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Published: April 18th 2009
Why didnt the chicken make it accross the road? Probably because it was in Naples....one crazy place that makes you very grateful for living in Australia....But Im getting ahead of myself...
Peter and I boarded the night train to Rome, which was a pleasant experience, as we were in a four people compartment, but two people didnt show, so Peter and I had the room to ourselves. We arrived in Rome early in the morning and caught a connecting train to Napoli. What a shock to the system! I think I have a very romantisized view of Roman society, because I view them from the ancient past, but boy is it a stinky, noisy, filthy place. Peter and I dodged traffic to get to our hotel room. The street vendors of Naples are like Boa birds who collected everything to sell back to the public...we were approached several times by dodgy dealers trying to sell us an Iphone or a Laptop, shouting at you Ì do you good deal!' And boy, can they smoke! We dodged further traffic and assaults to make it to the Archaeological Museum (luckily only a 10 minute walk from our hotel room), where most of the artefacts from Pompeii are displayed. I had a grin from ear to ear and was in archaeological heaven as I flitted from one room to the next, standing open mouthed at some of the displays. Poor patient Peter! I owe him muchly. My favourite was seeing the Alexander Mosaic. I spent a whole 10 mintues sitting there, soaking in the history and magnificence of the creation.....I never realised how big it actually was...as I have only ever seen photos of it...you really see the immense talent that went into creating such a stunning depiction from tiny tiles. It was fantastic seeing objects from the House of Faun. It made coming to stinking Napoli worth while.
The next day, we headed to Pompeii on the regional train. The overpowering Vesuvius mountain followed us all the way to Pompeii and it was a good reminder of the imminent danger it still poses to the surrounding landscape. It is amazing how many people still live at the foot of this mountain. Pompeii was fantastic...had the time of my life. It was special walking in 'the footsteps'of history and imagining what the place once must have been. There were stray dogs everywhere, lying lazily in the sun on the Roman ruins and Italian people were still drinking water from the ancient fountains that adorned every street corner. A very difficult experience to describe, as it still feels like a bit of a dream...cant believe Ive actually visited Pompeii. So many interesting stories gained from the Audio guide that I can now take back to share with my students. I was torn away from the sight too soon though, as we had to get back on to the train to catch our night train connection to Bern. A very fleeting visit, but definately worth the while.
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Lisa Tucci
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Your jaunt to Naples was amusing. I usually arrive at the station and grab lunch atop the terrace of the Excelsior, before dodging back out! But, I was surprised by your night train comment: it's only a 2 hr. train ride from Rome, and the night rates are higher than most hotels! In any case, here are a few links you might be interested in: Roman Mysteries (children's books set in Ancient Rome - Pompeii) www.romanmysteries.com Try Ostia Antica: near Rome, more user-friendly and definitely hassle-free!! www.touringtracks.com And then, there's my own blog on Life in Italy burntbythetuscansun.blogspot.com Buon Viaggio!