The Past Life - Mt Vesuvius & Pompeii

As the blur of the industrial sector on Rome's outskirts passes, it gives way to plots of land sloping towards the highway planted with olives and vines - roman self sufficiency. This in turn gives way to fields of pink blossom of peaches and apricots, large scale olive groves and vineyards. This is the Campagna region renowned for its produce. In ancient times this produce made its wayto Rome and this has not changed. The highway we travel is leading us to one of the most dangerous places in Italy, Mt Vesuvius. Standing at 1200 metres high it is the only active volcano on mainland Italy - and still threatens the inhabitants of Naples.

In 79AD Mt Vesuvius stood twice as high as today and ten times wider until it erupted and over a period of days killed the inhabitants of four towns that had grown up in its shade. Today I was to climb Mt Vesuvius. Driving up to the first level we enter the Red Zone - a declared danger zone. Alongside the road are abandoned houses and restaurants as no one is allowed to live along its side any more. Walking up the steep side of the mountain I found no easy feat. The soft black volcanic ash under foot, the volcano rock jutting out and the incline itself tested my fitness. I certainly didn't set any speed records to get to the crater rim but I made it! Vesuvius is a live volcano - peering over the rim one can see steam rising from cracks along the edge. It is a volcano that erupts once every 2000 years - ok readers, you can do the maths!

The view of Mt Vesuvius from the bus

Inside the crater

Linda at the crater rim