Day 9

Today we head south, with a few stops along the way. The scenery is green and the Appenines mountains return along the roadside. We pass the oldest used road in Italy lined with umbrella trees. Our lunch stop and tour begins in Pompeii.

Pompeii is famous for 3 things, the Cameo brooch/ jewelry,limoncello ( an alcoholic lemon dessert wine) and the eruption of Mt Vesuvius, volcano in 79 AD, which buried the town under ash and rock and killed many thousands of people. Exploration of the site began in the 1748 and continues today with 2/3 of the area excavated and 2,000 bodies found.



The town of Pompeii now rests on 25 feet of volcanic ash and rock.

Our local guide was extremely passionate about the archaeological finds and was extremely informative. Despite another 32c day, we enjoyed the tour very much. Highlights were, temples, homes, markets and the red light district which had been discovered and were in amazing condition despite their age. Some houses and the market place still had original paintings on the walls, which helped to understand what they had been used for. Phallic symbols throughout the city directed passing sailors to the local brothel where the walls were adorned with a menu of services offered.



We then head to the mediterranean coast, towards the beautiful town of Sorrento. We enjoy the rugged coastline with massive cliffs and panoramic views.

Dinner is in the town of Sorrento, with a typical Italian meal of antipasto, pasta, pizza, finished off with a lemon cake and a shot of limon cello. We had fun with the Italian guitar singing entertainer Greg serenaded Leanne on the guitar!!
Italians eat very late and the town is full of people walking around eating and generally having a good time.






Did you know that tiramusi means "pull me up" in Italian and that pizza originated in Nepals. It was named after Queen Margaret who visited in 1889, and was made of tomato,basil and mozzarella - red, green and white, the Italian flag. The pizza was called margarita !

In Italy apparently you can buy your diploma or car licence - and if you saw them drive you would believe this.
Interestingly, their cars are all very small, like the smart car by Mercedes - you never see a four wheel drive. They have no space to park, so they double and triple park everywhere with little regard for road laws.

The pace is still hectic but we are thoroughly enjoying the different experiences each day. Off to Isle of Capri for the day tomorrow.

Cheers Leanne and Greg
P.S Greg is feeling much better, thanks for asking.


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Location:Sorrento