June 27 and 28 Positano

After Rome and Pompeii, Joe and I were absolutely bone tired from the endless walking so we needed a place to rest. Pompeii is very close to the Amalfi Coast in Italy, so we decided to head there. We found a hostel in Positano overlooking the ocean and we will be hanging out there for a few days. We´ve been mainly hanging out on the terrace of the hostel and the beach. More on Positano and the Amalfi Coast later. It is breathtaking!

June 26 Pompeii

Today we went to Pompeii!! Last night and the night before Joe and I did a little research so we´d appreciate it more. We learned that because of the way the wind blew, the debris the volcano spewed out at the beginning of the eruption fell in Pompeii and not so much in Herculaneum. This caused many deaths due to roofs caving in Pompeii. In Herculaneum, the people died from a pyroclastic surge that killed them immediately because the heat instantly cooked them and then their brains exploded. In Pompeii, however the ash in the air was so thick that it creeped into every space of a person´s home. When they breathed it in, it mixed with the liquid in a person´s lungs, became cement, and suffocated them. That´s how most people died in Pompeii. What I thought was interesting was the people in both cities did not know Vesuvius was a volcano since it lied dormant for 800 years. Scary stuff!

I had no clue how big Pompeii is. The guidebook recommended 4 to 5 hours, but we were there 6 1/2 hours and we still didn´t see it all. A person could stay there for days. We saw people´s homes, the baths, the amphitheatre where plays were held, the coliseum for the Gladiatorial games, the cemetery, the forum and merchant shops, temples, etc. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera and had to rely on Joe´s camera, but what a day!

June 25 Naples

After checking out of our hostel this morning, we boarded the train for the 1 hour trip to Naples. Since the train was full, we couldn´t find seats so we hung out between the cars by the door. This worked out well, since we met 2 delightful girls from England that had to do the same and we all kept each other entertained for the trip.

We are staying in a hostel outside the city of Naples in what used to be a fabric factory. Pretty cool! After we settled into our room, Joe and I headed to the Herculaneum ruins, which was within walking distance of our hostel. Herculaneum, like Pompeii, was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. However, it is much better preserved. Not only are many buildings left standing, but some of the original mosaic flooring, frescoes, pottery, and even WOOD is still preserved. Amazing!!!

June 23 and 24 The Vatican

We wanted to visit both the Vatican Museums and Saint Peter´s Cathedral in one day, but soon realized we couldn´t. We took our time going through the Vatican Museums taking in the beautiful art. Joe also saw his first Egyptain mummy!! At the end of the tour we went to the Sistine Chapel and saw the ceiling painted by Michelangelo, my favorite artist. Unfortunately, they wouldn´t let me take pictures. The next day we went back to visit Saint Peter´s Cathedral, the largest church in the world. For those who haven´t been, words can´t describe this church. It is grand in every way, from the sheer size to countless lifesize marble sculptures inside. Another famous work by Michelangelo, "The Pieta" is there. After visiting the basilica, we went to the top of the dome to overlook the city, and then went down into the crypt to see where the popes were buried. What a day!

June 22 Rome

Wow! Today was a very long and wonderful day. We started at the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. The Roman Forum was the heart of ancient Rome. This is where people gathered, where the Senate met to decide on new laws, where the temples were to worship the gods, where prisoners were held, etc. Of course, it is in ruins now but it was amazing to see how complex and grand the city once was. Palatine Hill overlooks the Roman Forum and was the place several Roman emporers lived. According to Roman legend, the Palatine Hill was the place that two twins, Romulus and Remus, were found and raised by a she wolf. Later on, Romulus kills Remus and founds the city of Rome. That is how Rome gets its name, from Romulus.

Later on, we visited the Pantheon. This building was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa a few years before Christ as a building to worship all the Roman gods. However, since the 7th century, it has been used as a Roman Catholic church. After the Pantheon we walked around town for a bit and went to the Spanish steps (which is reported to be the longest and widest staircase in Europe) and the Trevi Fountain, which at 85 feet high and 65 feet wide, is one very impressive fountain. We then went back to the room and I took a very needed jacuzzi bath.

June 21 Roma!

Today we got up really early to catch a 6:30 am Ryan Air flight into Rome Italy. Thankfully, the 2 hour flight was pretty uneventful. Once we landed, went through customs, and got our bags, we had to figure out which bus to take to the city center. We finally found the correct one and we left about 40 minutes later. It took another 40 minutes to get to the city center and about a 5 block walk to get to the hostel. When we checked in, we were informed that the private rooms were in a different building and had to walk another few blocks to get there. We were soooo happy to get to our room! Our room was alot nicer than we thought it would be. The queen sized bed had curtains around it, we had cable tv, in room Wi-Fi, and the best part, a private bathroom with jacuzzi! We couldn´t believe it! In a hostel!

After we checked in, we got a bite to eat and headed straight for the Coloseum. That was a pretty spooky experience thinking about all the slaves and Christians that were killed in that place. After the Coloseum, we were pretty tired from lack of sleep and walking around, so we went back to the room to rest.

June 18-21 Liverpool

On Monday the 14th of June, Joe and I saw my parents off on their cruise and we decided to meet again in Liverpool that Saturday the 19th to spend the day together again. When we got to the city the day before, there was a misunderstanding with the guest house which left us stranded outside for about an hour. Traveling is always full of surprises, isn´t it? We did make to our room, which was pretty nice and the owners of the place were super friendly.

The next day, we met with Mom and Dad and did a hop on hop off bus tour with a guide, named Loopy Lou, that was a little too chippery for my taste. She did make things interesting though. We also went to the top of the Liverpool Cathedral and saw amazing views overlooking the city. We had lunch at a pub and walked around a little before seeing Mom and Dad off. That was hard for me to do since I miss them very much.

The morning after that, Joe and I attended a Baptist church, which was fun. The music was lively and the preacher was very good and actually funny. The congregation was also very friendly. After church we went to an African festival that was held in a park near our guest house. Different bands all over the world were flown in and there was lots of food. We tried food from North Africa and the Caribbean that was very very good. After the festival, we moved into a hotel a short distance from the airport since we had an early morning flight into Rome the next morning.