Two thousand years ago Mount Vesuvius, shown above, was a perfect cone roughly 2000 feet taller than is is now. Then in 79 AD it blew its top showering the land around it with a thick layer of dust and mud. Pompeii, a thriving Roman city, and most of its inhabitants were destroyed and entombed. Now it is an interesting place to visit.

Remnants of a bakers oven and the display of a hot food vendor, ruts of wagon wheels and street fountains can be found throughout the large complex. In fact we were surprised how extensive Pompeii was. Notice the wall mural to the right of Sharon.

The most interesting exhibits were the remains of the people. When Pompeii was excavated the mud cavities of these persons were found with bones inside. What must have happened is that the poor souls were succumbed and engulfed with dust then mud. In time the flesh deteriorated but the cavity remained. To preserve some of this, archeologists filled them with plaster and the results are now on display.

Some of the statues and columns reminded us of what we have seen in Ephesus, Turkey. They all date from the same time during the Roman empire.

It was time to eat some more. Lunch was served in a courtyard inside one of the Pompeii buildings. A bottle of wine helped to settle the dust and some good Italian bread, cheeses and prosciutto filled our cavities.

The bus then took us to Sorrento for some more shopping. The Wind Surf had sailed from Amalfi to the Bay of Naples while we were touring Pompeii. It was waiting for us in the harbor, a good stroll down from the city.

Our next stop was Portofino. Click here to continue our journey