verwhelming impression was summed up by Bill Brysons words, "do more, try harder, start now". The owners are pulling in big dollars but there's little or no sign that they are spending any of it conserving the site. Crowds trampling priceless mosaic floors, wall paintings left to fade in the sun with little or no protection and rough looking building work going on all over. Expect a Roman theme park on this site shortly, next After the Staples2Naples rally I was able to spend a few days to the South of Naples on the apparently fabulous Sorrento Peninsular. This turned out a little harder than expected, partly because our little Red 20 year old Rover, gave a burst of petulance in a traffic jam on the motorway in Naples and partly when we finally arrived we had some difficulty finding a hotel for the night anywhere we might have considered acceptable.

The next day we went into Naples by train which was packed until Pompeii about which more later. The plan was to visit The National Museum which is somewhat better than Cairo but that doesn't say much. You've got to see it but make it the first day!

Everything you've been told about the traffic is true so leave the car behind. We did discover why the Neapolitans leave the straps on their motorbike helmets undone, it's so they can use their cell phones while they are driving!

We visited Herculaneum the next day. This is a buried town just south of Naples, much smaller than Pompeii and apparently in much better preservation. As with everywhere it was hard to find a car park but once in we were not so much struck with the fabulous preservation but more by the workmen (re?)constructing walls from some of the rubble lying around.

After lunch we braved Vesuvius, by car, and the little red rover behaved without fault. Sadly the Italian National Parks authority have seen fit to allow charging for parking and entry to walk to the cone as well as setting up no less than three tourist tat shops including one at the summit and 'guides' soliciting for business. All rather sad.

Pompeii has been much documented elsewhere and while a fantastic site our overwhelming impression was summed up by Bill Brysons words, "do more, try harder, start now". The owners are pulling in big dollars but there's little or no sign that they are spending any of it conserving the site. Crowds trampling priceless mosaic floors, wall paintings left to fade in the sun with little or no protection and rough looking building work going on all over. Expect a Roman theme park on this site shortly, next s

.

The next day we went into Naples by train which was packed until Pompeii about which more later. The plan was to visit The National Museum which is somewhat better than Cairo but that doesn't say much. You've got to see it but make it the first day!

Everything you've been told about the traffic is true so leave the car behind. We did discover why the Neapolitans leave the straps on their motorbike helmets undone, it's so they can use their cell phones while they are driving!

We visited Herculaneum the next day. This is a buried town just south of Naples, much smaller than Pompeii and apparently in much better preservation. As with everywhere it was hard to find a car park but once in we were not so much struck with the fabulous preservation but more by the workmen (re?)constructing walls from some of the rubble lying around.

After lunch we braved Vesuvius, by car, and the little red rover behaved without fault. Sadly the Italian National Parks authority have seen fit to allow charging for parking and entry to walk to the cone as well as setting up no less than three tourist tat shops including one at the summit and 'guides' soliciting for business. All rather sad.

Pompeii has been much documented elsewhere and while a fantastic site our overwhelming impression was summed up by Bill Brysons words, "do more, try harder, start now". The owners are pulling in big dollars but there's little or no sign that they are spending any of it conserving the site. Crowds trampling priceless mosaic floors, wall paintings left to fade in the sun with little or no protection and rough looking building work going on all over. Expect a Roman theme park on this site shortly, next

it's so they can use their cell phones while they are driving!

We visited Herculaneum the next day. This is a buried town just south of Naples, much smaller than Pompeii and apparently in much better preservation. As with everywhere it was hard to find a car park but once in we were not so much struck with the fabulous preservation but more by the workmen (re?)constructing walls from some of the rubble lying around.

After lunch we braved Vesuvius, by car, and the little red rover behaved without fault. Sadly the Italian National Parks authority have seen fit to allow charging for parking and entry to walk to the cone as well as setting up no less than three tourist tat shops including one at the summit and 'guides' soliciting for business. All rather sad.

Pompeii has been much documented elsewhere and while a fantastic site our overwhelming impression was summed up by Bill Brysons words, "do more, try harder, start now". The owners are pulling in big dollars but there's little or no sign that they are spending any of it conserving the site. Crowds trampling priceless mosaic floors, wall paintings left to fade in the sun with little or no protection and rough looking building work going on all over. Expect a Roman theme park on this site shortly, next

After lunch we braved Vesuvius, by car, and the little red rover behaved without fault. Sadly the Italian National Parks authority have seen fit to allow charging for parking and entry to walk to the cone as well as setting up no less than three tourist tat shops including one at the summit and 'guides' soliciting for business. All rather sad.

Pompeii has been much documented elsewhere and while a fantastic site our overwhelming impression was summed up by Bill Brysons words, "do more, try harder, start now". The owners are pulling in big dollars but there's little or no sign that they are spending any of it conserving the site. Crowds trampling priceless mosaic floors, wall paintings left to fade in the sun with little or no protection and rough looking building work going on all over. Expect a Roman theme park on this site shortly, next

verwhelming impression was summed up by Bill Brysons words, "do more, try harder, start now". The owners are pulling in big dollars but there's little or no sign that they are spending any of it conserving the site. Crowds trampling priceless mosaic floors, wall paintings left to fade in the sun with little or no protection and rough looking building work going on all over. Expect a Roman theme park on this site shortly, next show: Brutus stabbing Caesar at 2:30! Hopeless.

A trip around the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento peninsular is hugely scenic but it really is a tourist spot. Abiding impressions are of tourists, coaches, hotels, restaurants, tat shops of all descriptions, poor air quality and above all rubbish heaped and strewn everywhere. The driving is a sight all on it's own too but frankly it all gets my "avoid" rating. You had to be there 30 years ago and now you've missed it. Spend your money on something else.

The next day I picked up a car at the airport and taking my life in my hands headed south to Paesteum, a set of ruins some way south of Sorrento. I stopped for the afternoon near Paesteum but was frankly too tired to do anything except sit on the beach and read my book.

An early start to my visit to Paesteum avoided the days heat and this really was the highlight of the journey. Ruins left to themselves and not (apparently) 'restored'. There are fantastic temples, bigger than the Parthenon in Greece my book says but still in wonderful condition. Minimal tourists except for a bus load of obligatory Germans from my hotel and for the most part I felt I had the place to myself. The associated museum is also a treat with captions in Italian and English and an excellent collection of artifacts well conserved and presented.

Further south again to the Cilento mountains which boasts the sort of scenic splendour I was expecting of Sorrento. The back roads and villages are simply amazing and as for the coast road, it quite takes your breath away.

I drove around some of the back roads, yearning to be doing it on a motorcycle without the Italian drivers. I eventually got out of the mo