68.5 miles ridden – 553m climbed – Temperature 30C (maximum 34C)

Today started to feel routine. I woke up excited and well rested, eager to head down to the beach and take in some sea air before breakfast. Then I glanced at my bike on the balcony and immediately my glutes and quads left me under no illusion whatsoever as to what they thought of cycling again! They reminded me how uncomfortable they felt when I climbed the stairs last nights and as I walked up the ramp from the beach they asked me to reconsider. Of course I didn’t and after about 30 minutes riding and at the top of the first (gentle) climb of the day they gave up complaining and got on with it

The first 25 miles was in wide open countryside on wide well surfaced roads with polite drivers and a tailwind – fabulous!

We had a coffee/snack stop in Grazzanise before starting the next 20 mile section that would see us navigating through the outer suburbs of Naples. Blimey – was that a challenge!

The road surface was dreadful, the drivers were aggressive and oblivious to us reversing out into our path or opening doors as we came past. Fortunately we all came through unscathed but it was a relief to gross the railway line that seemed to divide grater Naples from the countryside leading around Mount Vesuvius to Pompeii.

A unique – at least I haven’t come across it before – feature of this next section were the roadside vendors. Of course they were the usual fruit and vegetable stalls, even one selling drinks, but evenly spaced along the road – usually under a tree with a car parked in a small lay-by – would be scantily dressed ladies touting for business. Quite sad in this day and age.

The route managed to find every conceivable back road, side street, and just about passable track to get us to our hotel without using the main roads that encircle the Pompeii Archeological Park. While initially impressed at how close our hotel is to the ruins it quickly became apparent that our hotel may actually have been in operation in 79AD when Vesuvius erupted – not a patch on the last two nights accommodation. Never mind.

Tomorrow is a rest day so my ticket to the Pompeii Archeological Park is booked. I will first make my way to the amphitheatre and make my own re-creation of Pink Floyd’s 1972 concert there by listening to Echoes – all 23 minutes and 30 seconds of it. I wonder if the concert coincided with the last refurbishment of my bathroom here?