Mount Vesuvius stands quietly today but this still active volcano erupted in 79 AD burying Pompeii under stone and ash.
Pompeii today bears little resemblance to the once thriving and colorful Roman seaport. Visitors gain a glimpse of the color from what remains of the painted red plaster on the brown bricks as they walk through Porta Marina, the main entrance.
The Forum was the center of the ancient city.
Bakery and Mill
Pompeii Slide Show
Day 9 (June 11) Pompeii and Sorrento
The bus dropped us off in Pompeii but we could not enter the archaeological site because there was a strike of some type. The ruins opened late but not a long wait. Our guide was Gaetano Manfredi who is another one of the iconic guides one often sees on Rick Steves tours. He gave us a great tour working his way through the crowds and other tour groups. Pompeii is an intriguing place that causes a person to pause just a little. We had been to Pompeii before but it was so hot that day we did not fully appreciate what we were seeing. This was much better. After our tour, the group took the train to Sorrento.
We walked from the train station in Sorrento to the Gelateria David where we had an excellent explanation of how gelato is made, with samples. As we walked to our hotel, Donald provided an orientation to Sorrento. Our hotel is the Ulisse Delux Hostel but the name is misleading. It was an older hotel with larger rooms and a lot of public space. It was a very nice hotel. The group went to a family's house for dinner. The family sometimes opens their house to groups and they serve a traditional meal family style on their patio. It was a beautiful setting looking out across the countryside at sunset.
The bus dropped us off in Pompeii but we could not enter the archaeological site because there was a strike of some type. The ruins opened late but not a long wait. Our guide was Gaetano Manfredi who is another one of the iconic guides one often sees on Rick Steves tours. He gave us a great tour working his way through the crowds and other tour groups. Pompeii is an intriguing place that causes a person to pause just a little. We had been to Pompeii before but it was so hot that day we did not fully appreciate what we were seeing. This was much better. After our tour, the group took the train to Sorrento.
We walked from the train station in Sorrento to the Gelateria David where we had an excellent explanation of how gelato is made, with samples. As we walked to our hotel, Donald provided an orientation to Sorrento. Our hotel is the Ulisse Delux Hostel but the name is misleading. It was an older hotel with larger rooms and a lot of public space. It was a very nice hotel. The group went to a family's house for dinner. The family sometimes opens their house to groups and they serve a traditional meal family style on their patio. It was a beautiful setting looking out across the countryside at sunset.