Pompeii

Saturday was Pompeii, a hell on earth of scalding heat and choking ash. It must have been pretty bad in 79AD when Vesuvius erupted too.

A late-June day with the thermometer up in the 90's and not a cloud in the sky is probably not the best time to go and visit Pompeii. The preservation of a first century city is incredible, and it's a wonderful, wonderful place, but it's a hard slog in the sunshine. The numerous Pompeii dogs have the right idea, find a shady corner under a tree and wait until the sun goes down.

The Picnics in the Harbour recommendation is to go in September when it's probably easier to appreciate the insite into life almost 2000 years ago that the city provides.

OK, philistines that we are, the high spot of today was dinner at Ristorante Max back in Positano.

We ate in the garden, the surroundings were lovely, the service attentive, the local wine chilled and delicious, and the fish soup like this.