Pompeii

On my last day in Italy, I woke up bright and early and caught a train to Naples. When I arrived at the Naples train station at 9:30, I then caught a regional train (that used subway cars) to Pompeii. The ride from Naples to Pompeii was beautiful. The train traveled along the coast and had a good view of white beaches and blue water. After 40 minutes, I got off the train and walked less than 100 yards to the entrance to Pompeii. I bought my ticket and a guidebook and then headed off. First you had to walk up a steep hill to pass through one of the town’s gates. Once inside, I spent hours walking the streets and stopping at the major locations. It was amazing to look at the remains of a church or a house and think that 2,000 years ago people were living their lives not knowing what was to come.

Pompeii's Forum with Mount Vesuvius in the background.

I found it interesting that Mount Vesuvius seems so small and distant when standing in Pompeii and yet the volcano could cause so much damage. I also found it ironic that the city of Pompeii is located in a beautiful valley with views of the ocean. Isn’t it crazy how many places of great pain and suffering can be located in such scenic locations? It was really exciting to drink from the same fountains as were used when Pompeii thrived, to see the grooves in the streets made by hundreds of chariots taking the same path, and an the ease at which you could image what it was like so long ago by simply looking at the frescos painted in a home. Pompeii was amazing and so incredibly fascinating. The one negative thing was that most of the intact houses were not open to the public. This left you looking mostly at public places like the forum, baths, public toilets and the numerous temples. As an architect enthusiast, I would have liked to have seen the interiors of more houses. Yet the size of the excavated city makes it real and gives you Goosebumps. But like many places I have visited in Italy, there was very little information. You were provided with a guide and a map when you bought your tickets, but reading the map, navigating the city, taking pictures, and walking around large tour groups made the guide difficult to use. Next time I will definitely get an audioguide or go on a tour. From this trip I have learned to not be cheap and to spend a few extra euros on an audioguide in order to get more out of what I am looking at. After walking around for three and a half hours I left. I could have stayed longer, but I wanted to go to a museum in Naples and get back to Rome at a decent hour.

The view from Pompeii

Remains of mansion in Pompeii

A block in Pompeii

After catching the regional train and riding 40 minutes back to Naples, I headed to the museum. But it took me another 20 minutes to find a map of Naples, find signs for the subway, and guess what train to take – again little information. Luckily, I was on a train heading in the right direction and only had to ride a short time. When I got to the museum I was let down. Pompeii is empty. There are very few artifacts left and the good stuff is in a museum in Naples. It was this museum I visited. But after buying my ticket and seeing Roman statues and lots of pottery and tools, I was wondering where the mosaics and frescos were. When I stopped in the gift shop, I was told that that part of the museum was closed for conservation. I was greatly frustrated because there was no information about the closing of these collections in English. When I left the museum, I took the subway back to the train station. It was not easy to use the subway because again there was no information about what train to take, but using sign language to speak to a few Italians, I found my way back to the train station and head back to Rome. Needless to say, my impression of Naples was not the best. However, I loved Pompeii and would not mind traveling back to the region to see Capri and the Amalfi Coast in the future. When I reached Rome, I grabbed a quick dinner and packed for my return home.

Bright and early on Sunday October 10, I left the convent in Rome and took a bus to the airport. After checking-in and going through security, I passed the time by looking at all the stores. The flight left about 20 minutes late, but otherwise there were not problems. After collecting my bag and waiting a hour for my train, I was on my way back to Dresden. It was nice to return to the city as after living here for a month, I felt very comfortable. Italy's art, history, and culture make it a must see place and I am glad that I finally had a chance to visit. I find the different lifestyle interesting, too. I loved Florence and Pompeii and enjoyed the sites of Rome. The only thing that would have made the trip better was if I had my family with me. But when I think of what I have done in such a short time in Europe and of all the things I have experienced and seen, I feel very blessed and am grateful for the all support.