Sorrento & Pompeii19 Oct 2009
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Mt. Vesuvius in Pompeii archway
Binoculars & camera at work
Pompeii wall art
Walked down from old town Siena to train station, and discovered that the train station is NOT well marked for walking travellers. After a 1/2 mile diversion we arrive 10 minutes before 'train' departure. At that point we discover that "PE" platform designation actually means 'you're on a bus'! On we get, and immediately into a accident caused traffic backup.
Will we make the connection for train to Napoli is the question. Making our way after clearing the accident zone we discover that the bus driver has called ahead and the train will wait for us. Arrive at Chuisi and after hurrying to departure platform discover that the train 'waiting' for us is actually 45 minutes late ! So much for we being special passengers. Arrive to Napoli and purchase 'train' tickets to Sorrento. That train will arrive at platform in about 15 minutes so to there we go. Platform is crowded and in about 12 minutes a crowded train arrives. We four jossle our way in and off we go - quite relieved that we made it on. Then we discover that this is not the train to Sorrento !!
But, not to worry we can get off a few stations down the line and catch the next train thru which WILL go to Sorrento. Oh & by the way the trains in and around Napoli are actually more of an intercity subway/BART system.
Arrive to Sorrento and after a 1/2 mile walk arrive to our B&B. Nice comfortable place.
We're experts now with Napoli area 'train' system so a couple days later to Pompeii we go.
Told (by whom I won't say) that we can easily tour the site in 2 hours we arrive for a 10:30 start. Inquire about areas that are only open on the weekends (we're there on Saturday)and are told we can hurry to a far end of the site and a guard will let us in. Quite worth the quick walk as it is an intact upper middle class villa with intact wall art and structural details; and we're the only four people in it (versus the tourist throngs everywhere else). We spent 7 hours touring Pompeii and worth every minute. Very extensive site with many items worth seeing - enjoy the pics.
The excavations were done in mid 18th cent., and as one can imagine the techniques were not quite up to modern standards; i.e. one can only imagine the details that we could now view if it had been done a bit more carefully with modern equipment - oh well.
Ciao for now
