Fear and Sunshine-Pozzuolli

   A sparkling day in the Gulf of Naples. My friends Ric and Mary and their daughter Maire and I adrift in a rubber life raft off the coast near Porto Del Pozzuolli just to the west of Naples, Italy. Ric had an idea of wanting to film the under water remains of the Roman era Portus Julius. The region around Naples Bay is geographically unstable due to the presence of Mt Vesuvius an easy drive to the east from Naples. Portus Julius had settled underwater back in the 16th century. Today it is a glass bottom boat day trip for Naple's tourists.
  This trip I was visiting Ric and Mary. The Kearsarge was in town on a brief port visit. Some R and R for the crew and to onload supplies this large carrier needed for an extended stay in the Mediterrenean. Mary and I hooked up as the ship pulled into port and I was invited to stay with them in their apartment in Pozzuolli.
   As I have said before I'm not much of an outdoors person. When Ric suggested our little outdoor day trip, visions of being lost in a rain forest flashed through my mind. I was understandably a bit hesitant. But Mary, 5 or 6 months pregnant was game and so was 5 year old Maire, so I couldn't back out.  We spent a few minutes working our way through the surf to the spot Ric wanted to explore. The plan was for Mary and Maire to stay in the raft while Ric and I dived down to the sunken city below. I rolled backward off the raft and commenced my dive toward the bottom. I got maybe ten feet when I ran out of air.

   My forty one year old, out of shape, nicotine covered lungs were just not going to make this possible. I tried again. maybe I got a few feet further. I thought I caught a glimpse of something flashing on the bottom but it was obvious I was not going down there without an anchor tied to my feet. Exhausted and humiliated I climbed back into the raft. "I need a cigarette!"  Ric popped up a a few seconds later "Isn't that cool? he asked. "What are you doing in the boat?" He told me a little of what I had missed, but no way was I going back in the water. I somehow managed to row ashore while Ric swam back. I haven't been on any adventures with Ric since that time 15 years ago. I see Mary once in a while, She and Ric divorced a while back. Every once in a while the thought of adventure crosses my mind. Fortunately the idea never goes anywhere. I'm grateful.

The Gulf of Naples from the west end end near Pozzoulli. Vesuvius in the center.