We took the tender into the port area where we located our driver for our drive to Pompeii and Herculaneum. The eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD buried Pompeii and numerous excavations have exposed the best preserved specimen of an ancient Roman town anywhere. We had no idea that the area was so vast. You can take a self-guided 2-hour or 4-hour or 6-hour tour of the ruins or you can hire a private guide. We chose the 2-hour self-guided audio tour. The details of the city are incredible and well worth the visit.
We then had a sandwich and cola at a café alongside the ruins. The shade and chair were most welcome. It gets very hot and very, very crowded while exploring Pompeii.
Our driver then took us further north to Herculaneum which was covered over by the ash and mud from the 79AD eruption. It was once the summer resort of wealthy Romans. While much smaller than Pompeii, Herculaneum is better preserved. Entire homes with roofs are intact. You can see murals on the walls and mosaic tiles on the floors. All the best items have been taken to the archaeological museum in Naples. We had a great time walking the quiet shaded streets.
We returned to the ship for dinner. It was nice to take a late night stroll on the deck looking up at the lights of the city as the ship would not be leaving the harbor until tomorrow night.
Another great day!
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