Troutner Travels: Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento - Day 7

NAPLES, ITALY

Our visit to Naples was a busy day! Before arriving for the day, we had to switch our clocks forward one hour. We had the entire day planned out on our own…..We walked to the main train station in Naples, Garibaldi Square.

They had this huge stand that sold fresh fruit, and the biggest
lemons you had ever seen, when we arrived in Pompeii!

It was easy to buy our tickets to Pompeii. We bought a one way ticket, because we would take the hydrofoil back from Sorrento. It was about a 40 minute train ride. The train was fairly crowded. The ladies had a seat, and the men had to stand. When we arrived in Pompeii, we took the tour of the ancient ruin (11 euros each). We all purchased the audio guide (extra 5 euros each), and it helped us maneuver and learn more about the destruction that took place in 79AD.

Mt Vesuvius with Pompeii before and after...

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted. It is the most famous eruption and catastrophe in European history! The mountain sent clouds of stones, ash and fumes some 20.5 miles high, and spewed molten rock and pumice a 100,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb. An estimated 16,000 people died. It remained undiscovered for nearly 1700 years, until 1748.

Victims caught in the path of gases, ash and mud.

The victims caught in the path of the eruption were literally preserved almost instantly; they inhaled the hot gas and ash, flooding their lungs with fluid. Pumice and ash would fall over the city, followed by rain. This would turn the ash into mud and encase the bodies, natural preservation. A lot has been learned from these discoveries.

Waiting for the train to Sorrento....

Allow 2-3 hours to tour Pompeii. After several hours, we hopped back on the train for a 30 minute ride to Sorrento. Sorrento is a fun Italian city on the Amalphi coast, known for Limoncello, yummy lemon liquor! After spending some time walking around, shopping, stopping for refreshments, gelato, and sightseeing, it was time to get back to the ship. We took the Hydrofoil back to Naples, a passenger only ferry. The trip was much faster than the train and took 30 minutes! Although, it did cost slightly more than the train. The train trip cost about 4 euros versus the 9 euro Hydrofoil trip.