I took the above photograph last year when my sister Susan and I visited Europe and stayed in Sorrento for a couple of days. It rained most of the time we were there (and, I might add, it has rained 2 out of the 3 times I have visited), but I was able to take the photo between rain showers, with Mount Vesuvius in the background. Vesuvius is said to be the most dangerous volcano in the world because there are 3 million people living in the immediate vicinity, the majority living in Naples. Even scarier, the caldera of the Campi Flegrei volcano system occupies a huge suburban area adjoining Naples, with steam vents all over the place. Experts say if it erupts, the results would be even more catastrophic than an eruption of Vesuvius. As a side note, Yellowstone National Park in the United States is a huge caldera, too. It hasn't erupted in thousands of years, of course, but if it ever does, it too would be devastating. And because of that, volcano insurance is not available here in Denver, which is 500 miles away. If the reach of these massive volcanos is that far, you might consider passing on visiting Southern Italy. Don't feel bad - it rains there all the time anyway.
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