Pompeii to the South, Tuscany to the North

On June 10th, we took a side trip to Pompeii and the Bay of Naples, both of which sit in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius, a still active volcano that last erupted in 1944. In AD 79 it buried the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii, killing thousands of residents and preserving the ancient cities that were dug up in the 1600's and are still being excavated today. Because of this, we can see an accurate depiction of 1st century Roman life. Pompeii is literally the city where time stood still. The third photo is on our way north toward the city of Florence in Tuscany. The countryside is so beautiful! Everywhere you turn is a vineyard or an olive grove.