Surfing Vesuvius.

A group of 4 members of couchsurfing.com went to Vesuvius. I drove my cute new car and was glad I finally got to use it as was intended -- 4 doors! Vesuvius! Guests! Woohooo!

The light was thin and wintry and I, alas, didn't pay attention to my ISO setting once more. Sigh. Lots of washed out people and vistas. Irfanview allowed me to salvage most of the good pictures with some simple gamma and contrast adjustments, however, so all was not lost.

Oh, and did I mention how COLD it was? Omg! I am really glad I had gloves and some fleece under the jacket. My face was numb, lips chapped, and my kneecaps were knockin' -- and I was the warmest dressed one there! Poor Dario, Kelly, and John. They didn't seem to mind overly much, however, as their enthusiasm and smiles kept them warm.

Dario is a local Neapolitan CS-er. John, an American, and Kelly, a New Zealander living in London, were both his guests. I'm glad we went on Sunday, as it was spectacularly clear, while Monday turned out to be overcast and, near the end of the day, incredibly stormy. The timing was just right, as John and Kelly decided to make a joint expedition to Pompeii on Monday. They left the ruins just as the downpour started.

Dario claims that the weather magic was his doing. After seeing his parking karma, together with the incredible views from the top of the volcano, I am starting to believe him.