Pompeii is an excavation site and outdoor museum of the ancient Roman settlement. This site is considered to be one of the few sites where an ancient city has been preserved in detail – everything from jars to tables to paintings and people were frozen in time, yielding an unprecedented opportunity to see how the people lived 2000 years ago. We met our guide who told us that this was a sacred site – the end of the world as they knew it for 20,000 inhabitants. The hot ash that buried the town in a way protected it also for future excavations.
We began our tour around the ruins and saw everything from residences to temples, from bakeries and other commercial buildings to baths. It was eerie to look at the deserted streets and picture the flurry of activity the bustling city once hosted. Lonely columns that once were part of regal buildings now stood at attention to a world long since passed. Once busy town squares are now shells of their former glory. The mountain itself stood in the background of a street it once strangled with its volcanic ash.
The cast capturing the moment of death of some unsuspecting citizens of Pompeii on that fateful day of the eruption of Vesuvius was displayed in the museum nearby the square.
Pompeii was everything I expected it to be and more! You could almost picture the Romans walking around in their togas.
Word of caution: Keep in mind that Mt. Vesuvius is an active volcano and can erupt at any time. However, scientists have devised a system to detect impending eruptions, so it’s fairly safe to browse through the ruins without fear of falling ash and lapili (pumice). However, you should protect yourself from pickpockets in the vicinity, and anywhere else in Italy for that matter, as you normally would when traveling.
Anyhow, after leaving Pompeii, Shona then handed out the trip questionnaires and talked about why she thought Insight Tours were such good value (I think she was preaching to the converted for the most part, but she did a good job).
Afterwards, the smooth motorway led us back to the Eternal City of Rome, our last stop. Shona took a poll of flight times and decided there would be 2 scheduled trips to the airport and told us the times to be ready. The bus arrived at the Sheraton Roma at about 3:30pm and we were told to be at the lobby by 6:15pm for our farewell dinner.
We got to the hotel and had a nap. For the farewell dinner, we were driven to Papa Rex’s restaurant in the neighborhood of the Vatican, which Shona told us the Pope used to have his birthday party at every year, and the wine they serve is from the Vatican Vineyards. We had our picture taken with a Roman soldier at the door (later to be hawked to us). The food was good as was the ever-flowing wine. There was entertainment from several singers who mingled with the group.
After a hearty meal and easy camaraderie, it was time for the last bus ride back to the hotel. We were all in a really good mood from the food, the wine and the ambiance of the night, so out came the song by Dean Martin and we all sang “Amore” on the way back to the hotel. It was the most perfect ending to the most perfect vacation!
Departure from Rome
Arrivederci Roma! Woke up really early and took the early departure transfer from the hotel to the airport and waited for the British Airways counters to open. Being one of the first passengers to check in, we had tons of time to check out the duty-free shops and to have some breakfast. Shortly before boarding time, we slowly inched our way towards our gate. Intuition told me, however, that something was not right. When I asked one of the airport personnel, praying that he speaks English, he told me to check the monitors because our gate has been changed. Sure enough, our gate has been changed from G4 to G14. Agh!!! So Ricky and I made a dash for our gate, just in time before boarding time. Whew!
Our plane arrived at London Heathrow ahead of schedule but we had to stay at the tarmac for an hour due to non-availability of gate. That’s how busy Heathrow really is! If you can recall, in my last travelogue to the UK, I mentioned that Heathrow is one of the busiest airports, if not THE busiest airport, in the world. Some of the passengers missed their connecting flights due to the delay. But we didn’t have to worry because our layover time was 3 hours.
Anyhow, the return flight to Vancouver was uneventful. Since Ricky slept most of the time during the entire flight, I made use of my 9-hour flight by watching the movies, “Shrek Forever After”; “Date Night” starring Steve Carrell and Tina Fey; and “Marmaduke”. The flight was a smooth one, and we stepped out of the plane to a brisk but comfortable Vancouver weather.
A Few Closing Thoughts
All in all, we had a MAH-VELOUS time! We saw more on 10 days than I could have ever imagined. What I have seen has awakened new places in my heart and my wanderlust and, yes, my suitcase. This was a fast-paced tour, but for us it was the right way to do it. We met some great people, ate great food, drank wonderful wine, and were immersed in a country that is truly a "step back in time". We will have these wonderful memories forever and a ton of photos in case we forget. All in all, it was indeed a memorable trip.
I’m quite sure where my next trip will take me – Spain, Portugal, France and Italy (yes, Trevi Fountain does indeed work!). And quite frankly, I can’t wait to start packing.
So folks, this concludes our Italian holiday. Hope you enjoyed reading my travelogue just as I enjoyed reminiscing memorable moments all over again. Ciao for now!
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