The remains of Vesuvius and the Pompeii forum
We were amazed at the size of Pompeii, which is currently only about 2/3 excavated. It is a dense grid of streets supporting a variety of businesses. We could see Vesuvius behind it, at least what is left of it after the top half blew off in 79 AD, covering much of the surrounding region. There are still some beautiful and interesting mosaics and frescoes, as well as body casts of those who died, frozen in the moment.
The picture shows what remains of the Pompeii forum, and also what remains of Vesuvius. The mountain was twice as big before it erupted. The two peaks define the edges of the original cone.
We are now staying in Sorrento, a nice coastal village. We took the local train to Pompeii, where we shared a car with a bunch of loud, drunken thugs, threatening each other in a street Neopolitan dialect. Ah, local color. Tomorrow we will brave the same train and go to Herculaneum.