112. Mike with the Chains and Snapback

Piazza Popolo was graced with our presence at 6:45 am this morning. Compared to yesterday, it was a very peaceful place. Only a few people dragging luggage around joined us. We were meeting our newest tour group here at 7:15 to head off for Pompeii, but of course were early just in case. The first person we met was Ester from Ireland who was a medical student and traveling Rome on her own. After checking in, the second person we met was our tour guide Mike. Sometimes first impressions taint your view of someone for good. This was the case with Mike.

He was from Southern California and wore baggy pants, a sweatshirt, and a snapback. From then on no one could take him seriously. Turns out, he was very knowledgeable so I still enjoyed the day even though some people in our party of four could not.

Pompeii is about 3 hours south of Rome. You can imagine how psyched I was for all the sleep I was going to get on the bus ride down. I think we talked a bit about the history of Pompeii, but I was out! We stopped for a “comfort break” in Casino. Of course this happens to be a very popular rest stop for a certain ethnic group as well. So the stop was crazy. These people were snapping pictures of walls, grass blades, toilet stalls, and who knows what else. Plus they ran everywhere. I’m not being stereotypical at all. It was a collective group run to the bathroom, not just one or two people.

There is a reason I stray away from all rest stops. If you ever go on a road trip with me, you’ll notice that I don’t seem to ever need a break. One reason is because I really enjoy the sleep I get in car rides, but the other is that bathrooms and the people in them are so unpredictable. Today, the oriental tour group did it for me. On top of that, the line was a mile long. Once I finally made it to the front, none of the toilets worked or had seats.  I’ve been in bathrooms that have light timers that last about 10 seconds then leave you in complete darkness. Some that have a pedal to make the sink water some out, some that hide the flusher, some where you are escorted to your stall by a man, and so many other uncomfortable situations. So that is why I avoid public bathrooms.

After surviving the comfort break we didn’t have much longer until we pulled into Pompeii. Mike handed out the whisperers – another reminder of the cruise we aren’t on anymore – and we found our way to the front gate.

Pompeii is unlike any other ruins I have seen on this trip. It’s absolutely HUGE! And all from the same time period. If you ever go on any tour around Rome you’ll hear “the ruins are like lasagna.” All the civilizations that lived in Rome built over the last. In Pompeii everything is from 79 A.D. when Mount Vesuvius erupted. So its preservation and size sets it apart from everything else.

It’s a bit morbid that the horrid death of these people is so fascinating, but I can’t help it. Because the ash of the eruption fell over the city and quickly solidified, archaeologists were able to find cavities where people’s bodies had decomposed, but the shape of their bodies was still fully intact. They plaster casted these holes and saw the exact position people were in when they died. Personally, I would prefer to go in my sleep like this guy, but some were found with their hands over their mouths trying not to breathe in the smoke.

and a dog

Our tour only took us through a fraction of the city, and no matter how hard Grandpa tried to lose the group and explore on his own, Mike always found him to bring him back.

After Pompeii we grabbed some Naples pizza then headed off to Mount Vesuvius.   The hike to the top was steep and long. The coolest part was seeing the old edge of the crater off in the distance. From this ridge, the mountain used to shoot straight up making it so much larger than what we were going to see.

The old crater edge is to the right

At the top it was cloudy, but we got a peak at the steam coming out of the crater.

This marked the end of our Pompeii day trip! We loaded the bus and started off for Rome. On the way back we learned about some old Roman emperors and the old gladiator fights. It was interesting enough to keep me awake for the most part.

The rest of the evening was spent roaming around Rome. I wanted to check out Trevi Fountain lit up at night and now I never ever have to look at such a crowded place at night ever again. This trip is all about checking things off my bucket list!