Today we relaxed in the morning by the hotel and sat in the gardens. We read and discussed a number of important topics about life. It was very therapeutic.
In the afternoon we visited Mount Vesuvius which is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting.
Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. They were never rebuilt, although surviving townspeople and probably looters did undertake extensive salvage work after the destructions. The towns' locations were eventually forgotten until their accidental rediscovery in the 18th century.
Vesuvius has erupted many times since and is today regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the population of 3,000,000 people living nearby and its tendency towards explosive (Plinian) eruptions. It is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world.
The area around Vesuvius was officially declared a national park on 5 June 1995. The summit of Vesuvius is open to visitors and there is a small network of paths around the mountain that are maintained by the park authorities on weekends.
There is access by road to within 200 metres (660 ft) of the summit (measured vertically), but thereafter access is on foot only. There is a spiral walkway around the mountain from the road to the crater.
Bike ride on highway to Ercolano then a twisty path up the mountain with beautiful views of Naples and its bay. Once on the top we parked bike, changed clothes for walking and walked up to the crater where we actually saw smoke being released from the ground. The views from up the mountain were excellent even though cloud cover was quite low.
For the evening we rode to Salerno and had a Neapolitan Pizza. Excellent taste and very low price.
The ride back in the evening was once again a very interesting experience sharing the road with Italian drivers.
VIDEOS
Gardens of Hotel La Grande Medusa
Vesuvius Crater
Click HERE for all the pictures for Day 2
Posted by Armando
