4 July
7pm - Another rampage to get off the plane at Naples International Airport, close to front but 1 check-in man. Spot woman from Zoi restaurant in Split last night, we make eye contact and simultaneously silently sigh at the situation.
7:40pm - Bus right there, just €5 to train station (have euros 🎉)
7:50pm - Get to station and walk to hostel, dicey area and a smidge hard to find but very friendly and welcoming
8:30pm - Nightly event - pizza night! Give our order (margarita/marinara), get €5 pizza. Very tired and in Naples after all
9pm - Get pizza and chatting with different travellers about our paths, Split ultra, Nice, Pompeii/Vesuvius itinerary, 4 July
12am – Dead tired
5 July
5:30am – Someone’s alarm goes off, and they go back to sleep
7am – The girl whose alarm went off is now snoring very loudly and someone else is packing to leave + snoring so I research the route for the day
7:30am Breakfast
8:20am - Leave hostel, get mini sandwiches
8:47am - Walk to station, worried about being on time but no-one there, walk to spot
8:50am - My train came up on the screen, nice man let me through but just workers looking at me questioningly, Campania Express special train is graffitied just like the "metro" Circumvesuviana
8:59am - No-one is here
9:02am - A woman comes to the platform and checks your ticket, tells you which car and you find your seat. Only open at the last door of each carriage so it’s slow going
9:09am - Only 3m late departure, wow for Italy
9:12am - Glad I read Porta Nolana was empty, Garibaldi was crowded, American group sitting next to me.
9:20am - Chatting, the guide mentions teaching in Chicago, join in, students want to talk, teacher seems less enthusiastic
9:29am - Get to Ercolano (Herculaneum), say goodbye
9:34am - Get to desk - bus is supposed to be every 40m but with no explanation, told it’s 10am. €20 for bus + entrance to Vesuvius. Has WIFI at least
9:50am - Get on bus, see train arrive, wait to fill bus
10:02am – We’re off. There’s AC and grumpy driver does kindly stop to let us take pictures along the way, both sides of the bus were good for pictures.
10:40am - Arrived at summit entrance point, ticket booth is a ways down for people who haven't bought tickets, told bus comes back at 12:30pm.
10:50am - Hot and gravelly but doable, views just get better
11am - Reached top, wowowow, what a view of both the Bay of Naples and in the volcano! Saw too late that there were free guided tours, oh well
12:10pm - Back down the mountain, saw old bus, joined ppl waiting
12:25pm - No bus, getting antsy
12:30pm - Bus arrives, old bus back to Ercolano station waves at me on but I stand my ground
12:40pm – A rush to get on but we finally leave, only €3.10 to get directly to Pompeii
1:20pm – Roman theatre
1:24pm - Confusion on the bus but at Porta Marina main entrance
1:30pm - No line, put down student ID, didn't accept student ID but EU <26 = €2 ticket
1:33pm - See it’s the whole town in ruins, was expecting more of an exhibit with artifacts
2pm - Don’t need tour a) there are sooo many b) they give u a detailed guide c) can download a very detailed PDF guide to your phone.
2:10pm - Theater
2:30pm - Run into group
3:20pm - Amphitheatre
4:30pm - Museum, watch video
5pm - On platform with lots of people
5:15pm - Very busy, no sign of conductor for Campania express
5:25pm - Still nothing
5:35pm - Clearly not my train but can’t tell when mine’s coming so I get on
6:05pm - Arrive at the train station (had a seat even if busy and only 10m more than the other train)
6:41pm - Chilling, realize tan/mud line on ankle (future note: it stayed for weeks)
6:54pm - In line at pizzeria da Michele, pay €5 and get my ticket for pizza to-go
7pm - 5m later, I have my Neapolitan pizza
7:20pm - sitting in hostel common room with pizza, chatting with hostel peeps
11:30pm - In bed, dead, excited to go “home” tomorrow
6 July
9am - After early breakfast and checkout, out to explore Naples
9:18am - Arrive at the museum, cleaner part of Naples. Eschew the €60 (!!) tour outside/official audio guide is €5 and use rick steves’ audio Europe for free
See busts, huge sculptures and Pompeii artifacts
10:02am - In secret room, wow, displays erotic art
10:25am - Dodging Dutch school groups, run back to hostel
11am - Catch the bus at train station to airport
11:45am - Through check in, it’s lunch time. Ultimate tourist meal – maccies/macdo -> McDonalds. Get to gate very early but then it changes
1:30pm - plane leaves
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