Naples & Pompeii

While we were in Rome, I booked a day tour through USO to Pompeii and Naples. We met at the tour office early in the morning and headed on a bus to Naples. 



We took a tour of Piazza del Plebiscito, the Royal Palace, Piazza Municipio, the Gallery Umberto I, San Carlo Opera House. 

Next, we headed to Pompeii for lunch at a restaurant and to visit the excavations. Nineteen centuries ago during the summer of 79 AD, Vesuvius suddenly re-erupted completely destroying Pompeii and Herculaneum. It's ashes, gases and hot clouds claimed numerous lives but at the same time preserved the existing environment and a way of life typical of the ancient Roman society at its height. The layer of ashes preserved intact people and everyday items, food and domestic animals, all remained steady and hidden until the first half of 18th Century when regular digs were organized. it truly was a mesmerizing site. I felt like I was stepping back in time while walking into these homes. It was just crazy seeing all the paint colors still on the walls and decor everywhere. 

These are stepping stones that pedestrians in Pompeii used to cross the road and not step in gunk

For little kids bring a carrier, it is not stroller friendly.

Be sure to see our next adventure to Vatican City

Chocolate & Cheese Tasting in Switzerland

A friend of mine (whose son is friends with Rand) and I have been talking about taking a "Mom's day out" trip for a while. We came across a tour given for military members nearby with MWR. We left very early (around 2am) and headed off to Switzerland for the day. 

In the morning, we arrived at the Nestle/Cailler World Headquarters for a tour and tasting. The tour was short and entertaining but I was very excited about the smorgasbord of chocolate! All of it was amazing and after tasting all the delicious chocolates, we visited the gift shop and the cafe. We heard the hot chocolate was to die for... so of course we got some and we were not disappointed. 

Our next stop was the La Maison du Gruyère cheese factory. We got a little tasting during our short tour that were 3, 6 and 9 months of aging. After the brief tour (that is self-guided) we enjoyed some fondue in their restaurant. 

During our free time in Gruyères, we visited the historic Château de Gruyères, built in the 1200’s and designated a Swiss Heritage Site of National Significance. We also came across the terrifying H.R. Giger museum but we passed it and got a drink at the bar across the street instead.