Sunday 5 August we left Rome and headed south to Sorrento. From here we could visit Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. We had two caravan parks in mind and we stopped at a service station to use the public phones to call them. Our first choice was a small park and it was all booked out so we rang the second park and they said they had room. Sorrento and the surrounding coastlines are all on cliffs and the roads are windy and very busy, with many cars and even more motor scooters zooming in and around. The turn into the caravan park was very sharp and we couldn't get around, so Loche dropped me off so I could make sure they were open (many of the park offices in Italy close for at least 2 hours, sometimes more, between 12pm & 16:00) and that they had room, while he turned the car around. They had room and directed me to a pitch towards the top of the site as our van is large and we wouldn't make it down to the bottom. I ran back up the hill to get Loche and told him there were two very sharp hairpin bends to negotiate around to get to our site. He was up for the challenge so down we went.

We got around the bends without too much difficulty and set up camp. We were lucky we arrived when we did because the campsites around us filled up very quickly. We are finding in Italy, especially at this time of year, if you snooze, you lose. We try and arrive at camp grounds before 2pm, preferably around 12pm to make sure we get a decent pitch (or a pitch at all).

Monday 6 August we caught up with family on Skype and then went into Landrover in Naples to organize a new radiator hose for the car. The car had been using a bit of water and on inspection, Loche found the hose had sprung a leak. Naples is the dirtiest city I've ever seen. The streets are filled with rubbish, the buildings look very rough and derelict and I felt quite unsafe. After a drive around Naples we decided to visit the Amaifi Coast, just on the other side of the peninsula. After one and half hours of driving around twisty bends and travelling a mere 45 kms we arrived at the Italian Riviera.

Talk about being disappointed!! Our fresh memories of the French Riviera left us wondering why the Italian Riviera is so talked up. The long drive down to the water and the not-so-pretty town and harbour left us wondering, have we missed something?? Apparently not after a discussion a few days later with people from around the campsite, their opinion was the same.

Tuesday 7 August it was off to Pompeii. I had visited this in my last trip but was really looking forward to coming back. We bypassed the main entrance, which was extremely busy and found a smaller, quieter entrance up the road. When we entered there was a guide offering hour-long tours for 50 Euro and later we were wishing we paid her to take us around. We bought a guide book on the way in that came with a map and we were given an 'official' map at the entrance but it was very difficult to navigate around because the street names on the map didn't match up with the sign posts. We were also a little disappointed that some of the sights we wanted to see were blocked off. Having said that, Pompeii is still amazing to see!! For those who don't know it, it's an archaeological site of an ancient roman city that was devastated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD - as a result, Pompeii was covered in up to 6 metres of ash and wasn't discovered until 1748. The ash reportedly went 15 km into the air and had a 70 km radius. You can now walk through the streets of the original town, seeing houses, old shops, bakeries and bath houses. There are even body casts of people they found.

It was an extremely hot day and it wasn't long before Cara got a bit over the whole thing - it was a lot of walking for her. We persevered as long as we could, saw most of the things we wanted to see and then headed back to the car.

Wednesday 8th August and Loche was off to get the new hose fitted for the car. On the way back to camp he stopped at Ercolano another town swamped by Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. There are around five cities and towns that were buried by lava during the eruption in 79AD. This site is far smaller than Pompeii and is much better preserved. Furniture, windows, painting and wooden lintel beams are all still in place.

Interesting Facts:

Pompeii:

• First settled in 7th Century BC
• City is around 63 hectares or 155 acres
• Was destroyed during the night of 24 August 79AD
• First discovered in 1592 by architect Fontana. It was documented and left at that.
• Re-discovered in 1748 by Spanish military engineer Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre
• In 1819, when King Francis I of Naples visited the Pompeii exhibition at the National Museum with his wife and daughter, he was so embarrassed by the erotic artwork that he decided to have it locked away in a secret cabinet, accessible only to "people of mature age and respected morals". Re-opened, closed, re-opened again and then closed again for nearly 100 years, it was briefly made accessible again at the end of the 1960s (the time of the sexual revolution) and was finally re-opened for viewing in 2000. Minors are still allowed entry to the once secret cabinet only in the presence of a guardian or with written permission.

Ercolano:

• Also known as Herculaneum
• Was a coastal town prior to the eruption in 79AD. Boathouses leading to the sea were part of the town. Now the sea is about 400 metres away
• Is buried about 15 meters below ground level
• A must see if you ever visit Pompeii and Naples