Journal Entry: Portici

I arrived in Portici a little after noon. The Napoli Centrale station had received a massive makeover since I was here last. There were all these nice and new upscale shops.

 

I like Portici, you can walk from Fabric Hostel to Herculaneum

There are a lot of African men panhandling this time. I saw more of them than I’ve seen gypsies. I had a banana for breakfast along with a few veggie chips and an apple for lunch. By the time dinner rolled around I was starving. I bought some deep fried pizza for €2. There was nothing else and it was delicious. I also bought a large Peroni beer for €1.50.

Herculaneum was amazing. V. and I had missed a whole lot of stuff. I’d say we only saw about half of the place. I took a few hundred pictures. 

 

View of Herculaneum with Vesuvius in the Background

I walked to Herculaneum from Portici, down the narrow, “shady” road that V. and I had walked, but it didn’t see so dodgy to me this time. Maybe it was because it was earlier in the day. When V. and I walked it, I think everyone was on siesta. 

And speaking of V., I am staying in the same room! Not the same bunk though. The showers could stand to have somewhere to put toiletries. 

 

Fabric Hostel

The Italian SIM card in my phone is working out nicely. Jan and Andy called me this evening. It costs me nothing, other than the cost of the SIM card, which was €20. It costs them 4 cents a minute. A very good deal. [Last time my phone bill was $400 when I got home.]

Anyway, I went off on a tangent there. I walked back up the hill to the Circumvesuviana line and took the train back to Portici, with the intent of finding something to eat on the way down Via Libertá. I think the pizza place where V. and I ate went out of business (or maybe they moved somewhere else?) Where I think they were, there is a fabric store now. It seems there aren’t many places to eat anymore along the road here. I seem to remember there being more, although my memory does suck!

Tomorrow I am going to Pompei and possibly Sorrento if I get done early at Pompei. We will see.