Because one set of ruins is never enough
After five hours at Pompeii we had hit most of the main sights. We were hot, we were exhausted, we had walked who-knows-how-many kilometres, but we’re hardcore. The Poolboy and I looked at each other and said, “Two in one day? Do you think we’re up for it?”
Oh yes, we are! Go hard, or go home.
The girls groaned.
We boarded the Circumvesuviana local train at the Pompeii Scavi station and twenty minutes later, got off at Ercolano Scavi station in a suburb of Naples. From there is was a short walk downhill to the Ercolano (Herculaneum) ruins.
Herculaneum (Ercolano to the Italians) was a seaside fishing and resort town which suffered the same fate as Pompeii in 79AD. However, while Pompeii was buried by stone and ash and much of it damaged and destroyed, Herculaneum drowned in a massive mud/lava slide and is much better preserved.
This looks like a moat (above), but is in fact the original shoreline. See that wall of rock/dirt on the right? That’s how much mud engulfed the town (approximately 17 metres depth). The new shoreline is now several hundred metres further to the right.
Around 300 fossilised bodies were found in this area – obviously trying to flee in terror from the oncoming tide of mud.
Again, I’ll let you take it all in pictorially…
Vicious creatures!
Hercules after a big night out.
A couple of hours at Herculaneum, and then we headed back to Pompeii on the train. We arrived in time to walk back through the ruins, departing through the back entrance right on closing time.
Oh yes, we were totally ruined.
Later…on to Sorrento
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