The classical coastal view of Sorrento is only achievable from either the sea or a few vantage points jealously guarded by hotels doted along the cliff tops. There are about half a dozen hotels on the western side that command this view. These shots were taken from the Hotel Minerva, which I can whole-heartedly recommend for a place to stay. Breakfast and evening meals on the veranda are one of the most pleasant holiday dining experiences we’ve had.

Tags:   Sorrento Italy Amalfi coast Campania coastal landscape seascape view town buildings

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Breakfast on the veranda...

Morning mist drifting down from the mountains to meet the sea.

Tags:   Sorrento Italy Amalfi Coast Campania coastal landscape seascape view town buildings Andy Rouse andyrousephotography

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The city of Pompeii was an ancient Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area, was mostly destroyed and buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. By the time of its destruction, its population was approximately 11,000 people. The eruption destroyed the city, killing its inhabitants and burying it under tons of ash.
The site was lost for about 1,500 years until its initial rediscovery in 1599 and broader rediscovery almost 150 years later by Spanish engineer Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre in 1748. The objects that lay beneath the city have been well-preserved for centuries because of the lack of air and moisture. These artifacts provide an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city during the Pax Romana. During the excavation, plaster was used to fill in the voids in the ash layers that once held human bodies. This allowed one to see the exact position the person was in when he or she died.
Pompeii has been a tourist destination for over 250 years. Today it has UNESCO World Heritage Site status and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, with approximately 2.5 million visitors every year.

Tags:   Pompeii Italy Naples Vesuvius volcano eruption 79AD UNESCO World Heritage Site Andy Rouse andyrousephotography

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The Temple of Jupiter with Vesuvius in the distance.

Tags:   Pompeii Italy Naples Vesuvius volcano eruption 79AD UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Mosaic I

Mosaic tiled flooring at Pompeii.

Tags:   Pompeii Italy Naples Vesuvius volcano eruption 79AD UNESCO World Heritage Site

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