s a n d y f e e t . e x p o . i t a l i a . 9 9

The forum of Pompeii

Pompeii a good place not to be on Aug. 24, 79 A.D. It is so easy to lose track ot time here in Positano. It occurs to me that it has been days since I was able to check my e-mail and since I am not reachable at the phone number I have been giving people there is a good chance that they are worried about not being able to contact me. I try not to think of orders coming in that haven't been filled, lessons that are not being booked, web clients in emergency situations - am I not entitled to just a few days of not having to worry about this stuff? - but they keep coming back to nag me...

But today I chose to ignore them just a bit longer and visit Pompeii. Paolo has offered tot take me anywhere I want to go -- except Pompeii. He guesses he has been there at least 200 times and has absolutely zero interest in making it 201. So I take the Positano bus to the top of the mountain where I catch the Sorrento bus - very crowded and I have to stand for the 40 minute trip to the train station where I catch the Circumvesuviana again. One has to really want to see Pompeii to subject oneself to this kind of travel torture.

Beware the dog - this tiled mosaic is located at the House of the Faun in Pompeii -- very famous. There are many dogs in Pompeii but none of them look the least bit threatening. Left: the temple of Apollo

Upon arrival I purchase a guidebook and a lemon granita -- I have waited too long and it is already very hot. I sort of follow Rick Steve's suggested tour, using the map that comes with my guidebook and see the Baths, the forum, the House of the Faun, the House of the Vettis (where the naughty pictures are) and the brothel. And then I just get lost, wandering mostly aimlessly, looking for good places to take photos away from the German teenagers and their incessant chatter.

I find myself mostly taking pictures of the dogs. There are many there and they lay around on the cool patches of marble in the shade snoozing. They mostly look underfed but content. It is hot and dusty but there are cool places where one can escape the rest of the tourists -- and the dogs of Pompeii seem to be very good at sniffing them out.

I think that is Mt. Vesuvious in the background. Later that night over dinner, I attempt to explain to Paolo about my need to connect to the internet. He does not understand, so he goes to find his friend Carlo who speaks better English and is computer savvy. It seems that - particularly here in the southern part of the country - there are many people who have not yet heard of the net. I find this pretty amazing. At any rate, Carlo comes over and is able to tell me which phone number on my dial up wizard is a local call. We attempt to connect with Paolo's line but I get this weird beeping noise and do not hear the modem dialling. Carlo attempts to dial the number and says it is not a good one, but I am more concerned that I am not hearing the modem do its job. Carlo says he has an internet connection at his pizzeria, and that tomorrow we can try from there.

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