# Our trip to Pompeii



## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

Firstly, I am knick knack paddy whacked today! LOL! I have walked for what seems like miles around the ruins of Pompeii with my walking stick and thank goodness we didn't attempt to take the mobility scooter cos it definitely isn't suitable for a wheelchair of any description. But I managed it and we have had a fabulous day! Pompeii is an amazing place and it is a massive site and seeing structures and archictecture built approx 100 years BC is mind blowing and my husband and I found it all extremely fascinating.

Anyway, journey to date:

We left Bolsena Friday morning and toured around the area a little and ended up in a very interesting historic town called Orvieto, famous worldwide for its white wine and extraordinarily beautiful gothic cathedral. We stopped the night on the town's area attrezzata and the following morning we started the day with a visit, by funicular, to the magnificent town of Orvieto which is perched on the cliff tops with breathtaking views over the surrounding vineyards. We enjoyed walking around the little arts and crafts shops and cobbled streets in this charming city and we stopped to look at some artwork in a quaint little shop that had caught my eye by an artist called Verdirosi. Anyway, in the window there were a couple of prints that I liked and was admiring them and was suprised at how reasonably priced they were and said to my husband that cant be right. Anyway, the man in the shop came out to talk to us but unfortunately could not speak much english but when my husband asked him if the price on the print was correct he said yes but he then proceeded to roll up both prints. I said no only the one and he gestured that one was a gift from him to me. He turned out to be the actual artist and I was really touched by his generosity. So now I have 2 beautiful prints for the price of one! 

The cathedral in Orvieto was stunning and was a truly magnificent sight and we enjoyed lunch of wild boar & goats cheese panini and a cup of hot cappucino in the shadow of this extraordinary building. We returned to the motorhome by mid afternoon and decided to set off on our journey to Pompeii!!! We hoped that the mad traffic we had been warned about may be less hectic by tea-time on a saturday so naively we set off unaware of what lay ahead of us!

The journey down was mostly motorway but the nearer we got to Pompeii the busier the roads became - so we started to think that maybe saturday tea time is no different to any other day of the week in Pompeii! Suddenly, our 'Tom Tom' told us to take the next exit which we couldn't do because there was a diversion! So we carried on and 'Tom Tom' re-routed and told us to take the next exit. We obey her instructions and followed her directions when suddenly we found ourselves in the middle of a scene from the Keystone Cops! Road junctions without traffic lights or traffic lights that weren't working - it was total chaos - horns honking and cars, mopeds and buses etc coming from all directions and everyone just seemed to be doing whatever they wanted with no regard for theirs or others safety! Then after telling us to turn right 'Tom Tom' started telling us to turn around when possible. She was having a larf wasn't she? But still she insisted ....... "Turn around when possible" she droned! Shut the **** up my husband bellowed at her but she carried on repeating herself in that annoyingly, controlled voice she has, where mine was shrieking loudly by now making me sound more and more like a common old fish wife! Cars are honking at us and over taking us impatiently and when we slow down to read the sign posts the honking goes into overdrive and we are both fearful of how we are going to get ourselves out of this nightmare! Eventually I spy a petrol station and instruct my now stressed out husband to head for there where at least we can turn around safely. We pull onto the forecourt and decide to just compose ourselves for a minute or two and hubby checks the sat nav's on screen map and satisfies himself that the road we are going to take is the correct route for Camping Spartacus. Right, we decide to brave the storm and recommence our journey knowing that in order to get onto the right road we had to negotiate that nightmare road junction once again! I decide no matter what happens from now on I will stay calm for my husband sake, so we approach the junction with a new attitude which is head down, eyes fixed and a touch of the italian killer mentality about us and after all, like I kept saying to my husband "we are bigger than them" - so let's just go for it! At the junction there they all were, still hooting and a tooting and carving one another up but this time we weren't having none of it! We stuck our big nose out and just pushed in menacingly and do you know what??????? The traffic parted!!!!! We did it, we did it I screamed inwardly and on top of that we were going down the right road too!! Oh isn't life wonderful? We drove a short way and then suddenly there on our right was CAMPING SPARTACUS! "You have reached your destination" announces 'Tom Tom' jubilantly and once more she is our faithful friend again! We drove into the site and checked in and were shown to our pitch by a very friendly Italian man. Our 30 foot motorhome fitted onto the pitch with no problem whatsoever and even though we were parked in between orange trees we got a signal on our Oyster too. Once hooked up we sat down took a deep breath and poured ourselves a much needed glass of wine. PHEW!

Like I said at the start of this post, today we spent our day visiting the ruins in Pompeii and we wouldn't have missed this opportunity for the world and despite the drama of yesterday we would reccomend a visit to Pompeii to anyone and also to this campsite too and providing you keep your wits about you CAN survive the Pompeii traffic system LOL!  

Sue


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## 106916 (Sep 8, 2007)

Hi Sonesta, thanks for the story so far. Sounds great. I actually like a certain amount of chaos when travelling as it brings me to life, that's why I love India and if you find Italy's road chaotic try Varanasi mid afternoon any day of the week! I thought I had entered another dimension of reality!

I have been to Italy a couple of times but not with any time for tourism but did really like it - I guess because for me from the countries I have visited it seems the closest thing to 3rd world mentality in Europe and I mean that in the best possible way. 
If I ever get to retire then Italy will definitely be a prime destination in the van. Unfortunately I just won't have the time to go anywhere far in the M/H until I stop working - my business just doesn't allow it.

Keep posting further on your trip.
cheers
Vidura


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Good to hear from you Sue. You've inspired me to go for Pompeii. It's one of those places I 've always wanted to go but have felt that the effort of getting there might be greater than the pleasure of being there.

I guess the M25 on a Friday night will seem like a quiet back road after that !

Enjoy your journey down Italy; wish I was there !

G


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

Sonesta said:


> He turned out to be the actual artist and I was really touched by his generosity.


Hi Sue,

I'm enjoying your on-the-road blog - keep it up! Had to laugh about your husband shouting at the stupid TomTom woman (Jayne?). Completely empathise.

The moment with the artist is what memories are made of, and you'll not forget his kindness, especially when you look at his prints.

Dougie.


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

Buona sera Sonesta, well I did tell you to drive down on Sunday! Glad you survived anyway, and enjoyed Pompei. Now that you are there, the Circumvesuviana local railway station is just up the road from you, opposite the entrance to the excavations Trains about every 30 mins or so to Sorrento. A couple of Euro and 30 mins. and you can be in Sorrento. Both trains and Sorrento wheelchair friendly. saluti, eddied


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

Hiya my best mate...........I am so glad you are having such a great time and have got to the places you sooooooooo wanted to see.

If you do go to Sorrento remember that is where my Dad was in the war and so many times as a child I heard about this magical place Sorrento and also Capri, in fact rumour has it that that was where my Dad had a bit of a fling :wink: now how true it was we don't know but hey it was the war and he hadn't been home in a long time LOL so if you do see someone who looks a little like me (although a touch Italiano) who knows you maybe seeing my step sister LOL esp if you find her Mother was called Gabrial not sure how that was spelt LOL I tell you what Dad may be 87 now but the one thing he still can do is talk some Italiano :wink: 

Have a great time tomorrow............................I am not a Granny yet and no sign of as tonight I will text you just as soon as there is any news take care my friend and lots of love to you both.
Netty noo..................Nanny noo soon to be


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

I know we should have listened to you Eddie.  Seriously though if we hadn't been diverted I think we would have arrived at the campsite quite easily and as a result of the diversion we ended up going down the wrong road which was when everything started to go pear shaped lol - but we can laugh about it now and it is another of life's experiences we will remember for many years to come! Hubby says now (he has calmed down) that driving our last motorhome through Marrakesh in Morocco was far more hair raising but somewhow I don't recall it being LOL! 

Dougie, Grizzly and Vidura I am so glad you are enjoying my on the road reports of Italy etc and I hope my experiences and the advice others have given me in reply can be of use and interest to any other person wishing to visit Italy in the future. I know I have very much appreciated all the advice, help and tips I have been given by everyone and it has certainly helped to enhance our trip considerably.

Briarose my bessie mate, how are you? You know there are so many times when we are on our travels that I wish I could look out of my window and see Bertie Bolero parked beside us and I just know we would have such fun together. I find myself thinking Netty noos would like it here or Net & Phil would love this. I hope one day now that you have your new motorhome that we as 4 very true friends can enjoy some winter sunshine together! Sorry we are not visiting Sorento Netty - so cannot look out for your long lost half sister on this trip but I did see a woman who looked like your double in Pompeii!  

By the way just received a text and thought Kelly's gone into labour but sadly it wasn't - it was just my bank sending me a weekly text of our balance lol!

Bye for now folks.

Sue


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Orvieto*

Sue

I am starting to feel home sick now. The first time I "saw" Orvieto was from the A1 motorway. It just looks so impressive, so high above the carriage way.

I need to get over the water asap.

Russell


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Hi, Sue

Another fascinating account. I love your mix of travelogue and personal experiemce  

Gerald


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*Diversion*

:roll: Now then, out with the truth! - was the exit 'POMPEI OVEST' closed and signposted as a diversion, or was it TomTom Jayne who told you there was a diversion?
:lol: :lol: 
saluti,
eddied


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