Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
peddles everything from stock-standard junk to fabulous offbeat finds (killer cocktail
dresses, vinyl-LP handbags and the odd military jacket). One of the best shops is
Old Star
(Via Pugliano 60; 8am-1pm Mon-Sun; Circumvesuviana to Ercolano-Scavi)
; ask
politely and you may be shown the rare stock upstairs, often borrowed by international de-
signers for study and inspiration.
Look out for the vintage Moschino and Fendi, ornate 1970s Indian fashion, and top-
quality cashmere sweaters. From the Circumvesuviana Ercolano-Scavi station, walk
downhill 400m to Prima Traversa Mercato. Turn right into it and you'll stumble onto Via
Pugliano 200m later.
Ruins of Pompeii
Offline map
( 081 857 53 47;
www.pompeiisites.org
;
entrances at Porta Marina & Piazza An-
fiteatro; adult/reduced €11/5.50, combined ticket incl Herculaneum, Oplontis, Stabiae &
Boscoreale €20/10; 8.30am-7.30pm Apr-Oct, 8.30am-5pm Nov-Mar, last entry 90min
before closing)
The ruins of Pompeii are priceless. Much of the site's value lies in the fact
that it wasn't simply blown away by Vesuvius in AD 79, rather it was buried under a layer
of
lapilli
(burning fragments of pumice stone). The result is a remarkably well-preserved
slice of ancient life, where visitors can walk down Roman streets and snoop around
millennia-old abodes and businesses (including a brothel).
As terrible as the eruption was, it could have been worse. Seventeen years earlier Pom-
peii (Pompei in Italian) had been devastated by an earthquake and much of the
20,000-strong population had been evacuated. Many had not returned by the time Vesuvi-
us blew, but 2000 men, women and children perished nevertheless.
RUIN
