9. Antiquarium

The last stop on our tour of Pompeii is Antiquarium - a small museum, where some of the Pompeian treasures, recovered during the excavations, are exhibited.

Most of the valuable archeological finds from Pompeii are now in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples (a must-see site if you are ever in the city).

But if you cannot make it to Naples, and Pompeii is your only stop in the area, Antiquarium is a passable substitution.

It gives you good samples of all types of treasures found in Pompeii - statues, ⇨

⇨ architectural marvels, ⇨

⇨ weird crazy-looking dudes, ⇨

⇨ mosaics, ⇨

⇨ and, of course, frescoes.

And much better ones than those that you can see out "in the field", too.

But the most poignant exhibits are the plaster casts of the victims of the eruption. Yes, even horses.

Note the perfectly preserved calcified bones inside the plaster.

Or this cast of a man, who was either sleeping during the eruption, or, most probably, just resigned at one point and met his death peacefully.

Not even trying to cover his face.

I was told, this is the pose a body assumes when it′s being burnt, even after the death.

A mother with her child, probably, burnt alive by the scorching hot ash too.

Another child.

So that not to leave on such a sad note, before heading back to Naples, try one of the numerous restaurants sitting along the tracks next to the train station Pompei Scavi ("The Excavations of Pompeii"). Like this one, air conditioned and everything.

The most obvious thing to try is Neapolitan pizza, as a homage to the birthplace of pizza. This one is Capricciosa (ham and mushrooms), my favorite.

And since we are on the subject of food, here are some other things you might want to try in Naples: Parmigiana (baked eggplant with cheese and tomato sauce), ⇨

⇨ and Pastiera napoletana (ricotta cheese pie), traditionally served on Easter. This variation is called Pastiera di grano, meaning that puffed wheat grains are added to the filling, making it soft and crunchy at the same time. My Ukrainian waiter swore by it, and I wasn′t disappointed.

And finally, hop on a train like this one, to get back to Naples. (Graffiti is a real issue in Naples. I don′t think there is a flat surface left in the whole city that has not been defaced).

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