Ercolano (Herculaneum) & Mt Vesuvio

Yesterday we travelled from a nice sosta on the beach in Mondragone to Ercolano. Basically on part of Mt Vesuvio you can see the crater from where we are parked. A 15 minute walk to the ruins of Ercolano, it’s a perfect spot. Parked up next to our new friends Dave and Chris. They stumbled upon our last stay and heading in our direction of Ercolano and Pompeii. We walked down to the ruins and paid the €11 entry fee each. The site is amazing. The frescoes that are still partly intact and the mosaics in the flooring simply stunning. Jas and I went in separately as you can’t take dogs onto the archeological area. As you reach the lower area, the beach. You find these little alcoves. Skeletons frozen in time. Apparently these people where waiting to leave the shores but, where trapped by the pyroclastic surge in 79AD. What is amazing is that where these skeletons lie is where the beach was, when you look up its crazy to see how far the city was buried and how so much has been excavated. Today the sun came out and the sky was clear above Mt Vesuvius. Giovanni the owner of the sosta, offers lifts up for €15 to the volcano, 10 minutes from the ticket office. Dave and Chris where going up, so we decided to join them. Wow it did not disappoint, the view is simply breathtaking. You look out over the bay of Naples, Naples, Capri and on the other side the amalfi coast. Then right behind you the crater of the beast called Vesuvius. The smell of sulfur faint, compared to Rotorua. Steam venting from certain areas in the crater, its mammoth in size. It is one of those places I am so glad we changed our minds and decided to do. Now parked up 100 metres outside Pompeii, tomorrow the weather is supposed to rain. Washing day and maybe a visit to the ruins in the afternoon. If not it will be early on thursday before moving on. A must do on anyones list who comes to Italy.