I think there was a movie spin-off but anyway, you can't not use this one when you are camped at the base of Vesuvius.

There are times when I am amazed to have come through 52 years alive and more or less in one piece but surviving the couple of hours it took to get through Naples today is a whole different ball different ball game. Completely bonkers – no traffic rules, mad italians and roads that are badly maintained, cobbled or often both. Bomb disposal experts could cycle in Naples for an extra adrenalin rush.

Our original plan was to follow the coast road but cutting through the centre of the city saved 7 or 8 miles……but cost us 7 or 8 years, my nerves have never been so jangled. 6 hours later my hands have mostly stopped shaking but my left eye still twitches a bit.

Pompeii is as you would expect: busy, over-priced and very touristy but our campsite is OK and we found a supermarket where we assembled the means to make a tasty spag bol and persuaded the nice wop on the fish counter to give us a bag of ice so we could chill our beer. We are now practically bi-lingual.

Apart from all the excitement in Naples it was an easy day. The weather for the last two days has been overcast, still warm but without the strong sun beating down. Alan is happy!

We are getting the hang of the closed campsite business and phoned ahead for tomorrow. No answer so this evening we researched and booked a hotel room using the interweb. I was all for a double room but Alan insisted on a twin. Prude.

Time for beddy byes.

Steve

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