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So we leave Naples. An interesting week seeing many relics of the past from early Rome onwards. Joined by Freddie and Marcia for a few daysThe history of Naples is complicated and very bound up with the rest of the world. The Museo Archeologica was very goo and had an extensive collection of bits of naked Roman stuff. We got up Vesuvius and unlike today (raining) it was reasonably clear. But it is similar to a slag heap and only has a couple of smoking bits of rubble.
What else did we do? Pompeii, very big area not too crowded but difficult to properly appreciate, Herculaneum much smaller more compact and accessible with its tragic skeletons hoping to be saved on the then shore.
A tour of the oldest (if it had not burnt down) opera house in the world and opposite through the magnificent Galeria Umberto 1 Umberto was a king of Naples But history here is complicated.
Also one of the several underground visits to the cisterns/air raid shelters/rubbish dumps and one of the best ham and cheese toasties ever from a tent stall in Piazza Dante.
Food. Many pizzas of course,there was an excellent pizzeria (some guide books say second best in Naples) certainly very varied types and topping/fillings.
And then quite suddenly up at 6am to go to the station and climb aboard the sharp pointed red train to Turino, after waving off Jane to go home. Two more trains after that and we should be in Aosta to meet Ray who was in Geneva last night and start where we left off last year on our way to Rome. We are staying tonight on a street named for At Anselmo who was born in Aosta but became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1093 thus was contemporary with William Rufus. And would have travelled the Via Francegena certainly to Canterbury and probably to Rome.