Pompeii and Arrivederci To The Amalfi Coast
It would have been almost sacreligious to be in the Naples area and not visit Pompeii. The Circumvesuviana train runs between Sorrento and Naples (no bus) with a stop at Pompei Scavi/Villa dei Misteri. You can buy a single ticket, valid one day for Pompeii only, or a ticket that gives access to five sites - Herculaneum, Pompeii, Oplontis, Stabiae and Boscoreale - valid for three days. It was also easy to hire audio cassettes or a real guide once there. We chose to wander around on our own with aid of a map.
Almost everyone knows the history of Pompeii, buried by Mt. Vesuvius' eruption in 79AD. Pompeii was considered a large city for its time, and even more cosmopolitan than Rome, a several days’ journey from Pompeii. It held administrative control over the neighboring suburbs, and was a center for trade in crops, wine, and olive oil.
When volcanic material started falling, some of the inhabitants probably decided to flee. But they met many obstacles: darkness caused by the dense cloud of eruptive matter emitted by the volcano, difficulty in breathing the ash-filled air, and a rain of pumice. Those who fled to the seaport soon realized that escape by sea was futile while those remaining in the city lost their lives when pumice began blocking doors and windows, suffocating them inside.
There were a total of three volcanic surges and the last one reached Pompeii, killing those who had made it beyond the city walls, collapsing buildings and sweeping away the bodies of the victims. The Field Museum website has excellent photos and stories about this important site. We witnessed ash falling in Catania and piling up in the streets after Mt. Etna let loose a minor eruption (read August 6, 2006 articles on Sicily). That was horrifying enough for me.
Lots of other information including hours, etc. from the official Pompeii website. We just wandered around the site for hours, following other tour groups, marveled at the excavations, mosaics, frescos and frozen-in-time bodies. It is a huge site, becomes extremely hot, and most visitors (including us) just picked out the recommended highlights.
Pompeii is a well-deserved "not miss" for everyone along with the gorgeous Amalfi/Sorrentine Peninsula. Do it yourself, or join a group, but visit. Enjoy the sights, food and ambiance - throw in a little history at Pompeii - and there you have a perfect trip. Questions? E-mail me and I'll be happy to answer. Make your plans now for Spring, the best time to visit. Ciao....
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