Pompeii and Sorrento

When we awoke on Tuesday morning, the Norwegian Epic had already docked in Naples, known in Italy as Napoli.  Poor Napoli … cruise ships arrive daily into her port and bypass her for her smaller and prettier sisters, Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast and for the spectacular remains of Pompeii.  We were no exception. We chose and excursion called The Flavours of Sorrento and Pompeii.   We had a quick breakfast then boarded bus number 19 with our guide Cinzia and headed toward Pompeii, about an hour away.  Even a history-hating student like I was fascinated by the story of the thriving city of Pompeii being buried under 20 feet of volcanic dust during an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.   The remains of the city are high on a hill above the parking area for the buses and required a walk up the steeply inclined stone road leading to the entrrance.  Cinzia, probably noting the age of our group of cruisers, kept telling us, Piano, piano (slowly, slowly).  You are on vacation.  The climb, of course, was worth it … the remarkably preserved buildings, streets and artifacts give incredible insight into community that was buried under the ashes and the plaster casts of victims, including a pregnnt woman and a dog tell of the tragedy.   We saw houses, bakeries, wine shops and even the remains of a brothel.

Bon Voyage

Our shuttle from the Crowne Plaza to Citivechia, where we board the Norwegian Epic, was scheduled to leave at 11:30, so we got to sleep in a bit.  That was nice because even after several days, my body is thoroughly confused about what tim eit is, no matter what my watch says.  Although I fall asleep easily at bed time, I awake three or four hours later wide awake.  The bus ride was about an hour and ten minutes by the time we picked up two couples at another hotel and two at the airport.  Since the Epic holds up to 4,100 passengers, we though check in might be a nightmare, but the lines were short and we were on board quickly.  We would later find that the Epic takes on passengers in Citivechia and Barcelona … and that most travelers board in Barcelona.  We found our staterooms, unpacked, then went to lunch in the garden cafe, an excellent cafe.  After some time exploring the ship and there were things to do, like check on shore excursions and arrange for internet access, then spend some time relaxing (read: taking a nap) before dinner.