Finally. Almost a month later, I bring you some photos and commentary from our next Italia stop — Pompeii.

From Naples, we stuffed ourselves like sardines onto the Circumvesuviana commuter train to Sorrento. It was one of those situations when you think there’s absolutely NOT room left for even one toy poodle, but then two big Americans manage to contort their bodies to squeeze on board — complete with two pieces of luggage. It was not pretty. I have not been so crowded since the womb.

We initially planned to just get to Sorrento, unpack our belongings, and then map out our next three days visiting Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. But once we found ourselves surrounded by four severely obnoxious backpacking (American) tourists, who dropped the f-bomb like a standard article, we opted to get off early in Pompeii, which is about halfway between Naples and Sorrento, despite the downpour. I also failed to mention the creeper who kept touching me and my belongings. That pushed me over the edge. Well, at least out the door. Here are some photos from the day.

Pompeii in the rain.

When Vesuvius erupted, people’s bodies were covered in ash, eventually leaving hollowed out fossils. These were later filled in with cement (or something like it) to show the exact position people died in. Creepy, but also cool.

I am so mature.

Every day, the Romans would flood the streets to clean them, leaving these rocks so people could cross without wetting their feet. Came in handy for us as well.

A street in Pompeii. On the right you can see what looks like a counter. This was actually a fast-food joint. People would go out to eat because homes were too small to cook in. Kind of neat. Thanks, Rick Steves, for the fun facts!

Completely drenched, we opted for some grossly overpriced pizza and vino to get in from the cold. My toes were numb. The wine helped a little.

I almost forgot. Part of the basilica, which was actually the Roman courthouse. This later became the basic footprint for many later Roman churches. (I think that’s me standing in the picture, covering myself and my soaked purse with Jeff’s raincoat. What a good husband.)

That’s it for Pompeii. I think this could typically be a wonderful day trip, but we only stayed inside the remains for 90 minutes, max. The rain was literally falling sideways, making the whole experience slightly less appealing. All in all, though, extremely cool. I always marvel at “wicked old” stuff, finding it completely fascinating to imagine how people lived thousands of years ago. We even managed to find what I think was an old toilet, making the trip complete. 🙂

From there, we headed off to Sorrento, where we’d soon meet the coolest bed and breakfast owner ever. Stay tuned.

As a little travel tip — Rick Steves provides wonderful free audiocasts of many of these tourist attractions. We listened to his Pompeii podcast later since managing the rain, umbrellas and camera was enough. But I highly recommend it.