A Return to Naples

Mt. Vesuvius in the early morning from the Port of Naples - Naples, Italy
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved

WE HAVE been to Naples 4 times now on cruises. Though certainly commonly enough known, Naples probably wouldn't be on anybody's top list of sought after destinations. At least not directly. But what makes Naples a popular port is its strategic location as a send-off point for so many other clearly sought after destinations. Like The Amalfi Coast. And Capri. and Pompei and Herculaneum. And each time we have been to Naples, we have taken an excursion or trip to one of those places.

Pompeii (Vesuvius in the background) - Naples, Italy
Copyright Andy Richards 2022 - All Rights Reserved

IN OUR case, we have been twice to the Amalfi Coast, and to Capri. But we had never been to the ruins. So, for this trip, we were looking forward to the excursion that would take us to both Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Decorative walls and floors - residence in Herculaneum - Naples, Italy
Copyright Andy Richards 2022- All Rights Reserved

BACK IN 2013, one of our cruise stops was at the port of Kusadasi, Turkey, which was close to Ancient Ephesus. Our excursion that day took us to Ephesus. It was a fascinating ruin, and I was amazed to see how - though in a more primitive way - the people lived with a lot of household "conveniences" we enjoy today, like running sewers, separate rooms for sleeping, cooking and congregating (replete with appropriate decoration), multiple stories and the like. But I also thought I had probably seen my share of ruins at that point. What could be different? Consequently, even though we had stopped in Naples multiple times, we had opted to see other things (like Amalfi and Capri).

Herculaneum with modern suburban housing in the background - Naples, Italy
Copyright Andy Richards 2022- All Rights Reserved

WHAT I learned was that (not surprisingly) every ruin is different at least in nuanced ways. Both the locations of these two contemporaneous ruins, and their geography presented very different conditions. Pompeii was south of Mt. Vesuvius, and more inland. It was a much larger, more commercial city, with more of an "everyman" population. Herculaneum was closer to the sea, west of Vesuvius, and was a wealthy enclave. As we walked through the ruins these differences were easy to see. As the pictures show, the "trappings" of the buildings in Herculaneum, with their ornate walls, floors, tiles and pillars, are impressive and beautiful.

Streets of Pompeii - Naples, Italy
Copyright Andy Richards 2022- All Rights Reserved

POMPEII FEELS more utilitarian, with lots of the trappings of the everyday lives of people, living and making a living. When you walked down the streets of Pompeii, it was easy to imagine a city bustling with people, with places to go and things to do.

Streets of Pompeii - Naples, Italy
Copyright Andy Richards 2022- All Rights Reserved

IN THE heart of the city is a large, commercial/industrial area. And in an enclave just off that area, a smaller, outdoor food market.

Commercial/Industrial Center - Pompeii - Naples, Italy
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Site of Outdoor Food Market - Pompeii - Naples, Italy
Copyright Andy Richards 2022- All Rights Reserved

EVEN THE decorative artwork in Pompeii seemed more "everyday." Not any less impressive or artistic, but just suggestive of a more modest living.

Tiled entranceway to Pompeii residence (suggestive of a modern "welcome" doormat - Pompeii - Naples, Italy
Copyright Andy Richards 2022- All Rights Reserved

IN OUR contemporary world we are used to being able to walk in a town and shop for sundries, souvenirs, and food. It was eye-opening to me to see that things were much the same in ancient Rome. "Street food," for example, appears to have been common, as the outdoor kitchens (stoves, ovens, etc.) were a pretty common sight.

"Street" Kitchen facilities - Herculaneum - Naples, Italy
Copyright Andy Richards 2022- All Rights Reserved

PERHAPS ALSO more indicative of a larger city where people live and work, is the impressive amphitheater in the heart of Pompeii.

Pompeii Amphitheater - Naples, Italy
Copyright Andy Richards 2022- All Rights Reserved

IT WAS an educational and entertaining day, even as it was a long, relatively hot day. Back on our ship, in our usual spot in the cigar area of the Sunset Bar, we were treated to our final sunset aboard the Edge, as the cruise would end back in Civitavecchia the next day.

Sunset - Port of Naples - Naples, Italy
Copyright Andy Richards 2022- All Rights Reserved