Assess risk
personal - Italy Tour - 2009

Itinerary for Day 4 according to the brochure.

picture of my suitcase

Day 4: Pompeii and Vesuvius

The eruption of Vesuvius in AD79 engulfed Pompeii in a cloud of ash and lava, creating the finest monument and most complete record of everyday life in the Roman Empire to be found anywhere. A guided tour takes you to the mosaics, shops, villas, theatres and streets of this city, before a visit to the mighty volcano itself that broods mightily over the Bay of Naples. NB - Entrance fees for Pompeii and Vesuvius are not included, however, discounts may apply

Personal Commentary

We took a coach trip to Pompeii. The weather was piping hot. Now I know that there is a lot of history in Pompeii and the tour guide was an interesting fellow. However I was bored with a lot of it. That is probably an indictment of me rather than a comment on Pompeii. it was a hot day with a lot of walking and standing around. Perhaps one day I will go back. Myself, Jabeen and Nigel sat down after two hours of walking and had a sandwich. We bought some souvenirs and then went back to the coach for the second part of the journey to Vesuvius.

Vesuvius was interesting...one heck of a climb on an ash ridden mountain. I know I am not fit but that climb would have challenged the fittest of people! We were given walking sticks with spikes in the end to assist us with our ascent. Not surprisingly, some of the older members of the travelling party decided not to make the trip up the mountain. I have to say that the views were interesting, but not spectacular. There was some smoke coming from parts of the rock but nothing too exciting. All in all I am glad I made the trip, although I ruined a perfectly good pair of shoes and stained my trousers irrevocably.

We returned back to the hotel in Sorrento in the late afternoon and after a shower and food, strolled through Sorrento at night.