Pompeii and Caffeine Deprivation

So I will confess….I’m a day late with this entry. We enjoyed, and somehow survived, a marathon 16-hour day yesterday traveling to and from Pompeii and. I was incapable of forming a complete sentence by the time we returned to our hotel last night. That said, it was a great day and worth the exhaustion and occasional bouts of crankiness brought on by the heat and low glucose levels.

We left our hotel in Fiumicino at 6:30 am and took the Autostrada toward Naples. The drive takes about 2 1/2 hours; however, our driver, Franco, took pity on us and allowed us a “half-way” stop for coffee. For those who haven’t been to Italy—-a warning. When you order a cup of coffee, don’t expect a 12 oz cup. Charlie and I walked away from the counter holding cups that resemble the ones we normally see for rinsing at the dentist office. Charlie took the words right out of my mouth when he said, “I wish I’d ordered four of these.” At least we ingested enough caffeine to ward off withdrawal, and by the time we arrived in Pompeii we were ready to take on anything Mt. Vesuvius had to throw at us.

Pompeii is the most visited archeological site in the world, according to our guide. History buffs will recall that the ancient city was buried beneath 27 feet of pyroclastic ash and lava in 70 AD. The site was not discovered until the 1800s. Since then, only 20% of the site has been excavated. That fact alone is hard to believe when you see the enormity of the site. Ancient Pompeii was in many ways, similar to the modern cities of today. We entered via the main road that ran East to West. Along the way, we found the city square complete with the ancient city hall and court. The main road was lined with the foundations of buildings that once housed a thriving commercial center. Farther along, we saw the remains of an enormous thermal spa complete with hot and cold baths, and sauna. Our guide also pointed out an occasional carving in the large stones that lined the “sidewalk” of the main road. The citizens of Pompeii, well known for their appreciation for erotic art, used a “phallic symbol” for directional signs pointing to North, South, East, and West. By the way, I consulted with our Blog Administrator, Princess Heather, and she agrees that given the historical significance, we can post a photo below. She also added that it was a bit crude and tasteless……..our apologies if we offend:-)

Following our tour of Pompeii, we drove to the lovely town of Sorrento located high above the ancient city. The drive took about 20 minutes along a steep, winding road that finally led us to the town square. We enjoyed a delightful, relaxing lunch in a lovely little restaurant that housed a breathtaking garden filled with lemon trees. Charlie and I were delighted to finally encounter our favorite Mediterranean fare–grilled calamari and octopus. Our friend Garry, a true meat and potatoes lover if ever there was one, had his first — and probably last — bite of octopus……He was not impressed.

Our day in Sorrento, sadly came to an end, and we made the journey back to Rome–tired, but happy in the knowledge that we were headed for a hot shower, cold AC, and a soft mattress. Best of all, for the first time since we arrived, we didn’t request a wake-up call. Later this afternoon, we head for the port city of Civitavecchia where the four of us will board the Royal Clipper–our home away from home for the next two weeks. Historically, we have reliable wireless while in port, but we will have “cyber withdrawal” at sea. Our fist day is a sea day, so it’s “Ciao” for now. We will be in touch later this week.

The main road through the ancient city. Note the ruins of shops and houses along the way.

Plumbing and public works in the first century made for open drainage in the main road toward the sea. These stones allowed people to cross the street.