Day two, Sorrento. Friday 15th May

Mathilde kept us on our toes.

Stepping stones - and stones worn down by wheel rims

Mosaic

A plaster cast of one of the inhabitants of Pompeii

At least they knew where to go

An example of Pompeii rebuilding its walls following the earthquake

Early cats eyes

The juices are wonderfully refreshing

We had a mixed day today.  At first the weather was bright and sunny and tours went ahead without problems, but by midday we had high winds tossing trees around and whipping up the seas which prevented the ship's tenders from operating safely.
The captain was able to reposition the ship so that the tenders could resume their shuttle service, but not before we and another 100 passengers sat cooling our heels in the tender for up to two hours, waiting for permission to return to the ship.  Some of the  Guest Relations staff, who were also ashore with us, went to a local pizzeria and brought back enough pizza for everyone on board the tender to have at least a slice each.  It was a thoughtful gesture - and well received by the now very hungry passengers.
Frankly, once we were back onboard, we weren't prepared to risk venturing out again, especially as the local  Port Agent had been similarly stuck on board the ship and was worried she might not get home.  She advised us that in very rough weather, the Capri ferries don't operate at all - and that the Blue Grotto boat rides would certainly be a bust in this weather.  Unfortunately it looks like visiting Capri will have to wait for another time.
I was struck by how accepting of the inconvenience most of our fellow passengers were.  The Captain even made a short announcement to that effect once we were all back on board.  I suspect that not all nationalities are quite so easy going.  Ahh, it made me proud to be an Aussie.
Even though we only managed to visit Pompeii today, I was glad we made it.  My last visit five years ago had been marred by a poor tour guide and I'd been left very disappointed.  If I'd been in any doubt about the difference a good guide makes to a tour, I'm not any more.  Mathilde - all four foot nine of her,  or in her own words, 'the guide you can hear but not see', was entertaining, informative, organised and engaging.  Basically everything you want in a guide.
She made me feel I'd been to a completely different Pompeii than the one I visited last time.  She took us to sections I didn't see last time, pointed out interesting snippets the other guide ignored, and gave us background information that made it all hang together.
Then, on the way home, she serenaded us all, 'Mathilde's family' beautifully with the song 'Return to Sorrento'!

Now here are some facts about Pompeii I learned today.
1 Streets had built in stepping stones at intersections to keep people's feet dry.  If the street only had three stepping stones, it was a one way street - as there are not enough gaps between the stones for two vehicles' wheels to pass.  If the road had 4 or 5 stones, it was a dual carriageway.  Ruts from the chariot wheels had been gouged into the gaps over time.
2 You could tell which were the houses and which were the shops in the main streets because the shops had grooves in stone for sliding doors, while the houses did not.
3 One of the ( 25 )  brothels has been partially rebuilt.   The sexually explicit frescoes on the wall in the entrance were used as a pictorial menu.  There was a short hand signposting for the brothels with  carved 'cock and balls'  on walls or the road 'pointing the way', as it were.
4 We saw was were essentially prototype  Cats Eyes markers made from marble chips on the black basalt paving stones in one street.
5They had modern plumbing and early functional refrigeration in Pompeii.   We saw original lead pipes used for heating floors and for bathing.  Ancient Romans understood the value of refrigeration and would keep hailstones in amphora in caves to help keep food fresher for longer.
6At the time of the volcanic eruption in 79AD  Pompeii had almost finished a period of rebuilding from a destructive earthquake in 62 AD.  Some of this rebuilding was apparent in the ruins. 
8 Graffiti was as common back then as it is now - and has given archeologists quite an insight  to daily life there
9 Pompeii was a sea resort town t at the time of the eruption.  The sea is now at least a kilometre away and Vesuvius is about three times smaller than it was then.  The residents of Pompeii died of asphyxiation and their remains were were covered in ten metres of ash within two days and lay virtually undisturbed for nearly 1700 years.  The first structures to be  officially excavated were the amphitheatre, whose oval shape was still apparent in the local topography - and the tops of columns poking out of the volcanic soil.  Pottery shards etc had been pulled out of the soil by farmers for generations.   The early excavations were very crude and likely did more damage than good.  Many treasures were lost overseas to the French.
8 All of the soil around Vesuvius is wonderfully fertile.  If the massive lemons we saw  today are any guide, it must be pretty good stuff.

Tomorrow we arrive in Civitavecchia (old town), which is the industrial port for Rome.  We plan to head into Rome by train and spend some time on our own.