plane-window-view-vesuvius-photo
share

These pictures were taken on a flight from Naples (Italy) to Amsterdam, when I was treated to an incredible view of Mt. Vesuvius from the plane window. The plane took off in a westerly direction, then banked sharply to the left and continued in an upward spiral above the Bay of Naples. I was sitting on the right side of the plane (i.e. row ‘F’). The plane climbed to its cruising altitude above the bay, treating every passenger with a window seat to stupendous 360-degree views of Naples, the bay, the islands of Capri and Ischia, the mountainous Sorrento peninsula and finally, the crater of the infamous Mount Vesuvius.

mount-vesuvius-plane-window-view-photo
The flight above Vesuvius was incredible!
plane-window-view-vesuvius-photo
The crater of Mt. Vesuvius seen from the plane window.

Mt. Vesuvius is most famous for its eruption in AD 79 that buried the city of Pompeii in ash and rock. Today, it represents a ticking time-bomb that could blow its top at any moment. The consequences for the more than one million inhabitants that crowd the shores of the bay of Naples would be catastrophic. Volcanologists are increasingly worried as it has been a very long time since Mt. Vesuvius erupted. On our drive to the airport, our taxi driver told us of the Italian government’s campaign to move people out of the area by providing incentives (money and jobs elsewhere) but it was mostly the young who accepted the offer and moved further up north. There are various emergency plans in place should the volcano erupt but as our taxi driver eloquently put it: “Napolitans not good in following instructions. Better she [Mt. Vesuvius] stay sleeping”!

vesuvius-crater-photo
Mt. Vesuvius crater.

It’s possible to trek to the crater rim and peer down into the abyss but seeing it from a plane is a good alternative. ๐Ÿ™‚

Read other Velvet Escape posts from the Plane Views series:

Save

29 Responses

Leave a reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Appeared In