Italy Greece Part 3

The group then split up, some to go back to the hotel and the rest wherever.

The older group headed back to the Trevi Fountain to find drinks and rest our feet.

Six miles so far today.

The toss of the coin to ensure a return trip.

Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II

We got advice about a good restaurant for dinner and then hiked over the

Tiber River asking many people along the way to finally get to El Duc.

Open air, top floor. Great food. Large quantity.

Walked in the area, had drinks, found a large taxi to get us to the hotel,

then more wine and finally to bed around midnight.

The next morning we were up early and headed to the National Museum of Rome via the subway.

Off the subway at the Plaza Massimo.

In the museum. Mosaic.

Statues were in general painted.

The museum had a very large coin collection.

Rich ladies wore gold hairnets.

Home of the wealthy were decorated with mosaics.

Impressive detail.

Sleeping Hermaphrodite. (S)He has the parts of both sexes.

This statue was found in 1880. There is an identical one in the Louvre as well.

Bronze statues are rare. They were melted down to make weapons.

Elaborate sarcophagus.

Even more elaborate sarcophagus.

We had lunch on top of this ancient tower. Built about 200AD.

We headed back toward the Coliseum to see if we could find the Domus Aurea,

a palace built by Nero after the great fire. We did find it but it was closed.

So we went again to the Forum. The Arch of Titus.

This time we went up into the Palatine Hills. This is the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine.

Built from 308-312AD.

Lots of homes on the hills.

The Hippodromus. The stadium of Domitian.

Center is the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina.

Round building to the upper right is the Temple of Romulus.

The rectangular area is the House of the Vestal Virgins.

Back outside the site we found some sort of scouting ceremony taking place.

Could not resist another shot of the Coliseum.

Went to the Coliseum Metro stop to take the Green line but discovered it does not yet exist.

They found ruins and so had to stop digging. So we took the Blue to the Red to the hotel.

Went out to dinner with Mickey and Kathy that evening and

got back to the hotel just as the rain started.

The next morning we are off to see Vesuvius and Pompeii.

Large balconies on these places.

An unusual building.

The suburbs. Some homes with their own olive trees.

And grapes growing.

Another Wawa.

We stopped with many others. A bit rainy.

And now the walk up Mount Vesuvius. Naples and its Gulf.

The caldera.

Naples on the way back down.

Up the hill further to a very nice lunch place. Everyone caught up on their connections back home.

Getting ready to tour Pompeii.

Roberto introduces our Pompeii guide, Fabio.

Our tour begins. The city was hidden under ash for a great many years.

This is the large palaestra next to the amphitheatre.

Most of the group seated in the amphitheatre.

A street kitchen.

Each street was lined with shops and homes.

These are the original stones.

A bath house. Heating was done with fires under the floor.

Our guide, Fabio, explained that this was the sign for a whore house.

Inside such a house were paintings depicting some of the services available.

It was a very large city with very narrow streets.

The temple plaza.

A market place. The paintings each show a different product for sale.

One of the many bodies that were found. The skeleton is still inside.

A bit spooky.

A short bus ride to Sorrento. What a beautiful place. It has a black sand beach. Volcanic in origin.

Later that evening.

The bus could not make the turns to get to the hotel so we had to walk or take a shuttle.

Our view.

The black sand beach.

The cliffs were impressive.