Train Travel

There are more interesting things than summarizing a visit to Pompei, but despite the tourist buzzle it is still fascinating to walk through the ancient 2000+ years old streets on this 250 years old excavation site to see what the first documented natural disaster of human history in 79 AD did to 'freeze' a day in the life of a city for posterity. See my walk through the ruins in extremely high resolution and enjoy some amazing bird-eye view archeology: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=131762
The price of the ticket is 11€ (2009). The excavation site is big enough to easily get away from the crowds (e.g. school kids in groups), but be prepared to find most houses - including some of the more interesting sites - locked. My traveller's tip is to go up to the town fortification near the Herculaneum Gate (Porta Ercolanea) and the Necropolis, which is off the signposted track for the audio-guided visitors and enjoy a good view of the entire western part of the excavations as well as some sun-preheated benches to take a rest after all the walking....

Sun dial series, part 2: this one is part of the Apollo temple in Pompei

... and this picture you have probably seen in school ...

Walking past the main sights of ancient, baroque (destroyed and rebuilt in 1698, that's why) and Vincenzo Bellini Catania in the morning. Departing on the narrow gauge railway line in a rail bus from the Circumetnea station near Piazza Cavour. 6.75 € for the entire 110 km trip around the volcano from Catania to Giarre including a short stopover at Andrano and a rather long one in Randazzo later in the afternoon. Italians keep theit Siesta even at chilly winter temperatures (light snow on the ground beyond 800m); so there wasn't much to do or to see especially in Randazzo.

The train climbs up to 960m and on its journey passes vinyards, lavafields and ancient towns. There are no tourists around at this time of the year but this privately run railway line serves the population in some fairly remote villages on the foot of Etna.
At the final stop in Giarre down at the coast I spent considerable time waiting for the regular FS train back to Catania, as trains frequently late or services cancelled.

On the Circumetnea track in Adrano

Circumetnea terminal in Catania

Arriving in Messina at Sunday siesta time with hardly anybody around. Messina was destryed by an earthquake in 1906 and the rebuilt Campanile of the Cathedral displays an interesting astronomical clock.
After arriving in Catania I had a fairly hard time to find my sleeping place at Hostel Agora in the maze of little lanes. Catania: what a city!

Train station Messina Marittima