After days of touring the city of Rome, getting lost in small alleys, and enjoying the sights and sounds of this beautiful place, it was time to head out and see what else Italy had to offer. For this, we had booked a day trip to Naples and Pompeii. We woke up very early (again,) and made our way to the Piazza de Popolo. At this time of the morning, there were few tourists out and the streets seemed almost eerie without the hustle and bustle of a typical day. We made our way through store lined streets into the piazza where the beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo sat nestled between the Porta del Popolo and Pincio Hill. The piazza had small tour groups scattered throughout the square as they gathered to discuss the events of the day. We made our way to our tour company, which was City Light Tours , and checked in. It was a small group of us and we were informed that we would be traveling three hours to Naples to have lunch and then head to Pompeii.

We boarded our tour bus and settled down for the long ride. Our tour guide, who informed us was an ex-pat of the US, was great and very informative. She pointed out sites that were passed during the drive like the Appian Way and the Abbey of Monte Cassino. She kept us engaged throughout the entire ride, which I would not think is an easy feat. We stopped  at a small gift shop/cafe for a bathroom break and to get a cup of espresso. This was a small little place with a beautiful backdrop of mountains in the distance. As long as the ride was, it was a scenic drive which made it much more bearable.

We finally arrived in Naples and I was a bit surprised at how much of a “city” it looked like compared to the ancient streets of Rome. It was still a beautiful sight, the city nestled against rolling hills with the Tyrrenhian Sea on the opposite side and shadows of islands sitting on top of the calm waters. We stopped at a restaurant that had a breath-taking view of Mount Vesuvius. This massive volcano was miles away, however, it still loomed over our heads making sure that it’s presence was known. The restaurant was a modern twist to the old and rustic ones we have been eating at in Rome. We were seated with a married couple from the US and two backpackers from our group who were making their way across Europe. We had nice conversations about the different towns and countries that have been visited and what places were must sees.

For lunch, of course you were going to eat what Naples was known for. Pizza! Steven had the Margherita pizza and I had the ham and cheese pizza. Without a doubt, it was the best pizza that I have ever eaten in my life. In contrast to the thin pizzas in Rome, the pizza from Naples was thicker and more doughy, and oh so delicious. Again, simple and fresh ingredients makes such a difference. I’m sure everyone says this after eating pizza in Naples, but honestly, it truly was the best pizza I have ever eaten!

After lunch, we boarded our tour bus once again to make our way to Mt. Vesuvius. The drive up to the base of the volcano had me gripping the edge of my seat. Imagine a tight, one lane road creeping up the base of a massive volcano, with countless of cars and giant tour buses going up and down this road. Our driver was a pro in maneuvering the huge tour bus, but i was already filled with anxiety looking over the edge of the road and seeing how far the drop was. There were times where we sat for almost ten minutes while other vehicles tried to maneuver their way down.  We arrived at the first checkpoint on Mt. Vesuvius that had a small gift shop and restaurant.  From there, you are able to see the Bay of Naples, as well as the valley of ash left over from Mt. Vesuvius’ last eruption. There are three main checkpoints up to the mouth of the volcano that visitors can walk up to. We began walking up the trail and my anxiety got the best of me and I did not dare go any higher. It was not an easy climb and we decided to stop at a viewpoint that overlooked the bay. Looking up, we were still able to see the top of the volcano, but I was ready to head back down!

After making our way back down the anxiety-inducing road, we headed to the city of Pompeii. Pompeii is an immense archaeological site that was buried in ash from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Covered in volcanic dust and ash, thousands of people died and the city was forgotten until 1748, when a group of explorers rediscovered the site. It’s amazing that this city remained mostly intact for all those years and excavations have been going on for at least three centuries. Our tour guide informed us that Pompeii was actually pushed back about three miles away from it’s original settlement which is why it may have taken so long to be discovered.

It truly was a surreal experience, walking through streets that were left untouched for thousands of years.  Walking on the original stones and peeking into houses with paintings still on the wall gave you a first hand experience of how life once was. We passed restaurants, where you could still see the holes in counters that were used for “fast food”. Pompeii was an innovative city, with irrigation and advancements in daily living that you would not think would exist during that time. There were elegant houses and villas, taverns, shops and bathhouses along with several open air squares and amphitheatres. We visited what once used to be a brothel, with paintings on the walls showing you exactly the services that were provided. I also sat in a stone bed and wondered how enjoyable it would’ve been because it was not comfortable at all!

We finally were able to make our way where the preserved bodies from the eruption were located. There has been the debate that people died from asphyxiation by volcanic ash and gas or extreme heat resulting in an “instant rigor mortis”. Whatever the debate is, you cannot deny the impact that seeing those body casts brings. Many of them had a peaceful expression on their face, which contradicts the catastrophic events that the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius caused. There were some that appeared to be laying down and others that were in a fetal position or hunched in a corner. There were also casts of animals, which appeared to be more in distress and was heartbreaking.

Our tour ended after two hours in a big open-air square with Mt. Vesuvius in the distance. Being in the middle of that square and seeing that volcano that is pretty far away just puts the immensity of this event in perspective. I would recommend for anyone who visits Naples to visit Pompeii. There is so much to see and learn that you can be there for hours and still not see the whole city. Looking back, I wish we were able to see more of  Pompeii as there is so much to see. We boarded the tour bus and prepared for the three hours ride back to Rome.