The Old Gray Mare She Ain't What She Used to Be...Day 4 in Sorrento, Mt. Vesuvius & Pompeii...

And we were off for another eventful day. Happy a lot of it would be spent riding in a coach to rest Claude's ankle. We would travel from Rome to Naples. Then a stop at Mt. Vesuvius followed by lunch and a stop at Pompeii. Our next hotel would be in Sorrento for two nights.

The drive to Mt. Vesuvius.

Mt. Vesuvius. Our coach was too large for the drive to the top of Vesuvius. We changed into a smaller coach for this drive. Once there we had to decide if we would walk the extra 1/2 mile+ to get to the very top. Alan came over to Claude and said, "Don't do that walk." We found a place to sit and visit with Mindy and others who opted out of the walk. 

I did walk up to the first look out and took a few pictures of Naples.

Then I walked back down to the gate you enter to go to the top where Claude was waiting. This path is sand and gravel from volcanic ash. There was rain the day before. It was very slick. The path gets much more steep as you climb to the top. At one point there was a nice funicular to get you to the very top. The last eruption of Vesuvius took care of that and another has not been built. We were grateful we didn't try to climb. Others returned and didn't make it all the way up. 

Pictures from the coach ride down Mt. Vesuvius. Along this road are several restaurants or wineries. The local artists have also placed some of their work in the open along the road.

We then drove to Pompeii. That fun tree in the first picture is an umbrella tree. They are a pine tree that had had all its lower limbs cut away. The top forms a shape like and umbrella. They are lovely and all over Italy.

One of the things this area is know for is the carving of cameos out of sea shells. Luigi took us to a place that demonstrates this process. Then we were able to shop for something if we chose. I chose and Claude indulged me. I picked a small floral pendant. These carvers take years to learn this skill.

Luigi showed us to a nice restaurant and we each bought a very nice lunch. This area is where the margherita pizza was first made. It has the colors of the Italian flag. Claude and I ordered real Italian pizza. One of the people serenaded us with Italian songs and his out-of-tune guitar. It was a great meal and very nice to have it all together. The green basil was not available so that is missing from this pizza.

Then on to visit Pompeii. 

This courtyard was used for the training of gladiators. Behind the wall at the back is where the theater was located.

The theater. The third picture is an artist's rendering of what the theater would have looked like when it was used.

Original plaster and paint on this wall.

The roads.

They did not have a great drainage system. The large stones in the roadway are steppingstones for when the roads flooded. There is room between, and they are the right height for the donkey carts to be pulled over them. 

Menander's home. This would have been a very wealthy family that lived here. This was a pool in the front room that collected water from the opening above. 

Actual painted plaster on the walls.

The home had an open inner courtyard. 

And, it had a steam bath.

This a painting of Menander on the wall.

Okay, now for the bad news. It was somewhere after this that I fell on the rocky streets of Pompeii. When I tried to stand up, I realized I had no strength to do that with my right arm. I tried to lift my right arm by itself and could not do that either. I realized it felt just like when I tore my rotator cuff in my left are in 2011. With help, I managed to stand and found the rest of me was fine. But, I had definitely really damaged my right shoulder. Just for the count, Mindy sprained her ankle on the arrival day, Claude sprained his ankle on the first full day in Rome. Three others in our group fell during this time but did not sustain injuries. Now I became the next casualty in Pompeii. 

This would have been a fast-food stand.

Final view in Pompeii. The main square in Pompeii with Vesuvius in the background.

On a humerous note. Our guide for the day in Pompeii was named Mario. Our guide for Italy was named Luigi. We had Mario and Luigi with us at one time!!