European Discovery

Michelangelo's incedible sistine chapel

On day 10 the group had the morning off and then we met and took the public bus to the Vatican Museum.  We took the public bus to the entrance and met my wonderful Rome guide Marilena from walksinsiderome.  I did not go into the museum with them so off they went to see the exhibits, and Michelangelo’s masterpiece Sistine chapel.  The first time that I saw this chapel I had to sit down and just stare at it for quite a long time.  I met the group after they exited the chapel and St. Peters after a couple of hours and they just looked beat!  They said that they enjoyed it but I think they were also very tired because the crowds can be bad inside the museum with the big groups even if we have a private tour.  I think next time we might want to try early in the morning  before the heaving masses arrive.

The next day we caught a train to Naples from Rome.  We were running a bit late which was a bit stressful as the taxi’s went an odd way and we had to find each other in the train station.  We missed the hassle of the “helpers” in the train station which I was ready for this time.  A Canadian woman that we

Our wonderful group with Gaotano in Pompeii with Vesuvius

sat next to had her money stolen from her purse and she things it was them.  There are these people that pose as rather official helpers that help get bags on the train but they are not official at all.  If anyone is thinking of riding the train, really be careful and do not let ANYONE that you do not know help you with your bags on or off the train.  They tried to help us when we arrived in Naples and I really pissed him off because I told him no several times and told my entire group not to let him help.  After about 6 tries he gave up and swore at me.  Our Monetti private drivers met us on the tracks and took us to Pompeii.  In Pompeii we met Gaotano Manfredi who was our fabulous guide through this incredibly preserved Roman city which was frozen in time in 79AD.  We were joined by a family from Canada because they were late(and I had messed up a bit on the date) so he put us together.  it has just poured down rain before they got there but it stopped when we arrived.   We got a fabulous tour and an extra by visiting the bath and brothel outside the walls that I have not seen before.  In the brothel, there are very explicit paintings of various rooms in the establishment and the services performed in each.  I think my group was leaning towards a preference for room #4.  After the tour we continued on to Sorrento.  There was a mess up with my hotel and instead we were put in the Grand Vesuvio but it was just lovely;  all rooms had stunning views of the Bay of Naples.  Sherri voted that if I would have brought her here first she might have mutinied from the tour and just stayed there.