We started the day a bit earlier as the plan was to go by train to Pompei. But a train strike was called – not sure why. But Italian train strikes must be different, in that most trains don’t run, but they do “guarantee” a few scheduled ones. We got on our “scheduled” train, and it was crowded. The good thing is that we arrived at the gates of the Pompei excavations before they opened and were one of the first ones in.

It doesn’t matter how many photos you see about Pompei, or documentaries you watch on it, nothing beats the real experience of being there to see it. That’s like just about everything in life. We can read about things, hear about them, talk about them, but until we’ve experienced them for ourselves, we have a very incomplete, partial or small picture of whatever it is!

Pompei is huge – vast – I think about 170 acres and you certainly can’t see it all. I find that I only have the capacity for a maximum of three hours and then I’ve reached “saturation” point. After that, I’m numb or weary and I don’t take anything further in. So I’ll show you a few photos that I took – and I didn’t take many! You will have already seen lots of photos from other sources already.

It was warmer today and got quite steamy. I didn’t feel well, so after a time, I found a quieter, shady spot under some trees and waited for Philip to finish his explorations. Pompei is one of the major reasons why he wanted to come to Italy, so I was happy for him to take his fill! I sat and watched the many little green lizards – about three inches long – scurry, dart and chase each other among the stones and leaves.

I was glad we got there first thing this morning. By late morning there were crowds of people everywhere, some with tour guides in lots of different languages. I find that very fatiguing.

My favourite tourist spot was the big mosaic on one of the floors of the big houses showing Alexander the Great fighting Darius of Persia. But it wasn’t at a good angle to get a photo – so I didn’t take one. But so many reminders that they were people just going about their normal daily lives when this happened in 74 AD.

Philip walked down the many streets to the very back of the Pompei site and found the huge amphitheatre – like a small coliseum, where they had gladiator fights and chariot races. (The photo below is of a smaller amphitheatre in another spot.)

Pompei was a city of nearly 20,000 people and they had very sophisticated lifestyle. It helps to highlight the “chronological snobbery” we suffer from. A very class-conscious society with huge gulfs between the upper echelons and the slaves at the bottom in the way they lived.

Interesting too, that they’d had previous earthquakes for years and small eruptions. But the city thought they were invincible because they had the protection of the gods even though they lived right beside a volcano. Despite the warnings all around them. Shades of how our world lives these days! We’re all very good at living in denial despite all evidence to the contrary.

These are ghoulish reminders of the human tragedy it was. These had once been living people. I was relieved to discover that the positions they were found in doesn’t mean they died in agony. It’s the muscle contractions after they had died.

One of the people who died was a lady called Drusilla. Part of her earlier story is in the Bible in Acts 12:1-23.

We ate a packed lunch when we were finished and waited near the train station for the next “guaranteed” train at 2 o’clock. This time we were packed in like sardines. Standing on top of one another, cheek by jowl for the journey. Every time we stopped at a station, we would watch people on the platform look in through the windows with their mouths wide open in shock, then start to frantically run up and down the platform trying to find a carriage where they could pack in one more sardine! We were very glad to get to get our destination and walk back to the hotel where we’re staying.

Because it’s summer, the afternoons are long. I decided that this afternoon was probably my best chance of finding time to go for a swim in the Mediterranean Sea. Philip wasn’t interested. So off I set. With no clear idea of where to find a beach or how to get to any beach.

I walked in one direction. The small beaches are far down below at the bottom of the huge, tall cliffs and I couldn’t see any tracks or roads leading down to them. All along the cliff tops are the pastel-coloured three or four storied concrete apartments some with narrow laneways winding around them. I had a very interesting walk, trying to navigate my way. I couldn’t find the path to the beach, but I had an interesting walk.

But after I’d come back to the hotel and asked a fellow Oak Hall traveller where to go, I eventually found it. I would never have found it on my own. Clear signposts are not an important consideration.

The narrow, very cobbled street wound down and around through the houses, then round and down the cliff face covered with tall shrubs and trees. A delightful walk.

When I finally reached the black-sand beach with its sun-lounges, beach umbrellas and piers I tried to walk down to the sand for my much longed-for swim. A red-shirted lifeguard chased me down and jumped in front of me. “Scuzzi, scuzzi, no, no, private beach,” he said. So I mimed that I just wanted to swim – not rent a sun-lounge or go on the jetty or pier – just swim – where I go? With big exaggerated arm gestures and a big smile. I wasn’t going to give in easily without a fight. It had taken me long enough to get there. Even if the water was frigid I was going in!

Then a big smile on his face, “Ok. ok. you swim,” he said. So I did. And thoroughly enjoyed it. The water felt saltier and is probably about the same temperature as Perth water. It was delightful. I thought walking back up to the top of the cliff would do me in, but it was much easier than I anticipated, and I enjoyed the walk back. And here’s the proof!

And now I’ve been to the evening meetings we go to, and the evening meal and it’s time for bed. It’s been a big day, chockablock full of such delightful memories. What a day! Tomorrow it’s Mt Vesuvius and the Naples catacombs. Another big day.