We had to wake up too early for my liking again today (as I'm in full-swing holiday mode) as we were being picked up at 7:15am for a full day tour.
We got on the big tour bus and travelled along the Highway of the Sun from Rome, and crossed the area known as Castelli Romani dotted with enchanting medieval villages, towards the city of Naples.
In Naples, the guide took us on a walking tour through the historic centre of the city where we saw the impressive Castel dell'Ovo (Egg Castle), the Royal Palace, Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, San Carlo Opera House, and the Gallery of Umberto I (which very much resembled Milan's Galleria).
We then got back on the bus and crossed the valley of Mount Vesuvius, before arriving in Pompeii.
The tour then took us to a quaint little restaurant where we were seated under the vines of large wisteria trees with an American family for lunch (we've met so many Americans in Europe) and we were served a great traditional Italian meal (3 courses of course!). We were served pasta with fresh tomato, basil & parmesan for starters. That was followed by salad and a choice between roast pork or grilled fish, and then just when I thought I could not possibly fit anymore in - we were presented with the most tempting bowl of fresh summer fruits.
After lunch, we took a walking tour of the ancient city of Pompeii. It was mind-boggling walking through the ancient ruins which were buried in 8m(!) of ashes after Mount Vesuvius erupted almost 2000 years ago. It was very sad to see some of the petrified-ash shells of the victims bodies and imagine the panic felt by them.
After a long day in the sun, we headed straight back to our hotel. When it came time for dinner, we decided to give it a miss - I'm not sure if it's because we were too exhausted or if my body just really needed a night to catch up on some of those fat reserves I've certainly added to on this trip!