Pompeii

Took the local train from Sorrento to Pompeii only to be told on arrival at 10am that it would not open until noon. However we could get in to see the Mystery Villa first which had some beautiful murals. Amazing that the colours had lasted so well.
By the time we had toured the villa, everything was open - no reason given for the hiccup. It was all quite spectacular - a town that had been preserved in volcanic ash and debris since 79 AD which was found in the 1700s. It was quite beautiful with gardens, obvious rooms, earthenware - even ruts in the roads where carts would have travelled. The amphitheatre was of special interest to Richard - Pink Floyd had recorded a concert film there in the 70s (playing to an empty theatre!). There is even a gallery of photographs cataloguing the event.
The whole site was quite moving; many areas are still undergoing restoration work.
We were lucky the weather stayed dry - would not have enjoyed walking on all those smooth stones!Read more