I just so happen to find both Volcanoes and Ancient Roman history fascinating, So when Dark Rome asked me to test-ride it’s new “Pompeii & Vesuvius Full Day Excursion from Rome”, well what could I say? I’m in! Quick history lesson: Pompeii = Bustling Roman town destroyed by an explosive eruption of Vesuvius. Vesuvius = volcano that explosively erupted to destroy the bustling Roman town of Pompeii. A well-matched pair.

Our full day trip started off with a circa 3 hour transfer from Rome’s city center to Mt. Vesuvius, Naples. Of this, I don’t remember much, because obviously, it was 07:30AM, the bus was comfortable, and I was sleeping. I woke up to the feeling of the bus hugging the curves up the side of Vesuvius. A very steep, winding road and a reasonably long way up. I was immediately glued to the window – as the bus shimmied up the mountain side we passed fields of Volcanic ash and Lava flows – and the view just kept getting better and better.

The Bay of Naples is among the most beautiful in the world, and Mt. Vesuvius is hands down the best vantage point from which to admire it. The area is practically covered with World Heritage Sites: Pompeii itself, Herculaneum, the Amalfi Coast (Positano, Ravello etc.), Caserta … the list goes on. From where the bus finally comes to a stop and we disembark in the parking area from where our one mile climb will begin, I start to feel a bit like I’m on another planet. The landscape is completely unrecognizable. I’m walking on soft, dark pumice and ash and sense a hint of sulfur in the air. Everything looks so… barren. It’s actually a bit scary. However, we’ve come this far up and must go on!

Note: Thankfully, no one is forced to make the climb, those who choose to can remain at the bottom of the trail and enjoy the (still spectacular) view from there. There is even a small gift shop to browse.

Having been prepped by our lovely tour guide on the bus on the way up all about Vesuvius; I was feeling pretty prepared and psyched about the hike up. Among the ‘fun facts’ recounted to us:
- Vesuvius is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years.
- It has a tendency towards highly explosive eruptions, like the eruption that destroyed Pompeii & Herculaneum.
- The crater we are hiking to this morning was actually created by the Pompeii eruption. Before then, the mountain was much larger – but it literally ‘blew its top’ leaving a huge gaping valley where the old crater (Monte Somma) had been and creating a new crater (Gran Cono) which sits smack in the middle of the old one. For a visual, an aerial view of Vesuvius (like the one in this photo -- right).

Cool, huh?

The hike up the slope was invigorating – it takes about 15-20 minutes, 30 minutes if you can’t stop taking pictures of the view (that’s me!). At the top, the colors along the rim of the crater were stunning. Steam rose up all around us – a reminder that the volcano is just napping, not sleeping. While no molten lava is visible, I had a very keen sense that I was standing at the helm of one of the world’s most impressive testaments to the sheer power of mother nature.

We were given plenty of time to fully contemplate the magnitude of the volcano before we walked back down the slope to the parking lot – then it was off to lunch!

Every self respecting Italian knows that the world’s best Pizza can be found in Naples – so two thumbs of to Dark Rome for arranging a sumptuous Neapolitan pizza lunch. The restaurant was nearby, the food was amazing and the service was top notch. Drink’s were included – and those that weren’t into Pizza were offered an alternative. There was even a guy who was allergic to everything and the staff managed to find something he could eat for lunch.

So Pompeii. You hear about it from when you are young in school, you watch every special that National Geographic runs, every re-enactment --- so you might believe you have a pretty good idea of what to expect, what Pompeii looks like, and the story that led to its destruction and preservation. But if you think that, you are wrong. You are so, so wrong.

The story of what happened in Pompeii, as you walk over the cobblestones that are still worn with the traces of horse-drawn carts, admire handmade intricate mosaic sidewalks, explicit murals and rough graffiti, and most of all when viewing the plaster death casts made of the victims in their final moments of life – becomes shockingly real. Our tour guide walked us through the moments in the daily life of these ancient people, who were at the same time surprisingly modern. Remains of ‘take-out’ restaurants, brothels, homes and shops all retain telling elements that let you know what went on in that very spot, simple and poignant signs of life speaking of an unfinished past. It’s kind of hard not to imagine Pompeii’s people walking around you, going about their daily business. Our guide was careful to reconstruct all of this for us, turning each ruin into a living monument. While before, Pompeii’s horrific end was, to me, the most interesting aspect of this ancient Roman town – by the end of this tour it was rather Pompeii’s life, it’s daily existence that became the most captivating story.

Towards the end of the tour we congregated in the ancient Forum where the half-standing columns and structures of Pompeii’s most important political and social center stand silently against the shadowy backdrop of the volcano. It was an excellent place to take a photo, as it brought together all of the elements (all, that is, except the pizza!) of this fun, adventurous, educating and humbling day out.

If you are thinking of taking the Pompeii & Mt. Vesuvius Day Trip from Rome, don’t hesitate. Pompeii is the kind of place that sticks with you long after your trip is over. I believe this tour is an excellent way to make such an important journey as special as possible.