We'll all be ruined

We arrived in Naples at the early hour of 6:30 and it was already steamy.  The overnight cruise was smooth and the cabin very comfortable - and the water pressure in our en-suite was the best we've had in Europe!  Still, at that early hour we were very grateful that our hosts had permitted us an early check in so we only had to walk from the port to Duomo where our apartment for the next few days was.  Leaving our bags we checked the kitchen had cooking utensils and made a dash for a supermercato to lay in some supplies.  Yay, a home cooked meal!

When a dozen zucchini flowers cost what I usually pay for one you know they're going to be on the menu

And here they are, stuffed and fried - along with a few other delicacies!

Naturally eating wasn't all we did.  Our next plan was to visit the famous Archaeological Museum where we spent several hours fascinated by the items which had been removed from Pompei and Herculaneum.  No wonder there wasn't much to see except the remains of buildings at Pompei - everything was in town carefully curated.  And yes we did go into the "secret room" but I don't think I'll share photos from that one on a g-rated blog!

Tiny dancers.

Hmmm...what to see next?

You shall not pass!

You and me babe...how about it?

Detail from the Farnese Bull.  This reminds me of an illustration by Pauline Baynes in "The Horse and his boy" by C.S. Lewis.  I could see where many of her ideas for the Narnia illustrations came from.

Hercules looking weary

We visited Pompei on our last trip to Italy, this time Herculaneum was the excavation of choice.  First thing was braving the notorious Napoli Centrale Stazione.  We made it with all fingers and toes (and more importantly wallets) all intact.  I do think walking around with a daypack on backwards just screams "All my valuables are right here!" and maybe those are the people the pickpockets were targeting?  The train was crowded but we didn't have too far to go and it wasn't a long walk from Erculaneum to Herculaneum.  Legend has it that the city was founded by Hercules.  The inhabitants were not built on his scale though with clear evidence that the average height for women was just 150cm, and for men, only 160cm.  Yes, Matt has a really big bump on his forehead, not just the evidence of the bodies.

We spent several hours exploring the open parts of the excavation - and really could have spent a lot more time there.  Such a fascinating glimpse of life over 20 centuries ago.

From the entrance you could see multiple levels of the excavation.  The green swamp was once the beach, the arches were storage areas and boathouses that opened onto it.  The sea is now around 400 metres further away

The bodies in the archways were only excavated in the 1980s - and are how we know the average height of the people here.  So far more than 300 have been found who died as they were waiting to be rescued.  Prior to this it was thought most of the population had escaped the devastation as so few bodies were found in the upper levels.

Matt would make a great spruiker for the tavern.  "Hello welcome, you like English menu?  You like spaghetti?"  (Yes someone did ask us that once.  I bet they were shocked at the answer!).

The frescos were not ALL removed from Herculaneum. 

Nor were the mosaic floors.  This one was in the men's bath house.  But WHY did the ancients depict dolphins with fishy fins?

Colours in the frescos have somehow survived 300 years of archeology

you can still see the remains of the wood in many places as it was instantly carbonised. 
Unlike Pompei, many building's upper floors survived

the glass mosaic of Neptune and Amphrite clearly showed what a rich man the owner of this house was!  

I can see why so many people say they prefer the ruins of Herculaneum to those of Pompei.  We toured ourselves with the help of a guidebook and although we undoubtedly missed some really interesting information it was great to wander around at our own pace and linger where we wanted to.

Our final full day in the crazy chaotic fantastic city of Napoli involved revisiting a few spots we saw on our first trip here.  That time were were on a day trip and were convinced we were going to be killed and mugged as soon as we stepped of the tour bus - with tour guides that encouraged that.  We haven't been (touch wood) and local people we've spoken to have said it's no more dangerous than any big European city.  Indeed, we've been hassled for money or trade less than comparable places, although during a VERY crowded bus trip this morning Matt did ask if it was me grabbing his bum.  It wasn't.

While visiting the castle of the egg (Castell dell ovo) today we also stopped and saw a couple of modern exhibitions - the first, a conceptual installation of sculpture on the theme of separation.  I wrote in the guest book that it was thought provoking.  It's placement in the former gaol was certainly deliberate.  The second was much more to my taste, mostly modern landscape paintings including some pointillism works I found fascinating.  Not quite in our budget to bring any of the rather large paintings home though.  We would have had to buy a bigger house for the ones I fancied!

They NEVER let you down into the really interesting bits of castles.  :-(

We then walked back through the shopping areas including the beautiful gallery Umberto (under scaffolding natch) and old town to partake in one final Napoli experience.

Matt thought he'd like a 'tache like this one.   I assured him he wouldn't.

Gallery Umberto

The lunch crowd.  This was voted the"best Napoli style pizza in the world" but we reckon Napoli Centrale back in Newcastle would give it a run for its money...

There may have been leftovers for supper.

More incipient leftovers

   

Tomorrow we're off to the beach for a couple of days.  Our feet need some time off the cobblestones and in the water!