 |
Monday, 25 June. We checked out of our pensione after breakfast ($18 for four nights). We could not resist one more stroll through Brass Alley before we left Naples. We bought two more braziers, these without hoods ($3 each). Then we drove to Mt. Vesuvius. Once off the highway, the road to the volcano was lined with olive groves. Jane spotted a few tables in a field around a shack with a sign for olives. We stopped there for lunch, for Jane consisting entirely of assorted olives. Fortunately for Darrell, who hated olives, he was able to get a dish of pasta, swimming in olive oil, of course, but delicious. The proprietor was very friendly and seemed delighted that we spoke Italian. Then we drove on to the base of Vesuvius. The historic Funiclar (1880) had been knocked out by an eruption in 1944 and replaced by a two-person chairlift in 1953. The attendants at the lift were very friendly, too, and spoke of their gratitude for the Americans' liberating them during World War II. They helped strap us into the chair, but as it started to move they held it back and cried “tip, tip." Darrell quickly dug up some lire for them, and we were on our way. Although we had already travelled widely in Europe, this was the first time we ran into people actually demanding a tip. It happened many more times in the next few days. The chair lift took us quite high up Vesuvius, so there was not much climbing to get to the rim of the crater. As we got off the lift, an old man immediately appointed himself our guide, whether we wanted one or not. There was a great view in all directions. Vesuvius had not erupted since 1944, but we still felt a bit uneasy as we walked down the path well into the crater. There were no railings or ropes to guide or constrain us. There was hot air coming out of vents in several places, and the smell of sulfur was strong. Our guide blew cigarette smoke into the vents so we could actually see the air coming out. Of course, we tipped the guide, and when we boarded the chairlift for the ride down, Darrell made sure to have tips ready, top and bottom. On the drive back to the highway, we bought a few bottles of local wine. We had heard that the volcanic soil made it quite unique. Then we headed for Pompeii, about 20 miles to the southeast.. Pompeii was a fairly large city (pop. 12,000) on August 79 A.D., when Vesuvius erupted and ash, pumice, and other volcanic debris poured down on the city. Many were killed, but those who fled in the early stages of the eruption were able to escape. Surges of pyroclastic material and heated gas reached the city the next morning and quickly asphyxiated any residents who were still alive. Additional pyroclastic flows and rains of ash followed, bringing a total of more than nine feet of debris. These flows swept southeast from Vesuvius, sparing Naples, only 14 miles to the northwest, but destroying other cities more than twice as far away, as well as killing many people who had fled. Pompeii's sudden burial served to protect it from vandalism, looting, and the weather for the next 17 centuries. Although the ruins of Pompeii were discovered before those of Herculaneum, systematic excavation did not begin at Pompeii until 1748, ten years later than at Herculaneum. By the time we got to Pompeii, it was after 2:00 p.m. The temperature must have been close to 100 degrees in the sun, and Pompeii was always sunny. There were no trees or tall buildings to provide shade. When we got there, we were the only tourists. Our tickets cost L.500 ($0.80) each. The amphitheater (70 B.C.) was close to the entrance, so we visited that first. It is one of the best preserved in the world. It could seat 20,000 spectators, more than the entire population of Pompeii. Continuing on our way, we found Pompeii's two theaters; the Teatro Grande, an open-air amphitheater where plays were performed; and the smaller Odeon, roofed and used for poetry and musical performances. Just north of those were the Stabian Baths, the cities oldest. Nearby was the Lupanare, a two-story brothel with five private rooms on each floor. The Forum baths were a couple of blocks further along, on the north end of the Forum. These baths were newer and more ornate. We proceeded south into the Forum, a large square with triumphal arches, temples, and many other public buildings. Thought to be the oldest structure within the ruins, the Temple of Apollo had Etruscan origins, but was later modified by the Greeks, and then by the Romans. The Basilica, used for pullic functions and meetings, was the largest public building, At this point, a solitary guard appeared and became our personal guide for the last two hours of our visit. Although we had a pretty good guide book, we were very happy to have him. He had quite a personality. With great confidence, he immediately identified Jane as Italian and Darrell as English. He only spoke Italian, but that was no problem for us. He not only led us to and explained the more interesting sites, but he also had keys to all sorts of locked exhibits that he was only too happy to open for us. We already had been about to head north out of the Forum to the principle residential area, and he led us in that direction. Across the street from the Forum Baths was the House of the Tragic Poet, fairly small in size (about 15 rooms), but famous for its elaborate mosaic floors and frescoes depicting scenes from Greek mythology. It shoud be noted that most of the original artworks from all the houses in Pompeii have been relocated to the National Archaeological Museum where we had seen many of them earlier). By contrast, the House of the Faun, our next stop, was one of the largest and most impressive private residences in Pompeii. In fact, it was one of the most luxurious aristocratic houses from the entire Roman republic. The original Alexander Mosaic (mentioned earlier), depicting Alexander the Great's victory over the Persians was found in this house. We continued on to the House of the Vettii, another very large residence. By careful excavation, almost all of its many wall frescos had been preserved and were still on site. We thought this would have been our first choice as a home to live in if we were back in old Pompeii. All in all, we thought the homes we visited in Pompeii were the best part of the tour. By now it was getting late and we had already been in the hot sun for nearly four hours. Although the ruins were open until dusk (about another three hours), we decided we had had enough. We probably had walked close to two miles here already, and it was a mile back to the entrance. Our guide led the way back, entertaining us all the way with information about Pompeii. For example, he pointed out how some of the streets had deep ruts where wagon wheels (or chariots) had worn away the stone. As we neared the main entrance, he told us he had something really special to show us. Using his key to open a large plywood door, he took us into the Garden of the Fugitives, only recently discovered, not mentioned in our guide book, and still not open the the public. Here were the bodies of 13 victims of the eruption, killed while trying to flee. (The bodies were found in three separate locations and put in a single display.) Finally at the entrance, we said goodbye to our guide and warmly thanked him for his help. He never asked for a tip, but we probably gave him more because he did not. By now it was almost 6:00, and we still had to drive 20 miles along the south coast of the Sorrento Peninsula to the town of Sorrento. It was a beautiful drive but slow going through the many coastal towns and villages. We checked in to the Vesuvio Hotel on the outskirts of Sorrento just before 7:00.. It was a small (5 floors), very modern (built 1958) condo-type building with a balcony for every room. Our first floor room (second floor in the U.S.) overlooked a large lime grove. Although the blossoms were mostly gone, the fragrance of limes permeated the air. It was heavenly, especially compared to our pensione in central Naples. Because of the hour, we had dinner at the hotel. We also signed up for a tour of Capri the next morning (L.3,600 each, about $6, including a large lunch). |
||