Washington-Wilkes residents and former residents standing amid the ruins of Pompeii with Mount Vesuvius in the background are (front, l-r) Phyllis Scarborough, Laura Toburen, Lefreda Adair, Mary Jordan, Dolores McAvoy, Nancy Madden, Linda Webster, Frances Dyson, Carolyn and Richard Gammon; (second row) Donna Teasley Miller, Mike Scarborough, Kerry and Nancy McAvoy, Wayne Madden, John Webster, Edward and Susan Pope, Emily and James Thornton; (back row) Charles Hopkins and David Toburen. Twenty travelers from Washington Wilkes were among the 48 who enjoyed an eight-day trip sponsored by Celtic Tours - Tours by Nita entitled "Riviera Ulysses - A Southern Italian Odyssey" October 11-18.

The group arrived in Rome, Italy, on the morning of October 12 and were met by their energetic guide, Valeria, to begin a whirlwind tour of Italy's coastal region and points beyond.

En route to Formia which would be their "home" for the next six days, they stopped at a "fast food" restaurant to experience their first lesson in ordering lunch while being "somewhat clueless" as to what they were ordering and how to pay!.

Beautiful scenery awaited them as they neared the coastal regions where they caught their first glimpses of the Tyrrhenian Sea to their right and looming mountains on the left as they entered the towns of Gaeta and Formia. They arrived later in the day at the Grand Hotel Miramare in Formia and were in awe of the beauty surrounding them with lush and beautifully manicured gardens, flowering trees, olive and other fruit trees, all within the confinesof the marble terraces overlooking the beach and sea. That evening they were welcomed at a Neapolitan feast as they became oriented to the week's activities.

The next morning began early as the group boarded their bus for a day-long excursion along the breathtaking AmalfiCoast. As they traveled through the little towns and villages, they were amazed at the rows and rows of greenhouses filled with flowers and vegetables, the immaculately cultivated vegetable and flower gardens and row upon row of fruit trees of every kind in addition to the massive olive groves.

Their first glimpses of the sea came again with "wows" as they rounded the narrow roads to the breathtaking views of the beautiful Bay of Naples. As the bus wound its way through the "Milky Mountains," spectacular views were in every direction as the clear blue skies met the sparkling blue seas. Stops were made along the drive for pictures of the villages and towns that were miraculously clustered on the sheer cliff mountains.

The journey led to the first stop at Sorrento where all enjoyed the tour in the laminating shop and saw the process of making the beautiful and ornate furniture. Many shopped there while others walked around getting the feel of this quaint town. Further down the road, another stop was enjoyed at Positano where many enjoyed the views as others sampled the fresh fruits in the markets. The group lunched on their own in Amalfi, a picture-perfect coastal town where the architecture and beauty were really indescribable. Many delighted in watching a wedding couple as they strolled for pictures around the fountain and on the steps of the cathedral.

After time in Amalfi, the group began their return trip to the hotel through the narrow winding roads that truly are not for the faint of heart.

The morning of the following day was free and while many chose to become more familiar with Formia or take a swim in the sea, others took an optional trip to nearby Fondi. In the afternoon all boarded the bus for a wonderful trip to Montecassino for a guided tour of the Montecassino Monastery founded in 529 A.D. by St. Benedict. The monastery sits atop a mountain about 1500 feet above sea level and again, the journey was quite a ride as the two-way road was narrow with tight hairpin turns. Through the years the abbey was looked upon as a place of holiness, culture and art. In l944 during WWII, Montecassino happened to be on the firing line between two armies and in only three hours of fighting, was reduced to a heap of debris. The total rebuilding which included using what could be salvaged from the original structure has restored this to become a beautiful and holy place again.

The next day's adventure took the group to Rome where they tossed coins in the Trevi Fountain, toured the Pantheon and watched another wedding, enjoyed a driving tour by many of the ancient ruins and spent the afternoon at the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica taking in the beautiful art, tapestries and sculptures in both settings.

Pompeii and Naples were on the next day's agenda. Pompeii was built in 7 BC and lasted until 79 A. D. when it was overcome by Vesuvius's eruption of rock and ash. The city disappeared from the maps for nearly 1700 years and was rediscovered in the 18th century. It was noted that the volcanic ash had preserved a good deal of the lost city and the restoration has uncovered many fascinating details including mosaics and murals that were incorporated in building the city.

The afternoon was spent in Naples.

The last day's tour found the group exploring the National Museum and the site of the villa of Emperor Tiberius. These ruins were found quite by accident as roads were being built from Gaeta to Sperlonga. The caves near the sea with pools for Tiberius's entertainment were quite fascinating.

Sperlonga was a favorite to many as the whitewashed houses were built with no particular plan and only stairways provided a way through the village. Along the edge of the village were magnificentgardens with flowering plants and shrubs of every description and color and the view to the sea was better than picture postcard perfect.

Lunch and the afternoon were enjoyed in Gaeta. Many toured the Baroque church of Santissima Annunziata built in the early 1300s and the group toured Split Mountain. Legend states the mountain divided three ways after the death of Christ on the cross.

The day ended with a farewell feast at the hotel.

The travelers left for Rome in the wee hours of the following morning and felt blessed nearly 24 hours later to arrive home.

On the trip organized by Nita Edwards Riley from Washington-Wilkes in addition to Mrs. Riley were Richard and Carolyn Gammon, David and Laura Toburen, John and Linda Webster, Mike and Phyllis Scarborough, Wayne and Nancy Madden, Edward and Susan Pope, James and Emily Thornton, Kerry and Nancy McAvoy, Frances Dyson, Lefreda Adair and Dolores McAvoy. Others included Jim and Frances Aycock, Dwain and Pat Moss, June Cox and Trudy Edmunds of Lincolnton, Charles and Amelia Hopkins of Elberton, Donna Teasley Miller and Judy Pinkston of Lake Park, Mary Jordan of Atlanta, Bobby and Linda Culpepper of Harlem, George and Brenda Watkins of Martinez, Tommy and Katherine Boyles, Phil and Hilda Withers, Al and Julia Slaven of Augusta, Betty Coward, Frances Weeks, Mary Jo Epps, Jackie Hall, Jane Griffin, Myrtle Anderson and Ann Cofer of Aiken, S.C.