Day five - Rome to Herculaneum

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 We’re now halfway through our interrail expedition of Europe and we have settled into a wonderful hotel in the shadow of Vesuvius. The plan is to explore Pompeii, Herculaneum and the mountain itself while we’re based here.

The short train journey from Rome to Naples was somewhat enhanced by the misfortune of a young man who deposited his elderly mother into her seat next to mine, before heading off the train. We had reassured him in our broken Italian that we would help her off the train in Milan. As the train pulled out of Rome, we were all torn between dismay and amusement by the son’s return to our carriage - he had failed to leave the train and would be joining our journey.

Our arrival in Naples went perfectly until we tried to board the train to take us along the coastal road to Herculaneum. Other passengers at the bus stop informed that either we didn’t need a ticket at all (unlikely) or that we should get one in the train station. I ran around to no avail and we ended up getting a very expensive taxi, but arrived at our hotel to be delighted.

The Il San Cristoforo is definitely worth a look if you’re thinking of staying somewhere close to those archaeological sites outside Naples. Rooms are modern, clean and fairly spacious and staff are outstanding. We hadn’t expected a pool area to relax in, as well as stunning gardens all around. The views of Vesuvius are a little sobering, given that mountain’s role in the destruction of both Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79AD. We are looking forward to exploring further in the next few days. 
Location: Via Sacerdote Cozzolino Benedetto, 29 H/I, 80056 Ercolano NA, Italy

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