Mediterranean Cruise 2004:
Day 5 - Naples, Italy

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Mediterranean Cruise 2004: [Day 1 - Barcelona] [Day 2 - Monaco/Nice] [Day 3 - Pisa] [Day 4 - Rome] [Day 5 - Naples] [Day 6 - At Sea] [Day 7 - Mykonos] [Day 8 - Santorini] [Day 9 - Athens] [Day 10 - At Sea] [Day 11 - Dubrovnik] [Day 12 - Venice]

	Wednesday, June 30, 2004: Ah, Naples! We passed on the opportunities to visit Capri or Naples, preferring to avoid the summer crowds and visit Pompeii only.
	Here is the harbour view from our ship. Mt. Vesuvius would be to the right of this photo.
	So, you're in the mood for Mt. Vesuvius, ancient ruins, and golden French fries? Visit McDonald's Pompei! (I don't know why Americans spell it Pompeii -- we saw it spelled with only one "i" throughout the region.)
	We were reluctant to visit Pompeii, but friends talked us into it, and we were so glad they did. The ruins hardly seem like ruins at all, because so much of the city is excavated and in great shape. We were not expecting to see block after block of homes, shops, stadiums, squares, and streets.
	Here's an example of some of the well-preserved tile mosaics found throughout the city.
	This is a painting above the door of one of the brothels. We shan't elaborate.
	The bathhouses are in especially good shape, and two of the Pompeii victims are on display here.
	Where bodies were smothered by ash and lava, the bodies eventually decayed, leaving hollows in the stone in the shape of the bodies. These hollows are filled with plaster or a similar substance to make ghostly replicas of the victims.
	Here is another body. Spooky, huh?
	We didn't make the trek to the other end of the city to see the really large stadium, but the one we saw was quite large and in great shape. New seating had been added since it is currently being used for concerts and plays.
	Throughout Pompeii, we ran across many dogs. The guides pool funds to pay for food for the dogs, who seem quite happy in their adopted home.
	Tom posed on the sidewalk next to one of the streets, many of which are as well preserved as this one.
	This building was a bar.
	Here is one of several public water sources.
	This statue stands in the courtyard of a large private home.
	Another dog rests in the shade.
	The grounds outside the city of Pompeii are covered with beautiful gardens.
	During dinner that evening, we had a great view of Mount Vesuvius from our dinner table. Originally assigned to a table of six with one other couple as dining partners, they had already arranged to switch to the late seating, so we had our table all to ourselves the entire cruise. We were quite fortunate, since there are only a handful of tables for two on the Millennium.
	After dinner, we ran out on deck to watch Mt. Vesuvius disappear in the distance.
	As we passed the island of Capri, the sun was starting to set.
	With perfect weather and a beautiful view, it was a great way to end the day. Day 6 >