Pompeii and Pleasures

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Sorrento, Italy

Sorrento is a beautiful coastal town in southwestern Italy, facing the Bay of Naples. We arrived on a gorgeous sunny day to tender ashore so we rode an hour to tour Pompeii. Pompeii, nestled 14 miles southeast of Naples, was a thriving Roman city until disaster struck in 79 BC. Since then earthquakes and WWII has taken a toll on the massive ruins of Pompeii.

Founded around the 6th century, Pompeii evolved to become a bustling urban when on October 24, in 79 BC, Mount Vesuvius erupted, blanketing Pompeii in poisonous gas which shocked the entire population and laid the city to ruins, unnoticed for centuries. In the 1700s, Pompeii’s remains were unearthed, revealing a sophisticated Greco-Roman city. Grand public buildings, street system, stores, plazas, bars and banks, villas, and houses emerged, frozen in time. Pompeii’s preserved artifacts offer glimpses of daily existence and excavation continues today. Lavish villas, frescoes (Warning some X-rated), and mosaics showcase Roman opulence and lifestyle, with many brilliant design elements.

A lovely winery tour and Mediterranean lunch was the culmination of the fantastic tour of Pompeii and Sorrento. Aw, we’re living la vida bella!

Our expert tour guide, Matilda, was clearly the senior respected guide of Pompeii. We were fortunate to have such an experienced and knowledgeable guide and Jerry said she reminded him of my Grammie! — stalwart, spirited and sassy! We hustled to keep up with her as she marched us through the ruins, pointing out the details and amazing aspects of the ancient civilization.