Bex & Clo Do Italy

Clodagh has always wanted to go to Rome and Pompeii so, seeing as she was finally over this side of the world for the first time in 12 years, we took the opportunity to pop over to Italy for a few days.

Our first full day was the last Sunday of the month and the only day in the month where the Vatican Museum is free so we thought we'd check it out. Unfortunately so did half the world it seemed as the queue was the longest queue I have ever seen in my life! Fortunately it was moving reasonably fast though so after about an hour and twenty minutes in the swelteringly hot Italian sun, we made it inside and spent the next couple of hours wandering around this huge and amazing museum and of course the incredible Sistine Chapel!

Next stop was St. Peter's Basilica with a thankfully shorter queue! St. Peter's never fails to take my breath away no matter how many times I look at it. This GINORMOUS (yes I do know that is not a real word!) Basilica is amazingly ornately decorated inside and everywhere you look it is beautiful. I was also blessed to be able to attend Mass whilst there - a lovely experience despite it all being in Italian!

Next to St. Peter's there was an exhibition on the Swiss Guards which I took a wander around. I was lucky to see it as it was the last day that it was on having been on since March.



The next day was my Birthday! Yay! However I still had to get up really early to ring my family in NZ before jumping on the Busabout Italian Explorer tour that Clo and I were going on. First stop was the ancient city of Pompeii:

"On August 23, 79 AD, Pompeii looked like any other busy, prosperous city. People were moving about, trading goods, news, and friendly talk.
Three days later, on August 26, all of these sounds had fallen silent, and the place itself had vanished. Almost nothing was seen of Pompeii for more than 1500 years."

The disappearance of this city was due to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. However the volcanic ash managed to preserve almost everything in the city and since the 1500s Pompeii has been excavated. It is amazing to wander the streets of this old city and imagine what it was like before. Bakeries, restaurants, houses, and lots of brothels still stand, some still with murals (interesting ones in the brothel's case!), mosaics, and even statues still able to be seen. Although a lot of them have been moved to Naples Archaeological Museum, many dead bodies, preserved by the volcanic ash, were also found with a couple on display for us.



Sorrento was our second stop and the place where we spent the night. We all went out for dinner where our group sang Happy Birthday to me over a slice of Tiramisu with a candle in it and then we went off to a Kareoke bar for lots of drinking, dancing, and of course singing! It was a very fun birthday indeed!

The next day was spent on the pretty Isle of Capri swimming, visting the town of Capri with it's lovely Augustus Gardens, and generally just chilling out or at least attempting to in the hot hot sun!

Our last day on the tour was spent exploring a bit more of the Amalfi Coast and visiting the little towns of Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello before heading back up to Rome for our last night together as a bus load.



Clo and I had a busy last day in Rome on Thursday as we took in the Colosseum before going on a three hour Enjoy Rome walking tour which introduced us to the Roman Forum, the Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II and the Unknown Solidier, the Trevi Fountain (where Clo and I threw a coin into the fountain to ensure we would return to Rome), the Pantheon and Piazza Novona - a lot to see in a short time! After leaving the tour behind however we trekked some more down to 'The Mouth of Truth' which we were disappointed to see was locked up for the day. Legend has it that if you put your hand in it's mouth and you are a liar your hand will be bitten off. Perhaps it is lucky that I didn't do it after all just in case! ;-)

From The Mouth of Truth Clo and I headed across Circus Maximus, the old grounds for chariot races, and caught the Metro to visit the crowded Spanish Steps before heading home very tired.



However, as you know I have never been known to give up and pass up a chance to have a laugh so of course I went out drinking again that night with the friends we had made on the tour. And later that night (perhaps after a few drinks) I decided that as I was getting up very early for a shuttle to the airport, it would be more fun and easier if I just didn't go to bed at all that night! Ha ha! Lucky for them most of the wiser people toddled off to bed before 4am but kudos to Steve who stayed up and kept me company until I got on the shuttle! Cheers babe!

Needless to say it is a very tired and slightly sad Bex who is now typing this. Sad because I had to say goodbye to my sis who has been over this side of the world visiting me for the last month. I will miss you Clo!

As for tiredness, well, it is a bank holiday over here in Ireland this Monday so I have three days to sleep and rest up ready to head back into the normality of work on Tuesday! SIGH... another fun trip is over...

P.S. Thanks so much to all the people who e-mailed, texted and even sent cards to wish me a Happy Birthday! If I haven't yet done so I will reply to you all personally soon! xxx