Naples

 It is funny to me that my favorite day in "Rome" was actually the day we took the train to Naples to see Pompeii. Perhaps it was the break from the routine or the thrill of seeing the Mediterranean sea, but I just loved it.

We had assigned seats on the train and we were split up between 3 different compartments. But CJ was extremely entertained by spending 60 minutes with me, 30 minutes with Grandma and Poppy, and 30 minutes with her Dad.

The most fortunate part of the day occurred when we got off the train. A man approached us asking if we were trying to get to Pompeii. He was a tour guide and his 10AM tour group was a no-show. He promised us transportation to and from Pompeii in an air-conditioned van and a tour of Naples afterward. We consulted and though nervous of a possible scam, we decided to do it.

The drive was lovely. With the Mediterranean shimmering on our left and the rolling hills leading up to Mt. Vesuvius on our right, I rode grinning ear to ear. At one point our guide said, “I have a treat for you! This is my voice on the CD” and sure enough he began singing along. He explained that for thirty years he worked as a singer on the cruise ships. So there we were in Naples being serenaded to popular Italian songs “That’s Amore!”

Pompeii was Hot and Dusty. And we had a stupid map. We spent much too long trying to figure out where we were and what we were seeing, when really we should have just let the kids run and explore. I realized this a little too late, and so the kids only had about forty minutes of good exploring.  But I loved seeing the Roman baths, the tavern, and the amphitheater.

I was struck at how big Pompeii was. I had imagined a small village. But this was a city that spread as far as I could see. After our three hours there, I would estimate we had seen only an eighth of the ruins.

We hopped back in the van for our Naples tour. We drove by the opera and the pub where Puccini wrote his operas. My favorite fifteen minutes were the stop at the pier. An old fortress created naturally protected swimming areas. Local Italians swam and sunbathed on the rocks and on anchored boats. Madi and Elise scrambled over the large orange tinged rocks to dip their toes in the water. How I longed to jump in or take a boat ride on the sparkling turquoise water.