Naples and Mt. Vesuvius—by Will (photos by Kelli)

As we approached the vast city of Naples and the surrounding area during our drive from Rome on Monday, we all noticed the dominant, looming landmark on the Naples skyline: Mount Vesuvius.  Today, Wednesday, we had the unique opportunity to climb to the summit of Vesuvius.

The day started out with a very enjoyable, albeit early, breakfast at 7:30.  After breakfast, we boarded the bus for a trip to the Naples Museum in the morning.  After seeing so much amazing artwork throughout the trip, I thought to myself: “I don’t think this will impress me more than any other museum.”  I was wrong.  The museum was packed with breathtaking sculptures, frescos, mosaics, and more.  As we strolled through the sculpture section, we stared at incredibly lifelike replicas of Roman Gods and Goddesses, as well as Emperors and other important figures, people we had only previously known from our textbooks.  

The frescos, preserved from Pompeii, were also incredibly well-made and gave us a better understanding of what the villas we visited yesterday would have looked like 2000 years ago. 

An important depiction of Mt. Vesuvius before the eruption.

The mosaics were arguably more unbelievable than the sculptures and frescos.  Each mosaic, made up of thousands of tiny, intricately placed stones, was designed so brilliantly that, from a distance, it appeared to be a painting. Overall, the museum was an incredible experience.

After the museum, we had a delicious pizza lunch [Vera Pizza Napoletana—widely considered to be the best in the world!]

They even make the best gluten-free pizza ever!

After some souvenir shopping in Naples, we travelled to Mount Vesuvius and began our ascent.

Although the weather was not ideal, the trek up the mountain was very easy until the tour guide volcanologist, Roberto, led us onto a roped-off trail which would take us to the summit of the volcano.  As we climbed up this steep, narrow path, the air began to freeze, the wind picked up, and the fog around us thickened.  

At the summit. 


Feeling the heat of the earth at the top of Vesuvius. 

A handful of warm, volcanic soil. 

Roberto shows us examples of different minerals in the rocks. 

Finally, we made it to the summit.  The fog below us began to recede, giving us a breathtaking view of Naples, its suburbs, and the bay.  Even though we were all freezing, there was a sense of accomplishment, as we had conquered the volcano which had conquered Pompeii and Herculaneum all those years ago.

After enjoying the view at the summit, we began our descent, eager to reach the warmth of the bus as quickly as possible.  Fortunately for us, the trip down was much easier than the climb up.  We were back at the bus in no time, and began our drive back to the villa.