Saturday, June 20^th: Day 6.

Today we saw two of the most memorable Italian hotspots:  Pompeii and Sorrento.  We quickly got out of the hotel as we checked out and stored our bags safely.  We didn’t have to wait long at the train station before we departed for Napoli where there’d be a short stop to board a train to Pompeii.  Despite the ride being two and a half hours long, it went by quickly for me since I had Arthur C. Clark’s brilliant 2001 handy.  After a fairly pleasant rest we were finally at Pompeii.  I was enthralled to be there since my family is from the Napoli area.  Our family name Vallefuoco (Val-eh-few-co) translates from Italian to English as “valley of fire,” which we believe refers to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.  Therefore my enthusiasm to see the place extended far and wide.

Being there aroused a mix of feelings.  It was very windy but warm at the same time, so you felt energized by the temptation to explore, but also exhausted by the mix of temperatures.  We saw very interesting things (notably several Roman mansions, a bakery, a fast-food joint, a bar, an amphitheater, and countless mosaics and wall-paintings!) and had ourselves a grand time.  Mr. Travers was very excited and looked around several corners not placed on the map. 

We eventually had to make our way for the train station to Sorrento--a beautiful tourist town near the beach.  We checked in to a luxury hostel and settled in cozily… a bit too cozily.  We were supposed to leave for dinner at 20:00 (8pm), but the four of us in my room (as well as Mr. Travers and the rest of us) napped until 21:40 (9:40pm).  We ended up leaving for dinner very late but getting delicious food.  Not only was there great food, there was a great group of street musicians who played for us personally after Owen tipped them.  We had a few laughs, great food, some aqua frizzante (carbonated water) and returned home. 

So overall, I saw the origin of my family name and visited a breathtaking beach town; sounds like a pretty good day to me.  –Brent   (Italicized remarks by Mr. Travers)