Tuesday morning, we left Rome early and made our way to the airport to pick up our new rental car. Seeing as we are a group of 5 now, we needed a bigger car - so we have a roomy minivan that we and our luggage can all fit comfortably in.

We programmed the GPS and headed toward Pompeii. We arrived around 2:00 pm and made our way through the archeological site that was once a thriving little village. I had been to Pompeii before in 2008, but the eerie feeling of everyday life still affected me. The villagers were all killed in the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD - but the village was preserved impeccably under the volcanic ash. Walking through the ancient streets - it feels like you are walking through a moment frozen in time.

The little things like the indents in the road from the carriage wheels, or the water marks in the fountains really bring home the fact that people once lived in this now tourist attraction. The bigger things like the temples and arenas are also amazing - showing how developed their society was in ancient times.

Mom and Jamie also really enjoyed Pompeii. It was great to see them enjoy it so much through fresh eyes. After our visit to Pompeii, we drove north - past Rome - just outside of Florence. Our days have been so jam packed here, I haven't had a lot of time to upload photos or update my blog.