On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Elma
I made a second trip to Italy in February 2011. It was sponsored by the Wisconsin Alumni Association. “If you want to be a Badger, just come along with me…” It was a week in Rome with side trips to other points of interest.
The week of Badgers in Rome included a train trip for a day in Florence. As I had done a day in Florence before, I really wasn’t interested in that. It turned out to be a good call, since the rain poured on them for the whole day. Anyway, I hooked up with a couple from our group for a day trip to Naples and Pompeii.
I had spotted Jeri and Joel as fellow Badger travelers in the boarding area at O’Hare. Joel always wore his Big Red W jacket. They became good friends. Since neither Joel nor my husband were much into international travel, Jeri and I traveled the world together until she passed in 2019.
As we were coming into Naples by bus, there was a thick fog obscuring the view of the Bay. Our plucky guide told us to “imagine that there is the Bay of Naples and imagine that in the Bay there is the Isle of Capri.” Um, not so much. The fog lifted a bit later, which was good because there was some sort of children’s festival that day. We saw kids dressed in mostly American style Halloween costumes, Buzz Lightyear, Wonder Woman, etc. I’m not sure that these little girls wouldn’t have been happier with a Wonder Woman, but their adults seemed very proud.
After a quick look around Naples, we drove out to Pompeii for lunch and a tour of the archeological site. These fabulous giant lemons were everywhere. I got a tiny bottle of lemoncello as a souvenir.
Vesuvius dominates every vista.
Ruts worn into the pavement by wagon wheels
Lead pipes carried water to the private residences and public fountains.
The atrium of one of the larger houses. It was open to the sky and the little pool would have been filled by the rain.
Beware of the dog.
raven
Nice pics!
Mike E
Beautiful…now, put the semifinal thread on the front page please thank you!
eclare
Those lemons! Yum.
evodevo
Always a great place to visit..we stayed with my niece in Naples when we went. She had adopted a Naples street dog who looked like a twin to the one in the mosaic. I love Roman archaeology and was so glad to tour Pompeii and Herculaneum – such windows into the past!
Brachiator
Very nice photos. Pompeii is fascinating. I try to imagine people of the ancient times walking down the streets, living their lives.
And cool pic of Naples.
Thanks.
Yutsano
Did someone say limoncello?
Mike in Pasadena
It’s helish to be a pedestrian in Naples anywhere near the train station, but the nearby archeological sites in Pompeii, Herculaneum, Baiae, Puteoli, and the trip up Vesuvius make it all worthwhile. The amphitheater in Puteoli is recommended as is the bath complex in Baiae. Both are harder to get to, but again worth the effort.
WaterGirl
@Mike E: Just saw that now and moved the semifinals to the front page. Hope it’s not too late!
Elma
@WaterGirl: So it just proves that I am not a sporting person. Mike E.’s comment made no sense to me until I saw this.
way2blue
@Elma:
I was clueless too…