The drive to Pompeii was only 17 miles but we had to encounter Sorrento again. Sorrento is set on a hillside above tall cliffs in the Bay of Naples. As a tourist resort you can imagine that space is at a premium, and they don’t waste any of it on the roads. The main through route twists and turns up and down and is barely big enough for two cars to pass yet it has to accommodate trucks and coaches. Just to add to the confusion we encountered a traditional Italian funeral where the mourners walk in procession behind the hearse. Our journey took us a little longer than expected.
In AD 79 Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii in volcanic ash. Over the last 250 years excavations have been carried out to uncover a complete Roman town which has been preserved in remarkably good condition. Vesuvius has not erupted since 1947, which is more than can be said of the local roads which are in a bad state of repair. Parking was easy for us within a minute’s walk of the archaeological site.
Entry to the site was €11 each and an audio guide €5. The site is vast and has many areas of interest. As you walk around listening to the guide you begin to get an idea of life in the town some 2,000 years ago. It’s quite remarkable how advanced the Romans were and how little we’ve progressed. Everyday life was very similar to ours today, or rather ours is very similar to the Roman ways. The beauty of Pompeii is in it’s completeness and originality but unfortunately many of the treasures found here have been taken away to museums for safe keeping and cannot be seen in their true context. There are still many wall paintings that remain in place and much of the architecture is intact. After around 6 hours in 30 degrees we returned to the van for a break before an evening stroll in the centre of Sorrento.
In total contrast to the hostile chaos of Sorrento’s through routes, the centre is virtually traffic free and is a maze of tiny streets packed with cafes, restaurants, gift shops and artisan's workshops. The temperature was a pleasant 20 degrees and there was a great atmosphere without the hustle and bustle of other Mediterranean resorts. Unable to resist the temptation we succumbed to more Italian ice cream, this time real mixed fruit in a creamy vanilla cornet for €2.50. Well, I think we deserved it. We set Tom Tom to take us back to the van, about 2 miles. The route took us down some very narrow back streets that focused the concentration even in the Smart car. You tend to pay more attention when you see scuffs and paint on the walls either side of the street.
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