After a hot, sunny morning exploring the amazing ruins of Pompeii, Italy, I decided to stop at their snack bar for lunch. An icy cold beer sounded like just the ticket.
When I got to the beverage section of the line, I was mystified to find that the only bottled beer they had was a Scottish strong ale. Since when do Italians drink Scottish ale? What happened to serving local products? It just didn’t add up.
The wine they sold there was indeed the local vintage — Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio, grown right on the slopes of Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed the city on Pompeii almost 2,000 years ago. If the wine was local, why not the beer?
Partway through lunch, I had an “aha moment”, and it all made sense. The name of the wine means “Tears of Christ“, and the name of the beer is “Devil’s Kiss“. Somebody there has a sense of humor! 
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I was in Pompeii doing some investigation for a future women’s trip to Italy, and will keep you posted on developments. In the meantime, check out the tragic story of the city buried by the volcano: Pompeii, Italy: The Lost City.
3 responses so far ↓
1 Gerry // Aug 5, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Reading your post makes remember how much I like to tour in Italy. There are always surprises along the way. I just read that one of the first bronze thimbles was found in the ruins of Pompeii. I like to think that was an adventurous wench mending her tunic.
2 Willin Adonia // Aug 5, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Funny thing, them not having any local beers that. Very funny though, I like the hidden humour in the products. I’d love to go to Pompeii some day!
3 Deanna Keahey // Aug 6, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Willin - Isn’t that funny? I felt like I got a little insight into the person who stocks their cafeteria when I realized that. (-:
Gerry - I LOVE the image of the adventurous wench mending her tunic in Pompeii. (-:
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