Day 8, our last day of the tour, started with breakfast and packing. We needed to have our luggage packed and sitting outside of the room by 9:30 and then meet in front of the hotel by 9:45, so I had plenty of time to Continue Reading

We slept a little later on Day 7 than we had on the previous days. We did not meet at the bus until 9:00, but the extra time was valuable because we had quite a climb ahead of us. I took the time to eat Continue Reading

After finishing our visit to Herculaneum we headed over to the Antiquarium at Boscoreale. This is a small museum situated on the site of an ancient wine-producing villa. As soon as we arrived at the site we could see the excavated Roman house, with a Continue Reading

I have decided to split this day’s photos into 2 posts again, because there is so much material. What follows is a lengthy explanation of the history and science of the eruption processes at Pompeii and Herculaneum. I know it is a lot to read, Continue Reading

On Day 5 we went to visit the Villas at Stabiae. These are luxury resort-like Roman houses built on a hill overlooking Vesuvius and the towns in the valley below. Rich and powerful Romans would likely have lived in these houses prior to the eruption, Continue Reading

On Day 4 we went to visit the Naples Archaeological Museum, an excellent follow-up to the things we had seen in Pompeii the day before. The building itself was once an 18th century palace, and the list of previous directors includes such prestigious names as Continue Reading

As we continued to make our way to the Forum the next building we entered was the Theater. Unlike the amphitheater shown earlier, which hosted sporting events, this venue would have hosted plays and dramas. The white marble seats are original, the others have been Continue Reading

On Day 3 we spent the entire day exploring the ruins of Pompeii. I have decided to split this blog post into several parts to make it more manageable, since we saw so much! Since the hotel was close to Pompeii we could afford to Continue Reading

On day 2 we headed South to visit Paestum. This site is a long drive from Pompeii, so we got up before sunrise to get an early start. After some coffee and a light breakfast we piled into the bus and started on our way. Continue Reading

I landed early in Rome for my first day of the trip, with my passport in hand and tickets for the train to Naples. I was scheduled to meet the rest of the group for lunch, so after clearing passport control and collecting my bags Continue Reading