Herculaneum

Another amazing day! It got off to a rocky start when we were about to get on the right train, but the employee told us it wasn't the right one and we rushed off. Not cool. Eventually we were able to get on another train and were on our way to Herculaneum!

Most of my life I didn't think about how the eruption of Mt Vesuvius must have effected more than just Pompeii. Herculaneum is a much smaller town, which is probably why it isn't as well known, but it was a wealthier town. Comparable in many ways but still a completely different experience than visiting Pompeii!

Herculaneum isn't a super popular attraction, so the path there was a little questionable but we eventually made it. And I'm so glad we did! It is extremely well preserved and really gave us a glimpse of the luxurious lives some Romans led. Their frescoes and mosaics were intricate, and we loved seeing the big yards and courtyards. We even got to see a bath house! We were surprised to see so many multilevel houses, and we were given access to more than I expected.

Shey told me that I wore the perfect archaeologist inspired outfit and snapped some pics for me.  Of course I had thought this through - travel outfit planning is not something to take lightly!

As mentioned, it is a much smaller site than Pompeii, and honestly I would recommend Herculaneum over Pompeii if you don't have a ton of time. I can't say which one I liked more, so I feel extremely lucky that we had time to see both!

Some more history lessons, talking about what these windows may have been used for.  Merchant windows perhaps?

We found a cool underground pizzeria for lunch before catching our train to Rome. Bailey got a "fried pizza" (calzone??) Naples was fun but I do feel like it is time to move on. I'm so excited to continue our adventures in Rome!

Helpful Travel Madi wearing 20 lb backpack as well as occasionally carrying Shey's camera and Bailey's drink.  Painful but the adventures are so worth it!