Pompeii

A Grand Day In Pompeii

Pompeii is super huge. And if you go there in the summer, it's also super hot. So eat your Wheaties, grab a hat and make sure you have access to water. You'll be doing a lot of walking in dusty ash-dirt and navigating rocky walkways so flip-flops will be quite literally be a flop. Instead, wear comfortable closed-toe shoes.

There is an audio tour you can rent that I'd suggest. Sadly, we didn't rent it, but later wished we had. Without the commentary, you'll miss out on a lot of notable information about Pompeii and the dwellings will all start to look the same.

You may notice on your walk that some of the more fragile embellishments of the city are missing (statues, urns and such). Don't fret ~ the Italians have placed the sacred items in the care of a museum, just a few miles away, in Naples.

The special museum is called the National Archaeological Museum of Naples and it's just a 15-20 minute walk from our Naples hotel. The museum houses the magnificent statues and art from Pompeii and other area cities covered by the Vesuvius ash. This museum is a must-see when in Naples!

But remember, while this museum features Pompeii particulars, it's not located in Pompeii, but within the city of Naples proper, just a short taxi and/or train ride from the Pompeii ruins.
If you're a ruin lover, make sure and visit Herculaneum when you're in the Naples area. It was another seaside city that was impacted by Vesuvius in 79 AD. Because of the unique way the city was covered in ash and mud (Pompeii suffered more directly), I found this particular ruin had some very intricate and unique artifacts.

for the love of : italy