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A day in Naples, Italy
Naples, Italy is the place to be if you want to see the ruins of Pompeii, one of the best examples of a Roman town. It's the fourth stop on our tour of the Mediterranean where we see 8 different places in 9 days, each for just one day. Of all the places we would visit, delivered by Carnival Cruise Line's new Carnival Magic, this was one I actually knew something about and visiting would complete a dream that started in eight grade.Pompeii is possibly the most famous excavation in the world, drawing 15,000 people every day, almost as many as lived there before the horrifying eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 A.D. It was a topic covered long and hard in my 8th grade Social Studies class teacher, Mr. Hoobing, years ago to the point that it had a permanent place on any bucket list I might have floating around someplace.
The drill in 8th grade was to hand-draw exact replicas of famous archaeological sites as a method of reinforcing information about them...or so I figured out years later. The point was well-taken though; these sites had huge historical significance and told of a time long ago that while vastly different as far as technology goes, was fueled by some of the very same human emotions that rule today.
The 45-minute bus ride from Carnival Miracle through Naples and on to Pompeii came with a running commentary by a tour guide who got most of the facts right. Never mind that he erred 100 years either side of when the big event occurred from time to time; his conclusions were accurate: the site offers a rare glimpse into what Roman life was like back then.
Gallery: Pompeii
If you are an armchair fan of archeology, this place takes you back to a time when prostitution was legal, rich citizens ruled and perhaps gave insight to the fall of the Roman empire and all it stood for. If you are not a fan, this is not the place to visit but if you're in the area anyway, you probably should. There is a lot to be learned here about life long ago that can have some answers to the world of today. Maybe. If you want it to. If you go to Pompeii and find yourself thinking "Oh great, more old stuff", you are in the wrong place.
Naples offers a bunch of great cafes, shops, and other sites to see as well as some of the best Italian food in the world. It would be a shame to be in the area and miss this one. Off a cruise ship there are a bunch of excursions one can take. Count on them all to be crowded/clogged with people. After hundreds of years, these attractions are still a huge draw to travelers from all over the world.
I think Mr Hoobing would be happy I went. I'm happy I paid attention in 8th grade.
Photos: Lisa Owen
Filed under: Europe, North America, Antarctica, Italy, Monaco, United States
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Grandmakitty4 May 27th 2011 2:24AM
We spent four fantastic years in Naples in the late 1980s, when my husband was stationed there. Our wonderful friend, Guiseppe Esposito had a trattoria on Viale Kennedy, whic we used as our nightly meal while we searched for a place to live.
There is so much more to the Naples experience than just Naples, Capri and Pompeii - you simply must have more than a day or two to enjoy. There is Cumae - the caves of the Sybil - who predicted the coming of Christ and is depicted on the Sistine Chapel; the palace ruins outside of Pozzuoli and the Lake of the Entrance to Hell - where the Romans kept their ships in safety.
South of Sorrento and Amalfi, there is Paesteum, the ruined city where the Temple of Neptune and Hera stand in a flat plain along the road. It was once a bustling city, and the Temple was a prototype for the Parthenon in Athens.
North of Naples in Lago Patria in the middle of the little lake, are the ruins of the villa of the great General, Scipio Africanus. He defeated Hannibal of Carthage - but was accused of fraud and banished to the Campi Flageri area and from Rome for his "Crime"
In Naples itself, there are the catacombs and the many little hidden treasures you find nowhere else - the cat asleep with its head on the round of cheese in the winddow of the wine and cheese shop; the lady lowering her basket to the vegetable vender for her produce and pulling it up - then lowering down her payment - from her 4th floor apartment. Naples is a wonderful city - Enjoy the life there - open your eyes and see it for what it really it.