Before I left The United States, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish on my journey through Europe. Near the top of that list was "Climb Mount Vesuvius."
It wasn't as easy to cross off as I had expected. For one thing, there aren't any easily located paths to take to hike from the bottom of the mountain to the top. So I started at the ruins of Ercolano and slowly hiked my way up the winding road. At first, I was regretting the challenge because of the painful headache I received from the heavy fumes of the passing cars and busses, but it wasn't long before I was high above Naples and entering the peaceful Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio. Other than the passing car or bus from time to time, all that I could hear was the singing birds, the wind through the brush and the bees suckling the beautiful flowers. The green fauna made the out-of-this-world lava rock even more spectacular in contrast. I stopped for lunch half way up at Zi Rosa, a nice resturaunt where I was happily served by the staff. I was the only visitor while I was there.
After hiking 7 miles (11 kilometers) and going from near sea level to 4,200 feet (1,281 meters), I reached the summit! I sat on the lava rock and contemplated how far I have come on my journey as I looked down upon the hazy Bay of Naples. I feel like I have been traveling for years, and yet I have only been on the road for 40 days. I can only guess on what the remaining 37 days will bring...
For a video of what the hike looks like, click here.
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