We elected to visit the amazing ruins of Pompei via a bus trip from Rome. As this is about a 4 hour trip it required an early start. Our guides gave us a good briefing about the site on the way which helped to pass the time and we all had a snooze.
By the time we arrived at the entrance we knew that Pompeii and some nearby villas had been covered in 4-6 m of volcanic ash and pumice after the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD. The ruins had been largely preserved by the ash and were not rediscovered until the 17th century.
It was the early 19th century however before serious excavations began. These well preserved remains give a snapshot of Roman life at that time. It was a wealthy town with many fine buildings, a Forum and amphitheater.
Most poignant were the plaster casts of people and family groups discovered preserved in situ.
A brothel in one of the side streets displayed some interesting artwork. Over 2.5 million tourists visit the site every year.
After lunch at Naples (pizza of course), we drove to nearby Mt Vesuvius and climbed to the top of the crater. This took about half an hour in the hot conditions. It was very desolate and while there was not much happening while we were there it is still and active volcano.
After all the walking and climbing, we were glad to have another snooze on the bus on the long drive back to Rome, arriving well after dark.