Pisa, Rome and Pompeii, Italy

Monday 17th June
By Kirsty Greenhead

Following instructions from Marina (thanks), we found a handy place to park and even had time for a spot of breakfast with views of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. At 9am, we were lined up ready to climb the tower- ahead of the crowds. 

The views from the top revealed lush, flat farmland and a glorious blue sky. Next stop was the cafe terrace overlooking the tower (another recommendation from Marina). This is a great place to enjoy the views, escape the crowds and eat waffles/pancakes. 

On arriving back at the hotel, we tried out the pool to cool off before getting back into the car for the drive to Rome. The drive was a few more hours, but we thankfully arrived at the campsite in time to try out the pool, shop and restaurant! Our home for the next 3 nights was a safari tent- definitely more glamping than camping with beds, fridge, kitchen, sink, hob and a bathroom! I imagine the campsite must be packed in the summer, but thankfully there was hardly anyone there and we had a very peaceful spot. 

Tuesday 18th June
By Lucy Greenhead

As rays of light began to creep through the holes in the tent, my sleepy eyes drifted open. Today we were headed to historic Rome. 

After a quick snack,  we began to amble along the windy, dust streaked roads towards the station. Once on board, the train began to rumble along, eating up the miles as houses streaked by. 

As I sat down in the cafe, my eyes fixed on the Colosseum, absorbing the beauty; I hardly noticed what I was eating. 

Hot and sweaty, we began our tour around  the majestic building. My brain began consuming facts, as my eyes flicked from one thing to another. 

After a boiling, but interesting tour, we made our way to the bus stop. From which we were to take a bus to Vatican City (which is where the Pope lives).

As I stepped onto Saint Peter’s square, the sight of the basilica almost overwhelmed me. At 136 metres tall, with a golden domed roof, it almost blocked out the horizon. 

After a hurried, but stunning, view of The Pantheon (the house of the gods), we made our way to the Trevi Fountain. As the sun shone down on the turquoise coloured water of the fountain, scores of people rushed to take a selfie. 

Whilst heat snaked around our shoulders, we devoured our lunch, before catching the train back to our campsite. After a refreshing dip in the pool, we went to sleep thinking happy thoughts. 

Lucy’s Top 3 Colosseum Facts:

-The colosseum was flooded so that they could have sea battles

-The animals came from the underground layer in one of the lifts (there were 26)

-Later when the Roman Empire was coming to its end, they took the precious materials (marble) from the colosseum and used it to build churches

Wednesday 19th June
By Kirsty Greenhead

After a very busy day of sightseeing yesterday, we decided to have a chill out day today. We caught up on diaries, school work, washing and kit maintenance in the morning, then spent the afternoon enjoying the pool complex and reading whilst relaxing in the hammocks. A peaceful day all round. 

Thursday 20th June
By Kirsty Greenhead

In a bid to avoid the traffic, we left Rome early and were parked up in Pompeii before 10am. Just 3 hours further south in Italy, but the heat had stepped up another level! We were dripping with sweat before we had even set foot in the ruins. 

Pompeii is a very surreal place and you spend your time imagining the horror that the people felt when they realised what was happening (too late). Vesuvius looms in the distance, as a dormant but not extinct threat. There are some elements that are incredibly well preserved, whilst others require your imagination. We saw the forum, basilica, amphitheatre (small & large), small homes, a rich person’s house and the temple of Apollo. They were all very impressive, but the heat was very oppressive so after seeing the highlights we headed for some lunch. Obviously being so close to Naples - it had to be pizza.

After fuelling up, we cooled down with the car air con as we wound our way up the twisty roads towards Vesuvius. The final half an hour to the summit was completed on foot. There was a slight breeze at this height, but there were a lot of red faces as people trekked through the hazy sunshine to the top. 

It was worth it though. The view into the volcano crater was amazing and the view of Naples was stunning. It is amazing that Naples remained unscathed when Pompeii was buried. Lucy was fascinated by the different rocks that came from the volcano and now owns a few samples! 

From Pompeii we headed to Naples airport. We had been warned that the drivers of Naples were a little crazy (and they lived up to their reputation), so we avoided the city centre and stayed in a random place very close to departures. We think it might have been a shop in a former life and the owners had just stuck a few beds in it!