Herculaneum

As I mentioned in my previous post, my main reason for coming to Naples in the first place was to visit Pompeii. Just because, you know, it had to be done. But a couple of months ago, my tattooist (who has a degree in anthropology, so I trust her judgement) said that Herculaneum is generally considered to be a better visit than Pompeii. I had sort of hoped I might manage to squeeze both in, which I might have done had I been more organised/less tired.

I set off from my hostel a little after 9, and got to Herculaneum around 10am. It *should* be extremely easy to get there; however, Naples aren't exactly very forthcoming with their railway route maps or departure boards so I took a guess and fortunately won.

Anyhoo. The site itself is really close to the train station, a 5 minute walk down the main road and you're there. I spent an enjoyable couple of hours wandering round the ruins and looking at all the different buildings and rooms which had been excavated.

Here would be a nice moment for me to share some interesting fact-aroons about Herculaneum. Sadly, my brain just doesn't work that way and so I can't remember anything useful. However, I will share some interesting photos instead.

The view when entering the site

Thermopolium - an establishment serving lunchtime hot food

Hanging round at another thermopolium. Didn't get any lunch though. #PoorService

I came out of Herculaneum around noon. If I'd had the energy, it would have been possible to fit Pompeii in as well, as the site was open until 7pm, but it would have been a long and tiring day. So instead, I headed back to Naples and went to the Archaeological Museum. I'm very glad I did, because this is where many of the artifacts retrieved from both Pompeii and Herculaneum are stored, so in my opinion if you go to the sites themselves, the museum is a must-visit too.

I spent a couple of hours in there, though I neglected to acquire a map and I have a feeling I missed out on some rooms - again, as with the rest of Naples, any helpful signage seems to be not only optional, but actually frowned upon. Maybe it's to ensure people earn the privilege of visiting them, I don't know. I did, however, manage to find the 'Secret Cabinet' - this is the room containing all the ruder pieces of art excavated from the volcano sites, including many, many, many phalluses (they were used as good luck talismans and were often placed over doorways to ward off evil). Don't be frightened, though, I took no pictures.