Having a Blast on Vesuvius

After two hectic days in Rome that were a flurry of fun, it was time to pack me up and load me under the bus for the trip to Sorrento. On the way this happy band of travelers was going to climb Mt. Vesuvius, and visit Pompeii. My Owner had planned on wearing a scarf around her head to cover her hair on the top of a windy volcano, and as she put on the new boots she had purchased the previous night around the corner from the hotel she thought she looked like a pirate. Her daughter thought she looked like a gypsy. I won't bore you with the other details of this little fashion saga since Madame Owner already shared it in her blog post: A Pirate Post. Frankly, I just thought she looked silly, but she didn't ask me.

They arrived in Naples and the large motor coach began its ascent up the volcano;  hairpin curves. narrow misses of other cars and buses, popping ears...it was all making MO's firstborn a little nervous. Madame Owner? Of course she loved it but then there is something slightly wrong with her. After she gets her daughter married off in the fall, she is planning on going skydiving, so that little feeling of danger and excitement thrilled her. On a recent cruise to Belize MO wanted to go repelling and cave tubing and tried to enlist her daughter.

"Where is your spirit of adventure?"

"Mom, I don't have the spirit of adventure. I have the spirit of relaxation!"

I suspect she got that and her good sense from her father, a most practical man. But I digress. Let's get something straight about Vesuvius. It is sold as more or less of a walk. It isn't, it's a climb or at the very least, a hike. There is a path which is covered in a dirt/gravel mixture. It's fairly steep and takes a good 45 minutes. MO, who walks 3 or 4 miles a day started out at a fast clip that she couldn't keep up for long...over confident, that one. She couldn't keep up with her daughter and huffed and puffed her way to the top. 

Guide with Naples and Bay of Naples in the background.

Arriving at the top the climbers found a little store (which felt like an outpost), thin air, and a ruggedly attractive Italian guide. The fact that he is dressed as if taking a group on a tour of the Alps should give you some clue as to the conditions you are likely to encounter in March.

This volcano has a fascinatingly destructive history. To read more about it and the surrounding area I recommend this page from geology.com: Mount Vesuvius-Italy. (Scroll down a bit as the info doesn't seem to be at the top of the page.)

This isn't a volcano where you are going to see molten lava like Hawaii's Kilauea. You will see the massive crater and some steam coming out of several rocky formations, which made MO's daughter a little nervous having been told by the guide that Vesuvius is five years overdue to erupt.

The experience of standing on the rim of this volcano and seeing the massive crater, then turning and seeing the city of Naples and the bay stretch out before them took their breath away...and just after they'd caught it!

So if Madame Owner huffed and puffed on the way up, once there she caught her breath, enjoyed the informative tour and had an empowering burst of energy. She ventured around a large rock formation while her daughter was chatting with new friends and ran to the farthest point possible. It was a disappointment to her that it was impossible to walk the entire rim. Running felt wonderful. She was very glad they had all bought those boots. When she rejoined her daughter who asked where she'd gone she told her that she'd run to the end of the path.

"You RAN on top of a volcano, what is wrong with you ???"

I wish I'd been there. I could have asked how much time she had.

This is the post card MO's daughter sent to her fiance. 

Anyone who knows her would find this hard to believe, but it is actually documented. Where she  bought the postcard at the top (where the star is that she made) they stamp it saying that you were indeed at the top.

 Good Bye! 

        Next week: 


         Pompeii!