Thousands of visitors come to Pompeii every day, many on coaches and many of those coaches bring people who have come from cruise ships that have docked in Naples. As we are just across the road from the excavations, we were able to have a leisurely breakfast and still beat the crowds at the ticket office. We decided to start our visit with a two hour guided tour. We were asked to wait to one side as there were already three people who wanted to do the tour, we’d make five, and the tour would start in ten minute by which time he clearly hoped to have co-opted some more. We waited the ten minutes whilst he walked up and down offering his guide services, then we went and had a coffee, then we came back and waited another ten minutes. Our guide, Daniello, was most apologetic but kept saying we’d be starting ‘soon’. As usual, we were working to Italian time which basically seems to equate to sometime if and when. Eventually, having amassed twelve of us, Daniello was ready to start the tour but then an argument broke out with the other tour guides who clearly thought he’d been very greedy in taking so many. The guides seem to use a Taxi type queueing system and the next one couldn’t start offering his services until our guy had gone. It was all getting rather heated and, of course, loud.
We had a really good and informative tour. Daniello was a knowledgeable fellow who was able to answer all the questions thrown at him during the tour. The tour really added something to our visit. That said, the entry fee includes an excellent map and guide book for individual exploration of the site too.
The Large Theatre The Small Theatre (Odeon)
Dog mosaic A Pompeii street
Thermopoleum Forum Columns
Garden eating area in the House of Ephebe Decoration on the triclinium to get people in the party mood
Forum with Vesuvius in the background Vesuvius looking rather tranquil
Ceiling in Forum Baths Frigidarium in male baths
Atrium in the House of Menander Casa di Casca longus
We took a stroll down to Pompeii town in the evening. It was very lively and there was clearly something special happening at the Cathedral. When we got closer we were surprised to see how grand and very beautiful it was. We looked in, and the inside was every bit as beautiful. It was packed with people and filming was taking place, but we couldn’t find out why. The alter rail was festooned with white flowers and green foliage, it looked quite special.
It was a lovely evening and there were some tourists in the town, but mostly it seemed like local folk. It would seem that sadly the thousands of tourist only visit the ruined Pompeii.
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