Solfatara
We visited Solfatara, a fumarole (steaming vent) which emits sulphurous gases. Solfatara actually gave its name to all fumaroles of this type - which are called sulfataras.
Our guide told us that enterprising locals put rocks on top of the vent, which turn yellow, and then sell them to tourists!
The crater formed by a volcanic eruption centuries ago. Solfatara is at the furthest end.
The lower vent.
The upper vent.
Other indicators of volcanic activity in the region include boiling mud pools...
...and fumaroles.
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius has a violent and catastrophic history: in AD79 it erupted so explosively that it covered two Roman towns and created a massive caldera (crater). It last erupted in 1944, so is due for another eruption. Over 1.5million people live in the vicinity, including in the city of Naples, who will be affected when it next erupts.
The rim of the caldera, seen from the main cone. The grey strip is a solidified lava flow from the last eruption in 1944.
The volcano seen from the coast road to Sorrento. What seems to be a double cone is actually one (the taller peak) with the other being the rim of the caldera formed by the AD79 eruption.
Inside the crater, the white line which marks the level of the crater floor before the 1944 eruption is visible.
The bottom of the crater.
The reddish tinge of the rocks is caused by iron oxides in the rock.
The view from the top of the volcano.
Pompeii
Pompeii was one of the two Roman towns that was destroyed when Vesuvius erupted in AD79. Lying south of the volcano, it was smothered in six metres of ash which fell from the kilometres-high cloud that erupted from the mountain.
Although the weight of the ash collapsed roofs and suffocated the people, most walls are still standing and decorative mosaics and frescoes have been preserved.
Clay amphorae (wine flasks) and shards of pottery. The human figure is not a corpse but a plaster cast made of the hollow left in the ash by the decomposed body.
A mosaic depicting a battle scene, from the House of the Faun.
Here, ruts in the road can be seen, eroded by the wheels of Roman carriages over 2000 years ago.
Herculaneum
Herculaneum, although buried in the same eruption as Vesuvius, is very different to Pompeii. Whereas Pompeii was covered in ash that fell from the sky after the eruption, Herculaneum was destroyed by mud flows from the volcano itself. The mud solidified to rock and the new settlement of Ercolano was built on top of the ruins of Herculaneum. These two factors combine to make the excavation of the ruins very difficult, and only a third of the town has been uncovered, despite excavations beginning in the 1700s.
The ruins of Herculaneum, with the new town of Ercolano in the background.
A Roman shop, with huge clay jars set into the counter for goods, such as wine, olives or fish sauce, to be kept in. The shop also has grooves in the floor at the entrance, originally for wooden shutters.
One of the first examples of earthquake proofing, with different types of stone and brick designed to stop the wall collapsing.
A beautifully-painted alcove in a temple, for the statue of the current emperor.
An incredibly ornate mosaic in a courtyard garden, decorated with sea shells.
Capri
The isle of Capri, well known for its designer shopping opportunities, also has a stunning coastline, with cliffs, caves, arches and stacks. We took a boat trip round the island to see all these features.
Capri harbour, with the island's tall limestone cliffs above.
