Up at 6:30 for a train ride to Naples, so no time for our "free" breakfast, but we walk down to the Termini for our train & a 7:40 departure & a 2 hour trip down the coast. There's a few stops, but our compartment is fine & the countryside is beautiful-farms, vineyards, ocean ( the Med Sea). Our stop is Naples & then a local train to Pompeii-The Circum-Vesuviana. We arrive ok & get some coffee & pastries and then get the local train to our site, where it's only a short walk to get a ticket to tour the ruins...and more hawkers too. This city of around 30-40, 000 was completely destroyed in 79 AD by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius over a two day period by a massive ash& rock cloud & a following pyroclastic flow from 7 miles away that crushed the village and literally cooked the people who were trying to escape to the sea. It was not re-discovered until the 1600's & is a bout 60% excavated. It's an amazing place & very eerie, making you wonder how they felt when the eruption was going on . The city itself was very advanced, with running water, baths, sewers & many fountains. It also had an amphitheatre that seated 20, 000, cobblestone streets, and wonderful frescos. A stop for lunch at the "Auto grill", an on site cafe-sandwiches, fruit, water. I loved this place! We're done & back to the train for a short ride back to Naples. We have a little time to walk around the square in Naples but it is pretty dirty, with lots of homeless & piles of trash & also some massive construction. Gelato anyway! On the train-a Euro Star- at 4:00 and a quick trip back to Roma. back to the hotel & discuss what's for supper. How about Italian food! We pick Andrea's Pizzeria & order 3 different kinds of pizza & share, and wine of course. Lots of people enjoying the evening & of course, scooters everywhere. Did I say there were thousands of them? And Smart cars, small cars & parked everywhere. It's a wild place to drive & also to avoid being hit while crossing the street. Anyway, another great day of seeing the things we want to see-at our speed. let's shower & take it easy for a bit...tomorrow? When in Rome....
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The picture of me (Cami) with my hands up is me onstage at the amphitheatre. I tried to whisper and see if people could hear me in the audience, but no one seemed to notice.
Frescoes and cool interiors, streets rutted for Pompeiian carts, stones for crossing the streets, fountains and stalls throughout the forum. We made the right decision to forego a guide and enjoy Pompeii on our own time. Four hours was not enough to see it all!
Loved the temple of Artemis and the house of the fawn statue. The baths were newly excavated and featured vaulted ceilings with some decoration surviving.
Also lots of stray dogs in Pompeii. We saw one sleeping in the cool interior of the bath. Then we saw a tourist who brought in dog kibble to feed them. One with a sore paw appreciated it!
Beautiful views of surrounding area with cool Mediterranean breezes.
The train station in Naples is very nice, with a new underground section where you go to catch the "circumvesuviana", the local connection to Pompeii and Herculaneum. I researched how to get there online, and it was very easy! You do not need to pay for a bus tour from Rome if you are reasonably healthy. Taking the train on your own frees you up and allows you MUCH more time to explore!
Wish we could have grabbed a pizza in Naples, but alas, the time was too short and the streets were too rough. Still some beautiful sites if only we'd had a guide to get us there. Much of the excavated art from Pompeii is in the museum in Naples.
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