Day 5 Up Pompeii (then up Florence afterwards)
We got up far too early today. Last night there was the most amazing thunderstorm rattling around directly overhead and at one point in the night the thunder was so unrelenting it sounded exactly like there was a Harrier Jump Jet hovering directly outside the window. Anyway, the combination of that and the alcohol from the night before made getting out of bed a miserable proposition.
We had arranged to nip down and help the Spitfire guys out with their car buy giving them a haynes manual and generally encouraging them along, but they must still have been in bed because they were nowhere to be seen. We met up with Team 18 who were busy exchanging the exhaust pipe on their Saab with one that was intact but on a car that was going to be scrapped. Actually the doomed Saab was in the process of being ripped apart by other S2Ners in the quest for parts so we joined in and took a few 15A fuses for the Dutchess’s air conditoining clutch. On average I’d say we’re getting about 100 miles or 1 hour per fuse. That’s not ideal but the Saab gave us enough fuses to last for a couple of days we hope.
Pompeii was our stop-off point on the way to Florence and we also volunteered to give one of the press guys a lift to Naples Airport. They were right to warn us against going in to the town, it as very congested and the most chaotic place we’ve been to yet. We got in and out in about two hours and arrived in Pompeii at about 11:30.
We found a parking space close to the entrance and paid an enthusiastic Italian con-artist €5 for the privelege of using it. He was probably not a genuine parking attendant as we bargained him down from €8 but he was so enthusiastic about the Daimler that he deserved a fiver anyhow.
We trod the streets of the Pompeii Excavations for around three hours, dodging tour parties and hoards of school-children whilst we took in the amazing 2000-year-old houses, shops, forum, amphitheatre (of Pink Floyd fame) and other buildings. Pompeii is basically an entire city and afer wating around for a few hours, it jolly well feels like it an’ all.
At 3 o’clock we decided to grab some pizza before setting off to Florence but a series of bad tempered waiters told us that there is nowhere in New Pompeii selling pizza after three PM so we found a peculiar looking bar and had a sandwich there instead.
The drive to Florence took three and a half hours on clear roads. Italy’s A1 – like our own, the spine of the country – is a fabulous drive that winds through all the hills and mountains of each region from Milan down to past Naples. The driving is generally speedy and the scenery is often breathtaking.
Off out now for some food and wine and we’ll attack the sights of Florence in the morning.
Here's a link to today's photos
.
We had arranged to nip down and help the Spitfire guys out with their car buy giving them a haynes manual and generally encouraging them along, but they must still have been in bed because they were nowhere to be seen. We met up with Team 18 who were busy exchanging the exhaust pipe on their Saab with one that was intact but on a car that was going to be scrapped. Actually the doomed Saab was in the process of being ripped apart by other S2Ners in the quest for parts so we joined in and took a few 15A fuses for the Dutchess’s air conditoining clutch. On average I’d say we’re getting about 100 miles or 1 hour per fuse. That’s not ideal but the Saab gave us enough fuses to last for a couple of days we hope.
Pompeii was our stop-off point on the way to Florence and we also volunteered to give one of the press guys a lift to Naples Airport. They were right to warn us against going in to the town, it as very congested and the most chaotic place we’ve been to yet. We got in and out in about two hours and arrived in Pompeii at about 11:30.
We found a parking space close to the entrance and paid an enthusiastic Italian con-artist €5 for the privelege of using it. He was probably not a genuine parking attendant as we bargained him down from €8 but he was so enthusiastic about the Daimler that he deserved a fiver anyhow.
We trod the streets of the Pompeii Excavations for around three hours, dodging tour parties and hoards of school-children whilst we took in the amazing 2000-year-old houses, shops, forum, amphitheatre (of Pink Floyd fame) and other buildings. Pompeii is basically an entire city and afer wating around for a few hours, it jolly well feels like it an’ all.
At 3 o’clock we decided to grab some pizza before setting off to Florence but a series of bad tempered waiters told us that there is nowhere in New Pompeii selling pizza after three PM so we found a peculiar looking bar and had a sandwich there instead.
The drive to Florence took three and a half hours on clear roads. Italy’s A1 – like our own, the spine of the country – is a fabulous drive that winds through all the hills and mountains of each region from Milan down to past Naples. The driving is generally speedy and the scenery is often breathtaking.
Off out now for some food and wine and we’ll attack the sights of Florence in the morning.
Here's a link to today's photos
.
posted by TeamXJ3 at 4:15 PM
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