Sunday, 28th November. Pompeii. First, don’t get too anxious to get on board the Circumvesuvio train if you’re at the Naples station. What’s on the announcement boards when you buy the ticket vs. what track the train will actually depart from…
Once at Pompeii, you’ve got a pretty unique experience. There is a lot of ground that can be covered, and about 30% of the city still awaits excavation. It is a bit of a thrill to stand on a mosaic floor that was laid down 2,000 years ago. On the other hand that’s a bit worrisome…Thousands of tourist feet tracking in grit, with no slaves, servants, or shopkeepers to sweep things clean. Also, a good portion of the ruins are overgrown with ivy. It looks kind of quaint, and might even help make things more pleasant on a hot day, but ivy has a nasty habit of tearing apart whatever it lives on.
Pompeii
You can easily spend 6 hours here and still miss a lot. Some of the features identified in the guidebook (free and good) will be closed on any given day; which may make things a little easier. And then there are always open doorways that you can just wander through, walk around, and draw your own conclusions. (Hint: Shops have a groove across the sill at the front, for the sliding doors.)
