Palazzo Reale is Italy's largest Palace
Fondly called - The Versailles of Italy - it boasts over 1,000 rooms, grand staircases and richly adorned apartments.
Still physically recuperating from our 24 hour flight to Rome
We decided to walk the full length of the Palace's gardens - with many stops to check out the statues - it took us over 2 hours
and to top off the day - due to some celebration - entry this day was "gratus"!
Wonderful fountains and statues, adorn this Palace's gardens.
All fed from a waterfall on the mountain behind.
We were now feeling "fully exercised" and headed south towards Sorrento.
The poppies were in bloom everywhere 
Our next stop was the Herculaneum/Ercolano ruins of imperial Romans
West of Mount Vesuvius
Which erupted some 2,000 years ago (76AD), completely covering this wealthy town in a sea of mud, at the same time it engulfed Pompei and Stabia.
The ruins here are in substantially good shape considering they were not discovered till recent times, and have now been fully excavated,
Colourful frescoes adorn the remaining walls
Frank in a Roman Kitchen which used geo-thermal heat from the ground
Tiles still remain on the walls and fireplaces
Colourful 2000 year old (plus) columns
Mount Vesuvius (below on the right) still hovers over these ruins, her last eruption I believe was in 1944 (but she still rumbles a bit).
Next stop - our Hotel in Sorrento for 3 nights.
The Hotel Antiche Mura (Old Walls) is actually attached to Sorrento's old Roman walls
This Hotel also greeted us with a cold bottle of iced Spumante waiting in our room - great first day,
