We awoke to a beautiful, warm sunny morning in Naples and decided to make the most of it. After a delicious breakfast of fresh fruit and pastries, cappuccino for Susan and macchiato (espresso with a splash of hot milk) for me we were off back to the train station. Our plan was to pick up the little local train, which runs out to Pompeii and Sorrento and back as well as around Mt. Vesuvius, thus the name “Circumvesuviana” or ‘around Vesuvius”. (Photo on the left is from one of the small theaters in Pompeii. Interpretive history at its best.)
It was such a grand morning we decided to walk rather than take the bus and after 20 or 30 minutes of dodging insane traffic and wending our way around the incredibly huge metro station construction projects going on in downtown Naples we found ourselves back at Piazza Garibaldi and the central train station.
As a note in addition to the new metro stops being put in at several of the major piazzas in the historic center of the city, there is also a project underway (apparently) to completely renovate the main train station. Lots of confusion was apparent to us but we couldn’t really see anything of significance happening to the station itself.
In any case, the changeover is sorely needed: none of the escalators work nor do the moving sidewalks which lead to the Circumvesuviana platforms and a couple of the escalators at the Circumvesuviana station were also out – but then many of Italy’s train stations (Florence’s included) could use major facelifts as well.
We found the stairs to the lower level and within a few minutes were standing on the platform waiting for our train to Pompeii. (It should be pointed out that the Circumvesuviana isn’t really a station per se but just several rail platforms underground.) Since we had our 3-day unlimited travel tickets we were spared having to find the best source for tickets on the local run. Moreover, there is little help available in the tiny station leading down to the platforms so you will have to rely on your guidebook for up-to-the-minute information. All I can say is you will want the train to Sorrento – but if you are still uncertain just ask someone if this train is going to Pompeii “scavi” (SKAH-vee, “ruins”).
We boarded the train along with quite a few people – many of whom were tourists but this is a major commuter run as well -- and after about 30 minutes traveling we got off at the Pompeii Scavi station. (Open daily Apr-Oct 8:30am-7:30pm; Nov-Mar 8:30am-5:00pm; cost 10 euros. www.pompeisites.org.)
We entered the park about 100mts or so to the right of the station proper – moving briskly past the tacky vendors and stopped at the information booth to pick up a map and handy little guidebook -- both very well done and extremely handy. (Although in retrospect we should have opted for the audio guide.)
The Rough Guide suggests that you spend a few minutes getting acquainted with the map and ask if any of the sites were closed. Pompeii is constantly undergoing renovation in one part or another – we inadvertently stumbled into a closed area ourselves – so it might be nice to know where not to go and thus use your time wisely. In our case we had no set schedule to follow and our only plan was to try and see everything we could and go everywhere possible. (Photo looking across Pompeii toward Vesuvius.)
Anyway, when we tried to enter the park just by showing our artecard we were told to return to one of the ticket booths, pick up a paper ticket and return which we did. The paper ticket was then torn in half – rather like “punching” the ticket – and in we went, where we were immediately trapped between two different groups of American tourists. (As an aside, you can glean some fascinating insight by occasionally drifting in among one of these tour groups – and while it shouldn’t become habitual my personal take is it’s the price they pay for being so pervasive and invasive.)
So we headed off through the Porta Marina and spent the next four hours wandering around nearly every corner of the “city”.
Along the way we explored pretty much every “porta” or gate, outside of which one could find the usual necropolis, or city of the dead (Roman law prohibited burials inside the city walls). One or two were quite large and the one at Porta di Ercolano – the old gate which lead to Herculaneum – was in fact an entire street, the Via delle Tombe, where you could see the rows of large tombs, some nearly house-like, on both sides of the street.
An interesting sidelight of following some of these ancient excavated streets – remember they were outside the city walls – was you can actually see how the lay of the land has changed dramatically since the city was entombed nearly two millennia ago. In fact, one of the streets seems to literally disappear into a wall of earth! Which is of course where the excavation stopped. And as you survey the surrounding land, nearly all of which is developed, you have to ask yourself, “what exactly lies under all those new buildings?” In fact, the city of Pompeii is in large part on a much lower level today than nearly all the land around it so whatever existed at the time of the eruption, roads, farms, whatever, must lie under 20-30 feet of earth and detritus. Fascinating.
Oh and as you are walking up from the Porta Marina entrance along Via dell’ Abbondanza, the “main” thoroughfare through the complex, you can see that much of the city remains unexcavated even to this day – in fact you can see on your left where some of the streets just disappear into a wall of brick and stone, and indeed much of this part of the city is “walled in,” possibly to prevent erosion of the unexcavated area. If you look closely you can also see gardens “on top” of the so-called unexcavated area. What’s up with that we wondered?
And speaking of gardens the well-known Campania wine producer Mastroberardino in conjunction with the Pompeii Archeological Superintendent, has several small plots of grapevines under cultivation inside the walls as part of an ongoing project to produce historically accurate Pompeian wines. In fact in 2003 some 150 bottles from these vineyards were auctioned off in Rome, although there are reportedly no plans for commercial production.
Aside from the unpleasantness of having to contend and occasionally vie with tourist groups – some of which are quite large – for entry into some of the sites in Pompeii we spent a wonderful four hours, drifting from one side of the excavated area to another, trying to see or catch a glimpse of one of the truly great wonders of the ancient world.
Although there is little use of useful interpretive signage throughout the complex – a rather common problem in Italy in our opinion – the small guidebook which they gave us at the entrance proved very handy. Our only regret was that we didn’t pack a picnic lunch for there are several places just outside the walls which make for a wonderful spot to relax, catch your breath and grab a bite to eat before pushing on. Go either to the Porta di Nocera and turn left heading toward the exit/entrance at the end of the park but just skirt the exit or to Porta di Sarno and turn right and track along walls; either way you’ll see an enormous open green space where you can relax for a while in or out of the sun. (Above photo is of part of one of the thermal bath complexes at Pompeii.)It was early afternoon by the time we finished our tour through the ruins at Pompeii and although we had talked of also visiting the Herculaneum site we felt we had seen all the ruined stone we could take for one day so we decided to alter our itinerary. We had also talked about heading up to Vesuvius –and it was a beautiful day to be sure – but frankly we didn’t want to deal with that hassle. (Sad to say the Italians don’t make it easy to get to the edge of the crater – train to Herculaneum, bus to partway up, lots of uncertainty about schedules and reliability issues. No wonder so many people take a tour.)
So we hopped back on the train and went to Sorrento, which is the end of the line from Naples. In 2004 we spent a very short and very wet hour in Sorrento and so we thought we might just see what the fuss is all about. So after another 30-minute ride we got off at Sorrento and walked to Piazza Tasso, the center of town about 10 minutes from the train station. We found our way to one of the local tourist offices where we picked up a map of the city. While we were there we inquired about the schedule for taking the jet boat back to Naples. (They also run frequently to Capri.) Well naturally we had just missed one and the next wouldn’t be for another two hours so we strolled for a bit, ate some gelato and hopped on the train and after an hour we were back in Naples. We grabbed the bus for Piazza Trieste e Trento and in no time we were back in the room relaxing.
We got cleaned up and headed out for the Café Gambrinus for an aperitivo after which we strolled down (or up) Via Chiaia to Piazza dei Martiri where took a right off the piazza onto Via Alabardieri and at number 30-31 we found Umberto’s a great ristorante and pizzeria. I had “baccala’” (salt cod) for the first time and it was delicious; Susan had wonderful risotto with pistachios and walnuts and we both thoroughly enjoyed the meal. I’ve made risotto several times since we’ve gotten to Florence and am now eager to try one with nuts.
After a leisurely dinner we of course took a leisurely stroll back to the hotel and passed another grand night in the heart of Naples.
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