From Rome, we took the train down to Pompeii — the ancient Roman city buried, and remarkably preserved, by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Walking the original stone streets, past frozen plaster casts of the residents caught in the eruption, is one of those experiences that’s hard to describe until you’re standing in it. Bring shade and water — the site is enormous and almost entirely exposed, and it gets brutally hot with very little shelter. Pompeii Ruins We finish

A quick 45-minute flight took us from Nice to Rome, and from there, a 2-mile walk with full backpacks to our hostel — not glamorous, but a good way to see the city start to unfold around you. Day one was for the essentials: the Trevi Fountain, packed shoulder to shoulder in the afternoon heat, and dinner at Piazza Santi Apostoli with complimentary prosecco and pasta that, honestly, wasn’t the best we’ve had in Italy. One thing worth knowing before you sit down anywhere in Rom