Day 4: A Chipotle in Pompeii

Who knew that they had Chipotle in ancient Rome? They called these fabulous establishments Thermopolia, and there were 89 of them in the city of Pompeii. We imagined eating at a very particular one - the Thermopolium of Vetutius Placidus (picture). Fast food was just one of the many amazing things we saw in Pompeii today. But let me start from the beginning.

Unlike yesterday, which was a slow day, today was a fast-moving one. We got only about 5 hours of sleep - we couldn't fall asleep till almost 2 am, and had to get up at 7:30 to catch a train to Pompeii - the ancient Roman city that was buried in a volcano explosion in 79 AD. I read about this when I was maybe 8 years old, and have wanted to visit Pompeii ever since. So when Kinjal expressed an interest in going

there, there was no objection from me!

We headed to the Termini train station around 8:30 after breakfast at the hotel. We had some trouble buying tickets from the ticket machine - many of them didnt work or were very slow. This is one thing I need to point out - unlike most Americans, the Italians don't seem to get frustrated when things don't work. We eventually found a working kiosk, and bought tickets. Turns out Pompeii is a small place and we need to go to Naples and change to a different train. The train ride was perfect - there was even a charger for my iphone so I could do some work-related reading.

But chaos began when we arrived in Naples. Turns out NO ONE there, not information desk folks, security guards, or anyone else for that matter, knew how to get to Pompeii. It was befuddling. Pompeii has to be one of the most visited places in Italy - it is just impossible to believe no one knew where to go to catch the train. Our time in and around the train station was nerve-wracking. Eventually (after almost 2 hours of running around), we took a combination of trains and buses to get to our

destination. And when I say there, I have to say that it wasn't the right there. We arrived at the wrong Pompei train station (Pompei instead of Pompeii), and had to walk a couple miles to finally get to the ruins, with taxi drivers trying to trick us the entire time.

Once we arrived though, our troubles were over. It was a chilly day like all the others so far. but sunny so very pleasant. We had lunch at a place called Four Seasons (picture). Kinjal shared some pizza with Jill and a salad with me, and had a cappuccino. I had an enormous salad with pizza-style pita bread.

And then we were at the excavation site, or scavi, as they say. The city is spread over 100s of acres of terrain, and we walked for almost 4-5 hours (with a small break in the middle at a cafe where Jill and Sam had gelattos, Kinjal had a tiramisu and nutella sticks, and I had a capuccino). I had heard others say this before, but walking around truly felt like a trip back in time. Kinjal commented that we could just don a toga and it would be like being in 79 AD. The ash from the Mt Vesuvius eruption preserved the

city because it allowed for no air or moisture to get through. We didn't see too many of the thousands that died in the burying of the city - just a few skeletons and skulls in glass cases. I presume any that survived the thousand years, have been removed, and certainly some have been taken to the Naples Archaeological Museum if the movie A Trip to Italy is to be believed.

We saw all the major sites - the amphitheater, homes of wealthy merchants, homes of the poorer residents, the Forum, multiple temples, bathhouses, not to mention one of the dozens of bordellos in town (pictures). There were apparently almost as many of these fine establishments as there were bakeries in town, and you could snare a lady for the price of a glass of wine. I wish I could have taught them the principle of supply and demand.

Vesuvius was in sight from almost every place in the city, reminding the visitors that it could erupt anytime again - it is a live volcano after all.

I am glad we were there today. According to recent reports, the site is falling apart, and conservation efforts cannot keep up with natural decay. Now that there is no mud and ash to keep up the city, nature is doing a number on it, and the city isn't expected to last long without significant investment. I think they need to virtualize it rather than sinking money in a losing proposition.

We were quite exhausted by around 5:30 and took the train back to Naples. I read on the train that Naples is where pizza was invented in the 16th century. So it was a moral imperative for me to have some. Not having much time, I had to be satisfied with getting a slices of a margherita (mozzarella cheese and basil were the toppings) pizza at the train station. It was nonetheless divine! Though I would agree that the Italians may have invented the pizza, but the Americans have perfected it.

Getting back to Rome was much easier, and our train ride smooth as silk. We came back to the hotel, Kinjal caught up with email, and I wrote my update for the day. We are tired to the bone, but happy. We walked 10+ miles today!