Pompeii, Herculaneum & Mount Vesuvius, Italy - March 2017

One of the places I most wanted to visit on my first trip to Italy was Pompeii. We decided to stay in Naples as it was easy to travel to the different places we wanted to visit and we found a lovely hotel called Hotel Piazza Bellini (see official website) which was in a great location - very close to the Dante metro station, just about a 5 minute walk away. Near to the metro station was quite a few restaurants and bars as well. It turned out that this was an affordable and convenient hotel as we didn't really spend all that much time in Naples (next time!), day one we went to Capri, day two we went to Pompeii & Herculaneum and day three we went to Mount Vesuvio. So, next time I visit I will have to spend more time in Naples!

It is definitely a different feeling to Rome - it's more "rough" in the sense that there is more graffiti on the walls but also that people actually live there; it's not just full of tourists. I actually quite liked that vibe.

Street bookstores lined the way from Dante Metro station to the hotel

Typical street in Naples

Getting around the Metro system was easy - you just used the coin machines to buy a ticket in the station which was €1.10 for a single trip (ticket lasted 90 minutes). On the first day, we went to Molo Beverello which is the ferry port to get our ferry to Capri, we actually walked there rather than taking the Metro and it only took about 20 minutes, it was a lovely picturesque walk too!

On day two, we were heading to Pompeii. The sun was out and shining gloriously, we took the Metro to get back to Napoli Centrale station (where our train from Rome arrived) and then we tackled getting the Circumvesuviana trains to Pompeii. This is a local train service, much like an overground tube train in London. You have to buy your ticket from an agent at the desk so you need to know where you are going. We didn't realise that you just buy single tickets rather than round-trip tickets... it was only €2.80 from Naples to Pompeii (and only €2 to Erculano for Herculaneum!) but once we got our tickets, we went through the barriers and found the right platform.

As I had read, the trains get very busy. The one which we took first thing to Pompeii was standing room only all the way. I do suggest to read The Rome Toolkit website which I used a lot in the planning of this trip - click here for the main homepage - especially the information regarding these trains and Naples also. It's a fantastic travel site for Rome, Naples and the surrounding areas. Also, both Pompeii and Herculaneum have multiple stops for those towns - choose to get off at Scavi for the archaeological sites.

Once we got to Pompeii, it was a very easy trip out of the station and you were pretty much right there at the entrance to the excavations. This is one of the entrances - there is also another one on the other side at Piazza Anfitatro (and two other lesser used entrances also). At the main entrance, we chose to get an audioguide... the slight downside was that you had to give a piece of ID as deposit - I used my credit card seen as I guard my passport with my life.

It was €13 for two audioguides I think and it is useful to have them as there is a habit of walking around Pompeii looking at ruins with no idea what you're looking at. For example this:

Is it a bathroom with holes for the toilets? Is it a garden with holes for trees or plants to sit in?

No, it is infact, a restaurant! Think of it like a quick service facility, the holes were used to have clay pots in them kept hot and that's where they would serve food from sitting on top of a counter. I did learn lots of fun facts from the audio guide and so I do recommend it. However - they are still doing excavation and improvement works in some parts of Pompeii so some of the numbers on the audioguide didn't match the numbers of the things we were looking at. That was a little bit annoying but on the whole it was fine.

The site of Pompeii is HUGE. It is split into 9 sections. We only did three sections - numbers 7, 8 and 1. This took us the best part of 3 hours! We did get to see lots of interesting things - the forum which was massive, aforementioned quick service cafe, ancient shops, temples, the theatre, the basilica, bath house, laundry facility and houses. It is astounding to think that these people lived and developed technology more than 2000 years ago.

The Forum

We could have stayed longer but we were going to explore the second archaeological site of the day - Herculaneum (or as it is known now, Ercolano). We jumped back on the local train and got off a few stops away. Once you get out of the station, you get pounced on by people trying to entice you into their restaurant - walk past them and down the big hill of shops, it's downhill on the way there and up on the way back! At the bottom of the hill (which was once almost the seafront) you will find the entrance to Herculaneum.

I learned that this town was once a place full of about 5,000 people and many of them wealthy as it was a nice seafront town and lots of rich people would have second homes there. When Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, the whole place was buried under 50ft of volcanic ash & mud that essentially froze everything in time. This place was amazing... Pompeii was interesting however much more in a 'ruin' state whereas Herculaneum was like a living museum. 

Doesn't take much imagination to see the street here!

We wondered around the whole site in about 2 hours. Many of the underfoot paths were uneven so make sure you wear good shoes! There is also minimal shade at both Pompeii and Herculaneum so bring sunglasses and sunscreen. In Herculaneum, you can see the uncovered mosiacs, even some wooden beams which have managed to be preserved for 2 millenniums. At the very front end of the site, is where once the water would have been - the marina. One of the more gruesome elements of the site; this is where you can see numerous skeletons frozen in piles as people clambered and threw themselves on top of each other in an attempt to hide from the volcano:

We bought the combined ticket for 5 sites - Pompeii, Herculaneum, Boscorale, Oplontis & Stabiae - of course we didn't have time for the last three because we were there only a short time but the cost was only €20 for a ticket for all 5 sites. Individually, Pompeii and Herculaneum are €11 each so it was more cost effective. If we had been there longer, we could have explored those sites too. You can purchase tickets from the sites themselves, or online click here - although this was the most challenging website to purchase from in our whole trip! The €20 ticket is valid for 3 consecutive days and if we had had more time I would have done Pompeii and Herculaneum on separate days.

Finally, I will touch on our trip to Mount Vesuvius. We had originally planned to do it after walking around Pompeii (glad we didn't in the end, we would have been exhausted!) but the buses were not running late enough due to it being low-season. So, I researched and found the Vesuvio Express which leaves from the Ercolano station - it is immediately on the left as you exit. It cost €20 each which was €10 for the round trip bus and €10 for the entry ticket. It wasn't the ideal choice for me - I would have preferred something that could have given me more flexibility for the day but it was the only choice we had. We got to the office at about 12.10pm and they advised the next bus is at 1pm. We got lunch nearby and went back - the minibus we were in sat about 10 people and off we went up the winding, misty, tiny roads of Mount Vesuvius. It took about 30 minutes to get there, once we parked in the car park, the driver told us he was waiting there for us and we had to be back at the bus at 2.45pm.. which only gave us about 1 hour 15 minutes to climb to the crater and back again.

I am slow. I also dislike hills and mountain climbing. However, I wanted to see the crater and I love volcanoes so off I went - my friend stormed off ahead and reached the summit a good 15 minutes ahead of me. I was slow and it took me about 35-45 minutes to reach the top but there are people of all ages and abilities walking up there. It is STEEP. It's not long, but it's steep.

Why did I decide to do this!?

After huffing and puffing and getting sweaty (see photo above) I finally made it to the crater & above the clouds!

That is geothermal steam!

I met my friend and we took the required selfies and I bought a postcard at the top which comes with a cool little stamp (I collect postcards from wherever I go!). Then she set off for the bottom whilst I took some GoPro footage and some more photos.

Soon, after only about 20 minutes to enjoy the top, it was time to go back down in time for the bus :(

Going down was difficult too but in a different way - you have to have grippy shoes or you'll fall all the way back down the path. It is gravel but with a loose layer on the top. Once we got back to the bus, it was time for another 30 minutes of tiny roads competing with full size coaches (!) and we got back to Ercolano and then to Napoli Centrale.

We had left our luggage with the KiPoint station, paying €7 for 6 hours which was super convenient and so then it was off to Rome - see my other blog posts!

Capri, Italy - March 2017

This is a little short post about a beautiful island called Capri. We visited on our first full day of our trip to Italy as a gentle way to get into the sightseeing mood! It is located just 50 minutes by fast ferry from the port Molo Beverello in Naples which was very easy to get to via the subway system. We booked reasonably last minute and it was around €35 for the round trip ticket - bear in mind you can get better prices if you book in advance or take the slower ferry.

The ferry I was picturing was an open-air with decks affair... seemingly my time on cruise ships has influenced me because actually it was a closed-in ship with rows of comfy chairs quite packed in, not at all the windy experience I was looking forward to! However, the lack of ship-romance was made up for by the 'bumpy ride' we got to experience over to the island - being someone who spends 8 months a year at sea, I loved all the rocking and rolling!! My friend, who has never been on more than a ferry to France (if that) was turning slightly green at the experience.

This was before we started moving...

Once we got there, the ferry docked at Marina Grande and this is where you can take the Funicular up to the town of Capri. However, this was not to be sadly because it was down for maintenance. During summer, the line can apparently get up to an hour to make it the 450 foot trip up above the harbour... so, we went for the alternative which are small mini-buses. They seat about 10 people and everyone else (around another 40 people seemingly) had to stand... on the first bus we got, we were the last two people to make it onboard and had to stand on the exit steps, holding on for a dear life as the bus swung around hairpin bends to make it to the top of the hill! It was an experience for sure.

As it was only March, it is most definitely considered off-peak in Capri. I believe a lot of businesses would have been opening now, around the first couple of weeks of April as many of the shops were closed or re-stocking for the new season. Therefore, we wondered through the piazzetta (which was smaller than I imagined) and just spend time wondering and exploring. After following many paths downhill, we found a garden which cost €1 to enter - considering you had to pay to get in, we figured it must be something worth looking at, and we were right! This was the Giardini di Augusto and whilst we sat there, the sun came out and the clouds were burnt away leading to a beautiful day and amazing views across the bay.

There were fierce signs warning you against picnics in the gardens so it's not a good spot for that, FYI! After that, I finally got my first gelato of the trip - it was an amazing berries and cream with a freshly rolled waffle cone - I watched her make it! After that first taste I knew that no other ice cream or gelato will ever live up to the ones I experienced in Italy!

Once we got back to the piazzetta, we admired the now-sunny views of the harbour before getting another minibus to Anacapri - the second town on the island. Each minibus we took cost €1.80 so take plenty of change!

Once we got to Anacapri, we got lunch at a little side street cafe, I had a panini and of course, wine. Then it was time for the main attraction which I was looking forward to - a chairlift up Mount Solaro! It was only €11 for the round trip - well worth it. Not if you are afraid of heights though... it is the highest point on Capri at 1,932 feet.

On the way up, after about 20 seconds of moving, I realised I was wearing slip-on shoes that were not very tight and therefore spent the next 11 minutes of ascension worrying that my shoes were going to fall off and tumble down the hill below me, leaving me barefoot! I had to press my feet/legs together the whole way to ensure this didn't happen which gladly, it didn't. On the way back down I took them off...

At the top, the clouds had started to gather a bit more so I got one brief shot of the ocean before we got enveloped in cloud and unfortunately couldn't see the views however it was a great experience being up there!

We got the ferry back to Naples at 4.30pm, much less bumpy as we were going the same direction as the tide. Definitely a great day trip at this time of year although I can imagine how busy it gets in summer.. but a great way to start our trip. We actually missed out the main tourist attraction which is Grotta Azzurra - a boat trip into a cave that glows blue, it looks cool but because of the changeable weather and lack of sun at the beginning of the day, we didn't do it. Again.. maybe next time! ;-)

View towards Marina Grande from Capri Town

Vatican City - March 2017

We designated one day to visiting the Vatican & Sistine Chapel during our trip to Rome. I'd read that it is very busy at weekends, holidays and generally in the mornings so Friday at 11am is the time I chose... it was still busy. Very busy.

We got the bus from our hotel in Trastevere and arrived just outside the wall. The line was stretching all the way down the hill for those who had not bought a ticket already - so the moral of the story is, buy your ticket online!

It wasn't the easiest website to navigate - I used the official Vatican website to book the skip-the-line ticket which is timed, therefore you have to choose the date and time in advance. It was €16 plus the obligatory €4 booking fee... so €20 per person. We walked up the street past the giant line and hung around the entrance area whilst waiting for our time to come round as we were a little early. At about 10.50am we went to the 'Entrance with group reservations' line - although it says 'groups' don't let it fool you, anyone with a pre-booked ticket goes in this line. We walked right in and then had to go through a metal detector and x-ray machine.

After that, you go to the ticket windows on the left hand side to exchange your printer voucher for tickets. There is the option to purchase audio tours however, we didn't want to spend the whole day there... I had received an email a few days before informing that due to the EU Treaty Summit of European Leaders in Rome the following day; the Sistine Chapel would be closing early and last admissions at 2.30pm. Considering that I had not factored that in when I booked the 11am tickets, we aimed to only spend 2-3 hours at the Vatican before proceeding to the Sistine Chapel.

Be aware, you must wear appropriate dress at both locations - no bare shoulders or short shorts!


There were also bathrooms located here next to the ticket windows which was useful as I only saw one other set of bathrooms much later in the museums. We went up the stairs and then an escalator with the hordes of people. Understandably, this is one of the busiest attractions (probably in the world) to visit and that was the only downside, you did spend your entire time battling tour groups with flags and selfie sticks. The best thing to do was focus on what you were looking at and block it out as best as you can.

The map gallery was particularly busy...

I used my Rick Steves pocket guidebook at the Vatican Museums which proved very useful. If you want to check it out click here. I do not have a deal with Rick - his book was just great! He has several pages dedicated to leading you round the museums in an easy and reasonably fast way without missing important things out.

We checked out the Egyptian rooms - after looking at ancient history from 2000 years ago during our days in Rome and Naples... we were now looking at items from 2000 B.C. so - 4000 years ago! It's incredible. 

This is one of the first evidences of writing - they even had envelopes made of clay!

It really struck me how much history comes from countries in the Middle East that are currently at war and have been for some time. Some of the most ancient artifacts come from places now known as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan where some of the earliest evidence of farming has come from.

We progressed through the Greek & Roman sculpture section and moved into "the long march" which is a never-ending 1/4 mile hallway, starting with sculptures and then leading into the tapestries rooms depicting the birth & life of Jesus and then finally the 'maps rooms' which I enjoyed - I would have love to have seen maps of other countries but then I guess it was only 300-400 years before this when some people still thought the Earth was flat so...

After the maps gallery finished, it is easy to follow the signs to the Sistine Chapel. It took us through some funky modern art (not a huge fan) and then finally you saw the change from the gold-clad, overtly detailed and luxurious looking decoration of the museums to the plainer, basic walls and decorations of the Papal rooms. 

As we walked into the Sistine Chapel itself, you feel like you don't know where to look first. We were ushered into the center part of the room (it was extremely busy) and periodically they made announcements on the PA to be quiet. Maybe its the British in me, but it is a church and really people should have been more respectful... yes it is a tourist attraction but its still a place of worship. Equally there were signs everywhere to not take photos and yet, people still had those selfie sticks out. Good luck to anyone trying to get a moment of peace with God because inbetween the crowds, the reprimands for photos and the 'SHHHH' coming across the speakers, it was not a very peaceful place!

However - the ceiling. It was very impressive. My trusty Rick Steves guidebook had a simple guide to the ceiling and how to read it so I was happy that I could understand what I was looking at. Of course, you walked away wondering just how Michelangelo managed to lie on his back for years painting a ceiling but at least I had some appreciation of what he was portraying!

We stayed in there just for about 15 minutes or so as it was very busy. My guidebook spoke of a 'shortcut' to St. Peter's Basilica which proved to be awesome! As you go towards the back of the Sistine Chapel, take the exit on the right hand side of the room marked as an exit for 'tour groups' - there was nobody standing there to question us otherwise. It went straight outside where we could just follow a simple path and then exit to the entrance of the Basilica! Apparently otherwise this would have been a 20-30 minute walk around the building.

We went inside the Basilica which was more peaceful and just as impressive. It is hard to portray in words the grandeur and sheer skill that it took to paint, sculpt and design these great places.

Inside St Peter's Basilica

'God's 4 poster' at the center of the Nave

This church can accomodate 60,000 worshippers (standing!) when it is full and I can only imagine the atmosphere! We didn't see the Pope on this occasion although he did come out the next day for the aforementioned EU Leaders event. We strategically avoided this event though...

There were tour buses you could get around the Vatican gardens which would have been nice if we had had more time and although entry to the Basilica is free, you can pay to go up to the Dome to see that too. A few things to put on the list for next time!

So, our three days in Rome came to a close - we'd hit quite a few of the typical tourist destinations, Colosseum, Roman Forum, St Paul's Basilica, the Trevi Fountain (didn't mention that... it was incredibly full of tourists, I guess I can say I've been there), Capitoline Hill, the Vatican City & Sistine Chapel. To get from and back to Rome Fiumcino airport, we took the Leonardo Express which was €14 each way. There are cheaper ways to get from the airport to the Roma Termini station e.g. on a bus, however this was incredibly easy and only took around 35 minutes each way, plenty of luggage storage and seating. You can buy the ticket in the station at the 'TrenItalia' self-service machines.

Top Tip! We used the KiPoint luggage storage services in both Rome and Naples train stations. It is €6 for 5 hours per bag to store there, with €1 additional per hour after that. Saves a lot of arm-ache and frees up yourself for more sightseeing before going home or even just shopping in the train station! They are easy to find - follow the signs for Luggage Storage or Left Luggage.