoes, but those are inevitable anyways. I actually consider the place quite a steal (especially at 16 euro a night).
We visited Pompeii on the way over. It was interesting, and impressive how well some of the city has been preserved. I was especially impressed to see the quality of Roman roads in person. Let me tell you, they're better than some of the "modern" paved roads I've had the pleasure of walking on. The bath-house was also very interesting to see. The guide was very informative, especially about the marble fountain in the sauna room shown below. On a humorous note, I found it supremely ironic that a famous object from Pompeii - a plaster cast
Marble Fountain in Bathhouse
The inscription contains 2 names and an amount of about 5000 currency units (a LOT). The names are of the two politicians who paid to have the fountain (one piece marble) made and installed. Good to see some things haven't changed.... of a dog - wasn't at the site. Why? Because it's on loan to a museum in Canada right now. I'm in Pompeii, the sight is back home. Great...
On to the main attraction, I've fallen very hard for this place. The bay of Naples is incredible. You have cliff faces splashed generously with vivid flowers and buildings in equal measure. Sorrento itself, with its cobble-stone streets, is quite charming if you turn a blind eye to the infestation of tourist shops. I can't wait to go to Capri tomorrow. I'm seriously tempted even now to just tell my tour-guide that I won't be getting back on the bus the day after tomorrow, and stay a couple of extra days here (or find a place on Capri).
On a final note, lemons seem to be a key part of life here. A ubiqutous drink is Lemoncello, which is a very strong and sweet lemon-flavored digestive desert liquor. The stuff is quite good actually. The main attraction is actually probably the lemons themselves. You will not believe just how huge they are. We're talking the size of small melons! I'll have pictures shortly to prove it.
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