Pompeii and Ercolano

My first experience with Pompeii was in 1978 when The MFA Boston put on an exhibit of the main pieces of Art discovered in the dig.  (Most of those pieces are now on display at the National Archeological Museum of Naples)  At the time, because my mother was an art teacher for the High School Scholarship art classes given by the Museum, we had a special employee viewing.  It was amazing.  I was young but I still remember it vividly.  So actually standing in Pompeii last year was an extraordinary thing for me.  I have to say, it's pretty impressive and much bigger than I expected it to be.  It's a whole town.  Be sure to get the map at the entrance when you buy your ticket. It helps you know exactly what you are looking at. Unlike the one I described for the Roman Forum,  these maps are actually useful!  

It struck me while I was there that the Pompeians were far ahead of their time in many ways.  They had tracks in the roads for carriages, and huge aqueducts that brought water to the town that are still usable.  I am a big history buff, so this part was awesome for me.  Of course the brothel with the menu of sexual acts painted on the walls to choose from is really fun (and um, informative?) as well. If you are with friends, you are sure to have at least one "Wait, how would you even do that?" or "No, seriously, what IS that?" moment.

The frescoes and the marble floors are in great condition.  I know there has been extensive restoration work, but still, it is remarkable that many of these paintings could have survived a volcanic eruption.

Even some of the graffiti on the walls is still there.  The fossilized bodies that were caught in the lava are pretty remarkable, as is the Colosseum.  Pompeii is a great day trip.

Although smaller than Pompeii (and with less to see), Ercolano is pretty cool as well. If you have the day set aside, you should take the opportunity to see both.  Combination tickets are available for 20 Euros.  Ercolano is where the wealthier people lived and so it is a little bit different than Pompeii.  Head to Ercolano first and then take the train to Pompeii.  It is easy and quick.  If you are coming from the Amalfi Coast for the day you can get a boat from Sorrento to Amalfi.  No need to rent a car.