Naples was always high on my list, mostly because of Pompeii and its story. The idea, note this was in my mind, that I could see an ancient Roman city completely intact. But even more importantly, that I could see 2000 year old people standing, sitting, sleeping in whatever position they were in when the volcano hit them. It fascinated me.
How I imagined Pompeii to be. (Ai generated)
They’d be covered in hardened ash but would still be them! At least that’s how I imagined it. See the AI image, that’s what I had in my head. Was it really like that?
A daughter’s birthday gift to enjoy myself
Sometimes you need an extra reason to go somewhere. My daughter was about to turn 11, and we had some extra time in the Netherlands before flying back to Shanghai. So I came up with an idea.
They say the best birthday gifts are the ones you enjoy yourself. So I sold her on the “2000 year old people.” And if that wasn’t convincing enough, I also threw in a day trip to the Amalfi Coast and showed her pictures. That did the job, and off we went.
Naples: Half a Day
After checking into the quiet, well located Palazzo Alabardieri Hotel and grabbing some pizza, we had half a day in Naples. We came for Pompeii and Amalfi, but we stayed in Naples. How to see as much as you can in such a short time? Well, don’t listen to me, listen to an 11 year old! It turns out my daughter had just the right idea. I suggested we walk with Google Maps, she suggested we hop on the blue and red line tourist buses. Initially I refused to go on city tour buses, but she won the argument.
The blue and red lines brought us to every corner of Naples in less than three hours. It gave us a glimpse of different neighbourhoods and how the city was structured. I saw beautiful villas, gardens, sea views and palaces. And after we left the bus we felt calm, having seen so much. So my daughter saved the day. When one has little time, choosing the obvious makes sense.
Pompeii: Seeing the 2000-Year-Old People
On our first day the excitement would start. It turned out we would actually see 2000 year old “people” due to an unexpected twist; just not in the way we imagined.
We met our tour group at the Naples train station. It was a clear, hot day (14 August). When we arrived at the Pompeii entrance I was a bit disappointed at first, as the entrance looked underwhelming and it was crowded with tourists. But once we got inside, that feeling faded away.
Without getting into too much detail, the visit was well worth it. But it’s important to set expectations right. It was not nearly as intact as I imagined. I thought the whole city would be preserved but it’s a mix between ruined and half-intact. Still, there was enough to feel the magic: ancient houses, shops, parks, baths, and more. Every place has a story. It gives you a glimpse of life in a rich ancient Roman city.
The most intact part was, interestingly, an ancient brothel. With ancient sexual paintings on the wall and the rooms and bed structures still visible. I wondered if my daughter knew what she was walking into…She never mentioned it, luckily..
The 2000 year old people
Now to the ancient people, the main reason for coming here. Sadly, they were not what I imagined. They had plaster bodies inside glass displays, replicas of the holes the real bodies left in the volcanic ash. So we would not meet 2000 year old people that day. Or would we? Fate would take a turn on us.
Mount Vesuvius on fire & Herculaneum
That afternoon Mount Vesuvius was literally on fire, with smoke visible in the distance. Our guide had to improvise and took us to a smaller “mini Pompeii” called Herculaneum. Herculaneum was also destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, but it’s more intact as it was buried by pyroclastic flows. So it led us to an interesting and unexpected second half of the day. We saw beautiful houses with gardens, also shops, and even went into cave-like structures that were used as swimming pools. All in all it was more vivid and alive than Pompeii, and much less busy.
But there was still something dramatic to come. Apparently, by the time the volcano erupted, Herculaneum was still connected to the sea. After hearing the eruption, at least 330 to 340 people died trying to escape the city, mostly in the boat sheds by the water while waiting for rescue. The skeletons are still there in the sheds for tourists to see, and our tour guide took us there. A bit dramatic, and not in the way we imagined, but we still got to see 2000 year old “people.” ….
The Amalfi Coast
One of the more beautiful coastline rides I know, and it was a long time ago, so forgive me if my memory is blurred, is the drive from Nice to Monte Carlo in France. At one point I remember being high up in the steep rocks, the full Mediterranean filling my eyesight, with Monaco below. Coastlines with high, steep cliffs and villages or cities are always the most beautiful.
Amalfi gave me something similar. After driving out from Naples for about an hour, we were high in the rocks overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and villages like Positano. It was a stunning sight and later I realized it was the highlight (sometimes this comes right at the start) of our day.
The villages themselves were not really “villages,” but more like single streets filled with tourists and shops. So our hope was on the tour guide, who was organising a boat trip to see the Amalfi Coast from the sea. According to her the best way to do it and we believed her. But unfortunately, the other people in our tour group didn’t want to put up the cash.
So we were sent out into the next busy “one street” village full of of tourists and heat. Luckily my daughter (there she came to the rescue again) found a way into a very quiet and charming courtyard overlooking the sea. So we sat there waiting for our bus to leave.
Naples & Pompeii: What stayed with me?
Quite a lot looking back at it now. Naples (yes, from the city tour bus ;), the beautiful Amalfi coastline, Pompeii, and even more Herculaneum and its stories. And on a personal level, it was a fun trip to take with my daughter, some bonding, some history. But what I really learned is that the best travel discoveries are the ones you never planned, often thanks to an 11-year-old on a red tourist bus 😉
For another European city trip, read about my time in Prague: Not Elegant, But Full of Wonder
