Pompeii -- A lesson in "To Tour or Not to Tour"

 Into every journey the inevitable quandary will arise:  To tour or not to tour?  In this case, the destination was Pompeii, the ancient city that was buried under the wrath and ash of the volcano Vesuvius.  Pompeii is world famous.  Forget solitude, forget trodding the ancient paths in silent wonder of the ages gone by.  Think cruise ships disgorging thousands of camera clutching couples bent on a day of culture, bused in by the hordes.  But we too wanted to see our slice of history.  What to do?

Every hotel offers a tour to the ruins.  For a mere 35 Euro each, we could have transport, a guide, and no worries.  The total for the trip would be 70 Euro for the tour and 26 Euro for the entrance fees.  Simple, no?  Did we choose to to do that?  No, we did not.  And in a Mea Cupla, I must admit that this was not my best day as a traveler.  So it goes.

For a mere 1.80 Euro each, we caught the local bus to Salerno, a busy port city to the south of the Amafli coast.  A muni train to Pompeii was another whopping 2 Euro each.  So far so good.  Who needs tours anyway.  Pesky things.  The muni train was a delight, skirting the mountains that block the Amalfi coast from everything else.  We arrived in the little town and, after a few twists and turns, found ourselves on a street awash in souvenir stands.  This must be the place.  Next, we were waylaid by a perky "guide" offering us free directions, a free map, and a not so free audio guide.  I was now experiencing the first of my grumpy attacks.  Too many people, the usual tourist site scams.  Meh!  I have met the enemy and he is me. 

After grumbling that the audio guides would surely be available cheaper at the main gate (they weren't) and that we had been scammed (we hadn't) we made our way to the far entrance and began our explorations of the famous ancient city.

Pompeii had been a thriving city centuries before the Roman empire claimed it as a province.  Greeks were here, then the Osci, then the Etruscans who were overcome by the nasty Samnites.  All of these folks lived and traded and built here before the Romans.  As Rome transformed from the Republic to the Empire, she extended her territory, finally subduing the warlike Samnites who controlled Pompeii.  Thereafter, until the fatal day, Pompeii was a Roman town.  Set on a navigable river that linked it to the Golfo di Napoli, this was a thriving trading hub.  Then it wasn't anything.

In 79 AD Vesuvius exploded, burying the lowlands around it in a cloud of ash, mud and poisonous gases.  Almost everyone died.  Ten years prior to the deadly event, there had been a massive earthquake that destroyed much of Pompeii.  The citizens ignored this warning and rebuilt the town on a lavish scale.  Many sites were still being rebuilt when the fateful eruption fell upon them.  I bet that made them grumpy.  I was grumpy too.

Yes, it happens.  The narrow cobbled streets of the ruins were dotted with tour groups desperately trying to follow the little flags that their guides were waving.  Worse, there was construction fencing everywhere as the good curators used millions of Euros to make Pompeii wheelchair accessible, this thanks to a giant donation form the European Union.  Grumble, grumble grumble.

Despite my inane desires to have the place to myself (what impudence!) Pompeii is indeed a wonder.  Look beyond the crowds and the construction and there are marvels at every turn.  Taverns, temples, granaries and mosaic-adorned villas all crammed along the tiny streets laid out in a perfect grid.  My Heart laughed at my grumpiness and enjoyed the sites.  I did my best, alternating between the astonishment of walking those ancient stones and carping about dodging the camera wielding throngs.  Truly, it wsn't that bad.  I can only imagine what a hell this could be on a high-season weekend.

Then there were the bodies.  At the end of the walk we came to the areas where the ash-encrusted bodies are stored, frozen in various postures of death and disbelief.  Most of the inhabitants died from breathing the poison gases that belched from Vesuvius that day.  Some died in what looks like an attempt to seek shelter, others clutching jars of coins, still others in what looks like repose.  But they all died.  The city was never rebuilt.  There were a few attempts to salvage the marble and statues, then the remains of the city were left to memory.  Even that faded over time.  The city was rediscovered by the Spanish around 1738.  Excavations have continued since that time.  The ruins have been a tourist attraction since the 1700's and have remained a key stop on the Grand Tour of Italy.

 We exited the Necropolis, the city of the dead, and found ourselves back amongst the souvenir stands of the living.  Free of our audio guides and rejuvenated with pastry and espressi, we walked back to our little muni train and began the journey home to Minori.

To tour or not to tour?  I will leave that to you.  For me, well, not my finest day as I said.  I doubt it would have been better with a group.  I admit to becoming jaded with ruins, temples and old churches.  After a week of wandering the wonders of Angkor Way on a crappy bicycle, I tend to use that as a measuring stick for other experiences.  It is a dangerous practice at best.  By all means, go to Pompeii.  It is not to be missed.  And do try to leave my grumpiness behind when you go.  I feel a need for an obligatory shout out to my Beloved Heart, who put up with me throughout the day.  Thanks Baby!  I will try to do better the next time.