Day 11: Vesuvius trip

Today was the day we took a trip out, our first! We had booked to go on a "4 x 4 coach trip and hike" up to the summit of the famous volcano Vesuvius. The early start was a bit of a shock to the system, we had to be ready to leave by 8:30am. On the way we stopped at a service station to use the "rest rooms", it was amusing because it really reminded me of a school trip - "there's no toilets beyond here so I want you all to go and try..." ordered the tour guide, and we all dutifully traipsed off and duly "tried".

Vesuvius is within a National park only about 30 minutes coach drive from Naples, and so after the brief journey, passing the site of Pompeii on the way, we arrived at "Base camp". The trail to the summit is so narrow and twisty that every one has to transfer to big, military type 4x4 coaches at this point, the road is monitored so that the necessary one-way system works and it's a real "white knuckle" ride!

This journey was 15 minutes of bumps, lurches, crunching gear changes and screaming tyres, (bit like my daily drive to work!), but eventually we arrived at a drop off point about 800 metres below the top. This was the promised "hike", and 20 minutes later we had made it!

We were able to walk almost half way round the crater, staring into the sinister looking depths, I suggested that at the bottom there was an evil arch criminal in a secret bunker, plotting to take over the world, but apart from some tell tale wisps of smoke, (honest!), there was nothing untoward. http://youtu.be/cy-QlNVkuAw

 

 

The views were stunning when the frequent clouds parted, we could see the bay of Naples and the island of Capri. It was very hot but there was a pleasant breeze and it wasn't particularly crowded - but busy enough for a small gift shop obviously...