XXIX. Wtf

Captain’s Log: Saturday, 12 August

Distance: Scauri – Pozzuoli / Solfatara, 74km

Since I was the only one in this area of the camping ground, the morning started quite calm. It was cold though, or I’m already so used to the heat that 25 degrees appear to be cold for me. However, after a short breakfast I was on the road again.

I seemed to have taken the wrong one, because the one I took was not very nice to look at. I mean, I took the main road, because it was the only one which led directly down, so maybe that was why it was not the nicest route.

I arrived in Pozzuoli in the early afternoon, where I had to get up a hill first before I was able to check in to a camping ground, which lies in the middle of a vulcano crater. The first impression has been already very comfortable, the reception guy spoke perfect English, WiFi, the swimming pool and the entrance to the crater area were free and it was not too expensive. I guess, I decided already at the check in that I would spend more than one night here. The cats persuaded me eventually. 

They just wanted to have food and did not want to get pet, but they lied down just right outside of my reach.

After putting up my tent and taking a shower, I wandered around in the crater.

It is indeed a bit strange to be right in a vulcano crater, but it is quite nice as well.

Afterwards I walked down into the town to get something to eat. I think, I was there too early, since most of the restaurants seemed to open up around 7pm. Anyway, I walked around a bit and finally found a nice spot right at the water. The only strange thing was that I was the only one there, eating something. I wonder what the staff was thinking. Like, there was me, a young woman, sitting alone at a table, the only one in the Pizzeria, eating a Pizza and writing something in a little book…

When it got dark, I started walking back again. While walking up the hill, I thought about searching a nice spot at the camping ground where I would be able to watch the stars, since I read that there could be a lot of Sternschnuppen tonight. Sounds like a comfortable, calm, nice, relaxing evening, which I thought I would deserve after the last two days. And that is when the wtf started. 

(Wait, here’s another picture on my way down to the town.)

So, when I came closer to the camping ground, I noticed some police cars standing at the street where I would have to get in as well. I was already wondering what they where doing there, as a firefighter truck got into this street as well. With some sort of bad feeling I approached the entrance to the camping ground, where I saw some Campervans leaving the ground very quickly. Of course I could have known already what happened, but I needed to see it as well. 

There has been quite a big fire right beside the camping ground. 

I mean, it does not look big there, because the flames were not that high, and the firefighters had it under control already, but still. At the reception they told me that there is no danger anymore from it and that it is under control, but I still packed my stuff and made my bicycle ready, so that I was able to leave at any time.

I think, I am sitting here already an hour, and the fire gets smaller and smaller, so I guess, I am able to put up my tent again, but I guess  I am going to watch it a bit more. So much to my relaxed evening. It is not that I needed to be scared, we did not seem to be in real danger, but it is still a strange feeling.

UPDATE: I’m going to build up my tent now again, it seems that they managed to put it out almost completely now.