Echoes of the Past & Sounds of today
The alarm went off far too early for our liking but we had to catch a 6:35 bus in order to connect in Vietri Sul Mare to a train to Pompeii. Train strikes were announced for the day but by law they are forbidden during commuter times.
So, we arrived at our hotel just after 8 and were offered coffee. We left our suitcases behind and started the exploration of the massive ruins.
Pompeii is one of the world’s best-preserved ancient Roman cities, buried under volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. The ruins include stone-paved streets, grand temples, public baths, an amphitheatre, bustling marketplaces, and beautifully decorated homes with colourful frescoes and intricate mosaics. Many buildings remain remarkably intact, providing a vivid picture of daily Roman life. Archaeologists have also uncovered bakeries, shops, and plaster casts of victims, preserving the final moments of those caught in the eruption. Today, Pompeii Archaeological Park is one of the world’s most important archaeological sites, offering an unparalleled window into Roman civilization just before the catastrophic eruption that preserved it.
We walked around the countless streets and both of us were stunned how big the city was. In a couple of hours, a complete city was destroyed by a violent eruption. But there was so much to be seen. At some places the frescoes were still well visible so we could admire them.
Above one part of the ruins a construction was built so we could walk over the ruins and see them from a bird eye perspective, that was really interesting.
There was a lot to be discovered and at places where the most beautiful frescoes were to be seen there was access control so they would not be overcrowded. Nowadays only 20.000 visitors a day are allowed in Pompeii but at times it still felt very crowded.
Of course, we could not miss out a visit to the amphitheatre where tomorrow we would witness a, without doubt, spectacular concert of Marillion. We had already met several people from all over the world who were wearing Marillion T-shirts.
When we left the ruins and set at a bar for a drink, we were quickly joined by Sabine. Later Sune and Sølvi passed by as well as others. It was a wonderful group of people and we were all sharing Marillion related stories of this trip and previous ones.
Also, Lucy (Marillion’s manager) passed by and said hello and not much later we saw Pete (Bass player) and his wife Fiona so we went there to say hello as well and had a nice conversation.
The limoncello-spritz kept on coming and by the end of the afternoon I truly noticed that. We returned to our hotel where we fell asleep.
The next day, after breakfast we returned to the site of the ruins for a second time. We thought we had a three-day ticket which was correct but we were only allowed to enter the rooms one. Long live information on the official website. As we still had not seen a large part of the ruins and the villas, we decided to buy two additional tickets so we could spend some more time at the site.
We visited two from the five public bathhouses that had been excavated. There were wonderful details of the decoration to be seen and one of the houses showed the impressive warm water system and how it worked.
The highlight of the day was without doubt the Villa dei Misteri, one of the most famous and well-preserved villas in Pompeii, located just outside the ancient city’s walls. Built in the 2nd century BCE, it belonged to a wealthy Roman family and served as both a luxurious home and a working estate. The villa is best known for its remarkable frescoes in the Room of the Mysteries, which depict life-sized figures believed to represent an initiation ceremony into the cult of Dionysus, the Roman god of wine and fertility. Although the exact meaning of these paintings remains uncertain, they are considered masterpieces of Roman art. The villa was buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, preserving its architecture and decorations, and today it provides valuable insight into Roman religion, daily life, and artistic achievement.
Next, we spent some more time in an area we had not explored yesterday and then we returned to our hotel for a short swim and an afternoon nap. We had thoroughly enjoyed our exploration of Pompeii and had not regretted buying another ticket. The site of the ruins is too extensive anyway to be seen in one day.
It already was our last night in Pompeii, a night that would be engraved in our memories forever. Marillion live in the ancient amphitheatre of Pompeii, how good can it get? But now first a well-deserved nap.
We had waited a long time for this and actually tonight’s event was the main reason we engaged on this trip. Marillion live at the amphitheatre in Pompeii. Marillion live is always a treat but this night in this famous venue it was going to be epic.
But first we met Charl and Helma on a terrace for a drink and not much later Maurice, Ben, Conny and Silvia joined us. Although all of them were going for the gig tomorrow it was great to meet again and share stories from past events and these two epic gigs.
As we had a gig to attend, we left early and had a small bite to eat. On the way to the Amphitheatre, we met Sabine and Heike who convinced us to enjoy another melonspritz together. Once that was finished the four of us headed towards the venue. It was funny to see how many grey Marillion Pompeii T-shirts filled the town, as well as a large collection of other Marillion T-shirts. It truly felt like the Marillion family took over.
By the time Vladi and I walked through the tunnel towards the arena I felt getting a bit emotional. Once inside the theatre we found our places which were absolutely fabulous, row 14 slightly on the left of stage. Both of us were really getting excited by now and we could feel the excitement in the crowd growing. We chatted with a couple of fellow Marillionaires, said hello to friends in the crowd
And then, 15 minutes later than planned the intro music was started and slowly changed into the notes of Splintering heart, causing instant goosebumps. The band was in top form and both of us could only sit down with a big smile on our faces, constantly pinching each other as we still could not believe this was really happening.
The surrounding was phenomenal; the sound was good and the lightshow with an abundance of lasers was simply unbelievable. One new song from the upcoming album was played, a little preview of what was to come. h (The singer of Marillion) apparently was high on adrenaline as he was sometimes searching for words in between the song. Both for the band as well as the fans this must have been a tremendous experience; it’s going to be hard to beat this…
After an hour and a half h announced they would take a short break and come back with something really Italian, by then we knew that really Italian “thing” would be Flowing Chords, a choir from Rome, who we had seen at earlier shows. What followed was truly the highlight of the evening. The second set started with crowd pleaser “The space” and contained some true surprises. The choir added some more depth to the Marillion songs and at times my jaw dropped.
There were some technical glitches, both Mark and Steve Rothery had some problems and a guitar amplifier had to be exchanged, but it was nothing the band couldn’t handle. With humour the problems were simply waved away whilst being sorted. Then h announced man of a thousand faces, another of my favourite tracks, together with the choir this became the epic ending of an epic performance. A performance that was designed as a unique, immersive experience spanning Marillion’s career.
The band left the stage again and music was started, for us the sign it was all over. 2 ½ hours of magic, pure magic.
Vladi and I enjoyed a final limoncello spritz before heading back to the hotel. This concert will stay in our minds forever, the epic end of an epic journey. One more day in Napoli and then it’s truly over. But pinch me…. Did it really happen?
After a very short night we woke up, enjoyed our breakfast and headed towards the railway station for the one-hour ride to Napoli. We connected with the metro to Toledo from where it was only a short walk towards our accommodation. There we left our suitcases behind and went off for a delightful lunch. Both of us selected a spaghetti dal golfo which turned out to be the right decision.
Vladi had mentioned one place before that he wanted to visit and as it was in the area we headed over there for the final visit of our holiday.
The Complesso Monumentale di Santa Maria la Nova is one of Naples’ most significant historic and artistic landmarks, located in the heart of the city’s historic centre. Originally founded in 1279 by the Franciscan Order under the patronage of King Charles I of Anjou, the complex was rebuilt in the late sixteenth century after suffering damage from earthquakes and explosions, resulting in the elegant Baroque appearance seen today. It comprises a magnificent church, peaceful Renaissance cloisters, and a former monastery Inside, we admired richly decorated chapels, an impressive gilded wooden ceiling adorned with paintings by renowned Neapolitan artists, and elaborate marble tombs belonging to noble families.
But the true reason we went there the controversial legend that it may contain the tomb of Vlad III “the Impaler” (Dracula), and after some wandering through the massive building we found it. Santa Maria la Nova offered a quieter yet equally rewarding alternative to Naples’ more famous monuments, and after having seen the more famous monuments in Naples it was the perfect place to finish our tour of Campania.
Back at our accommodation we slept for some hours, it had been a short night after all. In the evening we went out for one final meal and enjoy one more time the sparkling nightlife of Quartieri Spagnoli.
What should I say about this trip that hasn’t been said before. It was simply epic. From the beginning to the grand finale in the end, we simply loved every single moment of it. Naples, Capri, Sorrento, Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. Each and every stop at our trip has been equally impressive and enjoyable. But without doubt, the grand finale was experiencing Marillion live at the ancient Amphitheatre in Pompeii. Meeting good friends before the gig, the whole emotional buildup to the concert, and then… oh well, words fail.
The next day we had booked a short taxi ride to the airport where we arrived in time so we could go through all the procedures in a relaxed way. Our flight to Munich left in time and after a short stopover we continued to Dusseldorf. There we were picked up by our dear friends Zana and Goran who brought us home.
Another trip had come to an end and both of us were happy to be home. As wonderful and inspiring as Italy has there’s no place than our own little spot on this planet. Having said that.
Campania, you have been epic!!!! Grazie mille.