Wednesday: Today was in ruins. This morning proved to the one of those overcast days when there are patches of blue sky too. It did seem warmer though, probably about 25C.
It takes about 40 minutes to get to the Pomeii archelogical site on the train which travels to Sorrento. The commuter train is clearly marked for Pompeii Scavi. Scavi means ruins and I expect it comes from the same root as our word for excavation. This train line and Naples in general are plagued by a lot of graffiti. Now speaking of words, that sure looks like an Italian one doesn't it? Some of it is art but most an eyesore. It must be endemic. It's hard to change behaviours that become entrenched, I guess. The old trains that ply these routes do manage to move hordes of people. Getting to the Pompeii site couldn't have been easier.
In the great eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. the city was quickly covered in ash. It caught its residents by surprise and entombed them and their way of life. It is humbling walking on the very same street stones that people did 20 centuries ago. It is more reassuring, though, to see that these people were people just like us. They had bakeries. They had brothels. They had sports and entertainment. They drank wine. They were taxed. They tried to make their homes nice. They were involved in agriculture, government, and business. It many ways I envy their city planning over the sprawl the constitutes many urban centers today.
We walked around with a brochure-type guide and map. We entered at about 10:20 am and left at around 2:20 pm. We had overpriced pizzas just outside the gates before coming back into town. Our new hotel room faces the street and has a sizable balcony.
Jay is off checking a spa now. I'll enter this here earlier than usual. All the clouds are gone and it'd be nice if it stayed that way. I'd think we should go to Capri for the day tomorrow.