(P.S. Pompeii and Sorrento)

There is an old train system called the Circumvesuviana which departs from Naples's Central Station. I would guess these trains have been "around the block" a few times as they wear decorative layers of graffiti on most cars, but regardless of age the reliable service transports millions of visitors to some of the most popular tourist attractions in Southern Italy every year. This would include my sister and I on our way to small coastal town of Sorrento.

 

After the bustling streets of Rome, I found the Mediterranean feel of Sorrento very beautiful and relaxing. The town is well-presented with maintained flower beds and attractive ceramic signs like the one above. The entire industry is geared towards meeting the needs of tourists, especially retirees and young families. Laura found it a bit too touristy for her liking, but despite this we had an enjoyable time exploring its streets and shops. Here we took our first of MANY coastal pictures.

Sorrento acts as a central hub to a lot of surrounding attractions which can be easily visited on day trips, such as the ruins of Pompeii, Island of Capri and the Amalfi Coast. Sorrento is also well-known for its prosperous lemon orchards and its resulting invention of the Italian liqueur limoncello. This lemon-flavoured spirit packs a powerful punch of sour and sweet and can be found in souvenir shops across Italy. Most of the information I had read about Sorrento chastised its lack of substantial beach, but this proved no problem for us as we found it too chilly to swim or sun-bathe. Besides if the mood had struck us we could have used the lovely pool at the Hotel Florida where we were staying.

Walking through a downtown lemon orchard.

 Bottles of limoncello in every shape and size.

 Life is tough at Hotel Florida.

 

Pompeii is yet another of those places I have heard about my entire life. It is an ancient Roman city that was covered by 4 to 6 metres (13 to 20 ft.) of volcanic ash and pumice stone when nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. These light substances meant that the city was well-preserved and easy to excavate when formal archaeological works began at the end of the 19th century. Interestingly, there is evidence that Pompeii had still been recovering from a severe earthquake it suffered 18 years before the eruption. The population of the city at the time of its demise is estimated anywhere from 20,000 to 35,000 people. It was not a small city and nowadays is a surprising challenge to walk around. Our visit lasted five hours and I was exceedingly glad we were not suffering from the dead heat of summer.

 

 Looking towards the ruins of Pompeii from the main entrance.

A view of Mount Vesuvius. Note the crater top.

 Perhaps the most famous parts of Pompeii are its preserved objects and the plaster molds made from the imprints of bodies. Many have been removed to museums, but there are still some onsite. I was really amazed to see how short the people were; they could not have been any taller than me.

Some of the more impressive structures were the Amphitheatre (above) where gladiators fought and the Grand Theatre (below) used for other performances. 

Hygiene appears to have been very important to the ancient Romans as there were four public baths in the city. They were often ornately decorated like the one above. The biggest even included a gymnasium and swimming pool.

 Pompeii showcases a variety of art, including graffiti artfully written along some streets, but the best-preserved examples are located in the Villa dei Misteri (Villa of Mysteries) outside one of the city's gates. The above picture is of the Villa's most decorated room. Completely fabulous.



Laura's favourite part of Pompeii?? The Poppies. Well not really, but she did greatly admire them and why not? They really added a brilliant splash of colour to the ruins.

 

I took many, many pictures of Pompeii... too many to all share here. There are plenty of temples, administrative buildings, homes, even a Laundromat and "fast-food" joint. It is well worth the visit and very memorable. However learn from my mistake and remember to pack the sunscreen!

 

Ciao!

Shannon