Friday 12th September 2025 – Pompeii, Italy

 

To Oplontis and the Villa Poppea. We just needed to take the mini-bus shuttle provided free to Pompeii ticket holders – simples! We waited in the place where the bus was supposed to leave from but it didn’t arrive. Given that we were right next to railway station, we decided to take the train to Torre Annunziata, which only left us a 5 minute walk to get to the villa.
The villa is impressive and must have had a lovely view over the sea. When we had finished our visit, we decided to have a meal before we returned. We asked in the nearby Tourist Information Office about local pizzerias and were recommended one that was 20 minutes walk away. It was very good but we then had to walk the 20 minutes back to the station.
Having bought our tickets, we walked to the platform crammed with people who were waiting for the delayed train. The next train to Pompeii was soon also showing as delayed and it became clear that there was a major problem on the line. We decided to try to catch the Pompeii shuttle bus back but, needless to say, it didn’t turn up at the appointed time. The bus stop had a large queue of people from the station who were desperately trying to get busses, lifts or taxis to continue their journey. We decided that walking was probably the best option and we set off for the 40 minute walk back to the campsite. We stopped at a Conad Supermarket for a very welcome coffee served with a deliciously cold glass of water. At the next table, a couple arrived with a pet pram that held a duck and drake – something that we have never seen before. We thought that it might be a common thing in Italy but, given the surprised reaction of other customers, it isn’t.
On the bright side, we found a lovely patisserie that sold tiny pastries including Neapolitan specialities. Opposite there was an excellent bakers and we bought a crusty sourdough loaf.
Not a terribly successful day but Oplontis was well worth the visit.
Photos: The Oplontis Villa; Still life fresco – I was surprised to see that they had cling film then; A pond with a fountain in the centre of the villa; A typical regimented Italian beach in Torre Annunziata; If you look very carefully, you will see a duck in the pet pram; We were amused to see this sign on the walk back but, given that we didn’t need, or indeed want, a horse, we didn’t investigate.