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Originally Posted by: Saint Snow  I was in Naples last Monday and visited Pompeii. Astonishing place. My understanding (and I also watched a documentary a few months/a year ago) is that the whole Bay of Naples area is a giant Caldera, and the entire area has lifted 2m in the past few years as the magma chamber builds (IIRC, it had only risen 2m in the preceding 60 years) Oh, and I was on Sicily on Wednesday, a few days before Etna cranked the pyrotechnics back up. Jealous? Me? Too right! 
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Aberdeen |
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Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 42,459  Location: St Helens
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Originally Posted by: doctormog Jealous? Me? Too right!
Not sure what exactly you're jealous of, but if it's Pompeii, then all I can say is try to do it. It's an amazing place. And get a good tour guide, as they will make your visit. Ours wasn't great, but still conveyed enough to have me absolutely staggered. The scale of the place was overwhelming enough (it's surprisingly massive), but immerse yourself in the facts (eg, it was buried under 10m - yes, metres - of ash and pumice) and it's simply staggering. It was a 'bucket list' thing for me, and actually surpassed expectations. But Naples was a absolute dump. We only drove through it, and some parts might be nice, but if you're going to visit, I'd recommend staying further afield, like in Sorrento or along the Amalfi coast. Or, as we did, visit on a cruise. |
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Martin Home: St Helens (26m asl) Work: Manchester (75m asl)
A TWO addict since 14/12/01
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 11,734 Location: Chichester 12m. asl
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Originally Posted by: Saint Snow Not sure what exactly you're jealous of, but if it's Pompeii, then all I can say is try to do it. It's an amazing place. And get a good tour guide, as they will make your visit. Ours wasn't great, but still conveyed enough to have me absolutely staggered. The scale of the place was overwhelming enough (it's surprisingly massive), but immerse yourself in the facts (eg, it was buried under 10m - yes, metres - of ash and pumice) and it's simply staggering. It was a 'bucket list' thing for me, and actually surpassed expectations. But Naples was a absolute dump. We only drove through it, and some parts might be nice, but if you're going to visit, I'd recommend staying further afield, like in Sorrento or along the Amalfi coast. Or, as we did, visit on a cruise. Sorrento is nice, we werethere for New Year about 5 years ago, direct coach from Naples airport avoiding the city, Circumvesuviana railway to Pompeii and Herculaneum, buses along the spectacular corniche road to Amalfi. Glad to hear that you enjoyed Pompeii though when we were there then we felt Herculaneum was even better - the part you can see (most is under the modern town) was less crowded and very well restored whereas restoration of Pompeii seemed to be a matter of putting up scaffolding and a'No entry' sign! The previous boss i/c restoration has however been sacked for diverting funds and the project is now under control of an army man, though. Off-topic, but 40 years ago we stayed in Naples and then moved on to Palermo. Naples hotelkeeper - You're going to Palermo? But they shoot people in the street!. Palermo hotelkeeper - You've come from Naples? And you haven't been robbed! |
It was most foule weather ... and so we went into an alehouse - Samuel Pepys |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 04/04/2006(UTC)
Posts: 68,464
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Originally Posted by: Saint Snow Not sure what exactly you're jealous of, but if it's Pompeii, then all I can say is try to do it. It's an amazing place. And get a good tour guide, as they will make your visit. Ours wasn't great, but still conveyed enough to have me absolutely staggered. The scale of the place was overwhelming enough (it's surprisingly massive), but immerse yourself in the facts (eg, it was buried under 10m - yes, metres - of ash and pumice) and it's simply staggering. It was a 'bucket list' thing for me, and actually surpassed expectations. But Naples was a absolute dump. We only drove through it, and some parts might be nice, but if you're going to visit, I'd recommend staying further afield, like in Sorrento or along the Amalfi coast. Or, as we did, visit on a cruise.
Not jealous of Naples but Pompeii and Etna are both on my ‘bucket list’ (along with Yellowstone of course!) |
Aberdeen |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 1,840 Location: South Dorset
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 3,346 
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Originally Posted by: doctormog
Not jealous of Naples but Pompeii and Etna are both on my ‘bucket list’ (along with Yellowstone of course!) I would very much recommend a visit to Naples. So many cities in Europe are almost like open air museums, beautiful but entirely for tourists. Naples is a stunning city but not entirely conquered by tourism. |
Lionel Hutz
Nr.Waterford , S E Ireland 68m ASL
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 11,734 Location: Chichester 12m. asl
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Originally Posted by: Lionel Hutz I would very much recommend a visit to Naples. So many cities in Europe are almost like open air museums, beautiful but entirely for tourists. Naples is a stunning city but not entirely conquered by tourism. 30 years ago, stayed in Naples before taking train on to Palermo, not without a thought for the Campi Flegrei in western Naples where the old caldera was heaving up and down by a metre or two. Apparently the upper strata are relatively strong and managed to restrain the magma moving around underneath - for now. Innkeeper in Naples "Going to Palermo? They shoot people in the street there!" Innkeeper in Palermo "From Naples? and you haven't been robbed?" |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 05/04/2006(UTC) Posts: 27,885 Location: Purley, Surrey
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Originally Posted by: Lionel Hutz I would very much recommend a visit to Naples. So many cities in Europe are almost like open air museums, beautiful but entirely for tourists. Naples is a stunning city but not entirely conquered by tourism. For those who have Sky subscription or Now TV should watch the series "My Brilliant Friend", an HBO production but entirely in the local Neapolitan dialect. Really captures the mood and politics of the post war period, the corruption, mafia influence, patriarchy etc |
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 28/10/2013(UTC) Posts: 13,285 Location: East Galway, Ireland 35 m asl
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Hearing reports of an earthquake in Los Angeles in the last hour. Nothing overly major but bigger than what they are commonly used to. |
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