#Naples a short break including Vesuvius and Pompeii

Behind with my diary blogs. This one relates to a few days in Naples with my friend Jo - flew out 13th May 2024.

Naples is Italy's 3rd largest city and the main city in southern Italy. There is hardly a city in the world with a more colourful history. Its location on the Bay of Naples - the Amalfi Coast not too far south - and Europe's most dangerous volcano Vesuvius looming behind makes it in all a stunning combination.

Having said that Naples comes with baggage. Apparently many Italians have never been there and say they never will. Internationally too - it does not have the pull it should. Why ? It has a reputation for organised crime and consequently a hard place to do business. Naples has had its glory days - you can evidence it in its architecture but in modern times it has fallen behind - and considered poor by comparison with the rich north. This is what the guide books say.

My take. Naples is a great city to visit. It is authentic. The food available is wonderful. It offers excellent value. We had an Airbnb in the heart of Centro Storico. We loved it. Now a favourite. Centro Storico is UNESCO protected. It comprises two very long and interconnected streets. The streets are narrow - the old buildings tall. It is shabby in many ways but wonderful too. It is full of life and interest. It is a melting pot. The colours - the smells - the people. If you have a long weekend in Naples you need do no more than hang out here to make your visit worth it.

However there is much more. Walk down to the sea front - the shore of the Bay of Naples. Look one way - the Isle of Capri. Look the other - Vesuvius - 10 miles a way. It almost looks like a volcano should look - standing alone rather than in a mountain chain. It is looming. You can see it was a classic cone but a chunk of its top has been blown off in one of the 50 times it has erupted.

If you go to Naples you will probably want to go to Vesuvius and the city it destroyed - Pompeii. You should - it is relatively easy to do and you can do both in one day if you want. The guide books reference all sorts of transport options and doing it under your own steam to save money. Definitely possible if you can be bothered. We came to the conclusion though that the only sensible - practical and probably economic way to do it is go on an organised trip of which there are many. Go to Vesuvius first because Pompeii is draining. I will explain :-

First a bit about Mt Vesuvius. It is the only active volcano on mainland Europe. However it is presently dormant - was last active in 1944. BUT it is considered to me one of the most dangerous volcanoes on the planet - why ? It is a huge menacing presence - dominates the area and overlooks one of the most densely populated volcanic regions in the world. (It is however much smaller than Sicily's Etna and on the face of it far less active.) What makes Vesuvius so dangerous is scientists predict its normal eruption cycle is 30 years. It is long overdue and will happen again. A big problem is Vesuvius's slopes are fertile - lush - and the climate a bit cooler. It is a great place to grow grapes and to build lovely villas with views out over the Bay of Naples. The authorities are trying to resist development - even to move people away - but it is difficult. One chilling reality is the authorities have a contingency plan to move 1 million people in 2 weeks - because they believe through their seismic monitoring they will have 2 weeks warning of a major eruption. However this is by no means certain. If it happens - and the wind direction is right - Naples in theory could be the next Pompeii.

I have been up to the fiery craters of both Etna and Stromboli. Both were hard walks. Vesuvius by comparison seems innocuous - certainly no fire - no steam - and only now and again a tiny bit of smoke. The walk to the crater top is easy - maybe 30 or 40 minutes from where the transport drops you. You can walk around more than half of the current crater edge. It is worthwhile - but if predictions are right that crater edge - the whole Vesuvius mountain - the entire area - could be a much different place in relatively short time ! I would not want to live there - however nice the climate or the views - ha!

From Vesuvius it is a 30/40 minute drive to Pompeii (the roads are winding).

Pompeii is a huge draw. It was destroyed by the erupting Vesuvius in AD 79. It was a once Greek and from 200 BC a Roman city - a wealthy trading centre. It had been damaged by an earthquake in AD 63 but the gas cloud from the erupting Vesuvius suffocated the people (unlucky with the wind direction!) and the volcanic ash buried it. Of the 20000 people that might have lived there it is estimated 2000 died. Pompeii was rediscovered in the 1600's but it wasn't until 1748 that proper excavations started. It is continuing to date.

What did I make of Pompeii? Well I am glad I have seen it. I particularly enjoyed the view from the site to Vesuvius and being able to imagine what it might have been like for the Roman citizens with the huge fiery eruption happening just a few miles away. The Pompeii site is very large. The weather invariably hot. It is hard work and too be honest not terribly inspiring unless you are a student of how the Roman's lived and their life style. Buildings exist but much of Pompeii is not much more than foundation level so you need guide books or the audio commentary (we found it difficult to use) to actually understand what was happening in each building. 3 hours is plenty enough to wander around I would say.

In the few days we had we did and saw a lot. We really enjoyed Naples. Centro Storico is the place to be. Food is fantastic ha!