Europe Archives - Anna S. E. Lundberg

Mini-road trip to Bath (via Castle Combe and Lacock)

10 February, 2017 By Anna S E Lundberg Leave a Comment

When my friend initially suggested a weekend away, my mind immediately went to warmer climes – could we go to Spain, Portugal… maybe the Canary Islands? Mostly through lack of decision-making capabilities and the postponing of any organisation at all, we eventually ended up with just one night away, and in England. We quickly booked an Airbnb (all hotels in the city were full on booking.com) and off we went with little idea of what to expect. After our little trip, though, I’ve come away with a newfound appreciation for mini-trips and above all for staying in the country!

I’ve always wanted to go to Bath. In fact, I did go there for a weekend many years ago to visit my sister, who was studying a semester there as part of her masters, but she had already done the touristy things so many times that the only thing I remember from that visit was going to buy some fudge! Most famous of course are the Roman baths, but Bath is also known for its link to Jane Austen – so the two of these things were definitely enough of a draw for me to come back and see the sights!

Before getting to Bath, though, we made a little stop along the way in Castle Combe. Voted the prettiest village in England, it wasn’t exactly at its best when we arrived in the rain but it was still well worth the stop and it really is very picturesque. This is also where scenes from War Horse were filmed, with Steven Spielberg bringing in 300 extras and 30 horses for the filming.

Baked goods in Caste Combe — What better indication of going back in time than this little bakery where sales are made on trust (you simply take what you want and leave the money)…

The Old Rectory Team Room — The Old Rectory Tea Room, one of the few places that was even open when we arrived for Friday lunch!

Castle Combe war memorial — The effects of the war must have been particularly felt in such a small village. The names on the war memorial read:
Ernest Young
Harry Melsom
Rowland Pullin
Arthur King
Eustace Watkins
Fred Purbrick
Richard Neate
Stanley James

I found the city of Bath itself to be a beautiful place, a World Heritage Site set against the hills of Somerset and with a dominant Georgian architecture seen throughout.

The Circus is a ring of townhouses (‘circus’, as I’ve learned, comes from the Latin for ring or oval), one of the great examples of Georgian architecture and a Grade 1 listed building. Fun fact courtesy of Wikipedia: it’s the same diameter as that of Stone Henge.

The Royal Crescent, a row of 30 terraced houses, is another Grade 1 listed building with an impressive Georgian stone facade.

It’s impossible not to think of Venice when you see this and, indeed, Pulteney Bridge was designed using early drawings for the famous Rialto Bridge.

Bath Abbey with its characteristic Gothic architectural design. My friend and I were so inspired by the architecture we saw that we’ve both just signed up to an online architecture course at Harvard!

The baths themselves were constructed by the Romans around 70AD, built on England’s only hot springs. There was a caldarium (hot bath), a tepidarium (warm bath) and a frigidarium (cold bath) alongside a Sacred Spring and Temple. Confusingly, for me, there is a mix of the Roman ruins within the museum and the later buildings and statues that exist above street level, which are rather from the 19^th century – though of course that’s just common sense, that the building could not have been in such good condition if it had been 2,000 years old!

The Roman Baths, Bath — The baths would have originally have had a roof on top, making the room echo like a modern swimming hall.

Julius Caesar at the baths — Julius Caesar looks on from above (though, of course, this statue dates from long after the Romans, from the 19th century)

The Sacred Spring, Bath — The steam rises from the Sacred Spring, dedicated to the goddess Minerva; this one was not for bathing.

On the way back from Bath, we made a second little stop in another quaint though slightly larger village (we counted four pubs!). Lacock (pronounced lay-cock rather than the more French “la coque” that I wanted to call it) has also been seen in Hollywood, appearing in Harry Potter (the Abbey provided classrooms for Hogwarts in the very first film, while the village itself provided Slughorn’s house in the Half-blood Prince) as well as in Downton Abbey and the BBC’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

Lacock Abbey, founded in the early 13th century

The practical bit

Castle Combe

Find out more about this little village on the website. It’s about half an hour from Bath.
We had lunch at the Old Rectory Tearoom, where you can also choose to have afternoon tea or cake (okay, we had some cake too – each portion was two slices!!).

The city of Bath

The Roman baths are definitely a highlight. If you want the modern-day equivalent, visit the Thermae Bath Spa, Britain’s original natural thermal spa.
Bath Abbey is stunning from the outside and if you’re interested in visiting the interior as well there is a suggested £4 donation that they take on entry.

As far as Jane Austen goes, we ended up not doing anything at all. If you do end up in Bath, though, there are plenty of things to be done – especially in 2017, the 200^th anniversary of her death:

You can in fact stay in Jane’s family house from the early 1800s, in a self-catering apartment at 4 Sydney Place
There’s the Jane Austen Centre, a small museum that also offers walking tours around the city
You can visit the Assembly Rooms, where there would have been many evening balls where young ladies would hope to dance with eligible bachelors

Lacock

Lacock is part of the National Trust – read more on their website. The parking is just a short walk from the village. You can stay in one of the old houses (it was open for a free visit when we were there) or have coffee and cake in one of the tea rooms.

Wedding Weekend in Istanbul

3 June, 2016 By Anna S E Lundberg Leave a Comment

The Blue Mosque, probably the most iconic and recognisable structure on the Istanbul city skyline, as seen from the rooftop of my hotel

I was recently fortunate enough to be invited to a wedding in Istanbul, Turkey, giving me an excuse to visit this city for the first time.

Istanbul is a transcontinental city, one part in Asia and the other in Europe. My weekend visit was limited to the European side, the old town where all the main tourist attractions are located. The city, previously known as Byzantium and later Constantinople, has been the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman empires. Converted to Christianity under the Romans, it remained so until the Ottomans took over in the 15^th century. Today the majority of the population is Muslim, specifically Sunni. As of the Turkish Republic forming in 1923, the focus was shifted towards the capital of Ankara; but Istanbul retains its cultural and historical importance.

I’ve never had so many positive comments on my Instagram posts as I had during this weekend – “I love Istanbul!” and “Say hi to Istanbul for me” – so it’s clearly beloved by those who have spent time here.

I’m always interested in places that were used as film locations and Istanbul doesn’t disappoint.

The Bosphorus Strait, with Asia over on the other side, as seen from the rooftop of my hotel

In the second film of the James Bond series, From Russia with Love, Istanbul Ataturk airport, the Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia, and the Basilica Cistern all feature as does the Bosphorus ferry and the Orient Express. Fast forward to the Pierce Brosnan era and The World is Not Enough sees Istanbul playing the role of Azerbaijan, with M imprisoned in an 11^th century lighthouse, the Maiden Tower, at the mouth of the Bosphorus. And for a spectacular finale, in Skyfall, the motorcycle chase of the opening scenes took place through Eminonu Square, across the rooftops and into the Grand Bazaar.

(A quick Google tells me that there are several other well-known films that used Istanbul as a setting, including Argo (in which the Grand Bazaar represents a market in Teheran!), Taken 2, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.)

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia comes from the Greek for ‘Holy Wisdom’ (in fact my second name is Sofia, and naturally I am very wise). Today a museum, it’s been both a Christian church (a Greek Orthodox basilica, 537-1453) and an imperial mosque (1453-1931). As a result, it’s an interesting mix with mosaics depicting Jesus and Mary alongside Islamic features like the mihrab (a niche in the wall that indicates the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca) and the minbar (the stair-like pulpit from which the imam delivers sermons).

Perhaps my favourite feature was some Viking graffiti on the upper level!

The Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque is not particularly blue but, as I discovered, the popular name comes from the coloured tiles inside the mosque rather than the exterior. Its official name is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, commissioned by Sultan Ahmet I in the early 17^th century. It’s an incredibly impressive building with its 13 domes and 6 minarets.

The inner courtyard was lined with notice boards, on which you could read and learn about the pillars of Islam and its various rituals. It’s possible for visitors to enter into the main dome area, having borrowed a mosque-branded covering to abide by the regulations to cover a woman’s head, shoulders and legs.

Blue Mosque courtyard — Looking up at the main dome from inside the courtyard

When I first entered the courtyard, I was approached by a friendly man who I thought was an official of the mosque, explaining that the mosque was closed for prayer. “I’m not a guide, I sell carpets,” he said, seemingly reassuring me… as if selling carpets to me in the mosque would be more welcome than giving me useful information! I returned the following to day to visit the interior.

The Basilica Cistern

The Cistern (in Turkish Yerebatan Sarnici, which means ‘cistern sinking into the ground’) was built in the 6^th century. It’s the largest of many cisterns that lie beneath the city and that provided water to the nearby palaces for many centuries.

The underground chamber is lined with marble columns. The Hen’s Eye column, decorated with tears, is said to honour the hundreds of slaves who died during construction. Another notable design element (there are signs throughout the Cistern pointing the way) are the two columns whose bases are carved into the head of Medusa – one upside down, the other on its side.

The Grand Bazaar

Some of the ornate lamps on sale at the Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s oldest and largest covered markets, is also one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions. It was built soon after the Ottoman conquest of what was then Constantinople, its construction completed in 1461. A century later, a second covered market was built a little north of the first, and gradually shops were opened up between the two so that it became one large commercial area. By the early 17^th century, it was the hub of Mediterranean trade.

Turkish delight, but not as you know it!

Different businesses now tend to be focused in different areas, for example with jewellery along one street, carpets along another, leather goods along a third… I was with a friend who seemed to be able to navigate effortlessly along the different streets, but personally I was soon completely lost. I was nervous as always about the haggling that’s always expected at this kind of market, but I was relieved to find that the sellers were not too pushy. They were actually pretty funny, their sales techniques showing quite some creativity:

“Genuine fake leather goods!”

“I have everything you need!”

“Come and buy something you don’t need!”

Given my nomadic status I didn’t really need any big carpets or lamps but I did buy some tea, spices and Turkish delight. I know the latter mostly from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, in which the White Queen for some reason tempts Edmund with a box of Turkish delight. I’ve never liked the powdery stuff that you get in England but the colourful range on offer here at the Bazaar was very different. I bought a stick of pomegranate and pistachio; the chocolate one was also tasty!

The Wedding

The Dutch-Turkish wedding itself was exactly what you could have hoped for: a short but moving ceremony, held in Turkish and English on a rooftop with views of both Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque; delicious food kicked off with a platter of cold meze; traditional Turkish dancing, and a belly-dancing scarf for each of us to join in; oh, and fezzes and Dutch bonnets to top it all off.

The best man made a poignant remark about how thankful he was that we had all come to the wedding despite what had happened (in March, there was a suicide bombing in front of the district governor’s office), and I think we were all happy to have overcome any lingering concerns to celebrate the couple on their special day.

I stayed at the Seven Hills Hotel, a short stumble across the road from the Four Seasons where the wedding was being held. Even if you don’t stay there, I’d definitely recommend that you visit the restaurant on the top floor – the highest rooftop in the city, they say – for stunning 360 degree views of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and across the Bosphorus to Asia.

Some notes about opening times: The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays and some bank holidays. The Blue Mosque is closed periodically for prayer so make sure you check the exact times for the day you want to visit (you can enter the courtyard at any time and you’ll see the opening times for entering the building written on a board).

Ice, Ice, Baby: Visiting Iceland in winter

19 February, 2016 By Anna S E Lundberg Leave a Comment

I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland. The language is reminiscent not just of the Norse of my Viking ancestors but also, I think, of elves. I probably imagined going in summer, but the opportunity arose to go with my friend Annie in January and I couldn’t say no. Of course, it would be dark – the shortest day, on the winter solstice, sees the sun rise for less than four hours – but that can be pretty special too.

Although it’s included within Europe, it feels quite far off, and even starts to approach the US – Reykjavik is three hours away from London and just under six from New York. In fact, Iceland sits on the boundary between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans as well as between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. It’s a volcanic island that is also a hot spot, where high heat causes rock to melt and become magma, which erupts and results in chains of volcanoes, also seen in the Hawaiian islands. The fabulously named Eyjafjallajökull of course famously erupted in 2010, causing huge clouds of ash, which disrupted air travel in the region for a week. Iceland is part of the mid-Atlantic ridge, which is otherwise mostly under water. Since the island is relatively young in geological terms, there’s no coal or oil and so Iceland has in effect been “forced” to go green, with 25% of its electricity generated from six geothermal plants and 75% from hydroelectric dams.

Watch my little video of our Icelandic adventures to get you in the frozen mood:

Reykjavik is the world’s northernmost capital and in fact sits on the North American plate. Around two-thirds of the country’s population live in the capital region, about half of whom live in the city itself. It’s thought to be the site of the first settlement in the 9th century. There’s an all-pervasive eggy smell because of the sulphur, but I suppose you soon get used to it if you live there!

We had considered renting a car but the idea of two girls driving around in the cold and dark didn’t really appeal so we agreed to book onto a couple of tours. The most popular and classic route for tourists is the Golden Circle, which takes you from Reykjavik into central Iceland to visit the waterfalls Faxi and Gullfoss, the geysers of Haukadalur, and the national park Þingvellir (anglicised Thingvellir). All the scenes in my little video are from this tour.

Of course, another appeal of going so close to the Arctic Circle in winter is a chance to see the magical Northern Lights. I had always said that I would never recommend a tour that “just” chases the aurora, as it’s just too disappointing in the quite likely event that you don’t see them. Since it’s hard to see them in the city, though, and I wasn’t about to drive out into the darkness, we did choose to do a tour and, alas, saw very little of the lights. We did, however, drive around in the freezing cold for six hours, coming back at 1am, so that was an adventure in itself. Oh and they gave us hot chocolate and vodka as consolation.

The final “must-do” in Reykjavik is to visit the Blue Lagoon. This is a geothermal spa, “one of the 25 wonders of the world” according to the website. This was an amazing experience, very unusual and very relaxing… but I have to say that the logistics of it all were terrible. Despite having pre-booked our tickets (a must as this really is very popular), we still had to queue outside in the cold and then the tiny changing rooms were pure chaos. Luckily all that was forgotten as we relaxed into the hot water and drank our prosecco. It’s a tough life…

Reykjavik

The Sun Voyager sculpture, Sólfarið, is not a Viking ship but “a dream boat and ode to the sun” (according to Wikipedia and other tourist sites).

Our airbnb host had actually photographed the Harpa Concert Hall to celebrate the opening in a beautiful book he showed us when we arrived. It houses the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera.

Reykjavik Harbour — If it’s the same as in Swedish, “stig i” means “step in”. Err no, thanks, I’d rather not… The harbour was full of fishing boats and tour boats to take you out for whale watching during the day or Northern lights chasing at night.

View from the clock tower — The view through the clock tower of the Hallgrimskirkja, a modern cathedral built in the 1980s

The Golden Circle

Sunrise — I didn’t know where to look as the sun rose over the snowy landscape on the morning of our Golden Circle tour.

Princess Anna — Do you wanna build a snowman?

Faxi waterfall on the Tungufljót River, which is a popular place for kayaking. Maybe next time!

Photographers at Faxi waterfall — …and the paparazzi trying to get that perfect shot.

The even more impressive Gullfoss Waterfall. Following failed attempts to use it to generate electricity, the waterfall is now protected by the state. It was COLD up here.

In front of Gullfoss Waterfall — Windswept and frozen but still smiling as we pose by the Gullfoss Waterfall in as many layers as we could find.

Strokkur geyser — The original geyser, Geysir, is dormant, but its active little brother Stokkur is a popular tourist attraction. Talk about watching the pot boil…

Bench in the snow — Fancy a bit of a rest? I jest, but on the way back we saw a couple sitting there. Brr!

The small Icelandic horses are descended from ponies brought to Iceland by Norse settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries. You can do horseback riding tours around the country.

Thingvellir National Park — Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park encompasses a rift valley that separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, marking the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It also contains the site of the Alþingi (Althing), the original Icelandic Parliament, which met here from the 10th century through to the 18th.

Rocky wall — I felt like I was walking through the set of Game of Thrones. Winter is definitely coming…

The Northern Lights

Well, look carefully at the sky above the mountain and you can see the hint of something green!

The Blue Lagoon

The Practical Bit

Flights: We flew with Iceland Air at £150 for a return. Although the flights were quite cheap, you still need to budget for the expensive restaurants and any tours that you’ll want to do.

Buses: Take the Flybus shuttle from the airport to the Reykjavik bus terminal, and add on the Flybus+ if you want to be taken on to your hotel from there.

Hallgrimskirkja: I definitely recommend visiting this church. Admission to the tower costs 900 ISK (100 ISK for children) and gives you a 360 view of the city and beyond.

Golden Circle Tour: We went with GeoIceland. It was a small bus group and the driver and guide was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable.

Northern Lights Tour: For the Northern lights, I had the idea that it would be better to go in a small group, to really be able to enjoy the aurora and to take my time photographing them with my tripod. We therefore chose to go with SuperJeep, sharing the car with a lovely American couple. With hindsight, since there is a big chance that you won’t see them at all, it might be better to go for a cheaper bus tour after all! In theory if you don’t see them then they will take you out again the next night – that’s why you should book the tour for one of the first days of your trip. In our case, however, the subsequent days all saw bad weather which meant that the tours were all cancelled.

Blue Lagoon: Book your tickets ahead on the Blue Lagoon site. There are a number of different ticket options available, we got “Comfort” for 55€ and this included a towel and a little sample product kit. Oh, and a drink from the in-lagoon bar! We took the Flybus shuttle from Reykjavik to the Blue Lagoon and then continued straight on to the airport (there is storage for your luggage at the spa) – you can also do it the other way, going to the Blue Lagoon on arrival and then continuing on to Reykjavik at the start of your stay.

Airbnb: We stayed in a gorgeous (and warm!) flat in the centre of Reykjavik. Use this link to book your stay here, or anywhere else in the world, and you’ll get a £14 discount.

Restaurants: I mentioned that the restaurants were expensive and we didn’t even make it to the top recommendations. The main street in Reykjavik is Laugavegur and it is full of cafés and restaurants. You can also head off onto the side streets. My favourite was Smakk Barinn, where “Icelandic tapas” was served in little jars. Another gorgeous one was Gló, a vegan-friendly restaurant serving healthy but delicious food. Of course, staying in an airbnb means that you can also cook at home.

My Top 10 in London: These are a few of my favourite things

15 September, 2015 By Anna S E Lundberg Leave a Comment

To celebrate having been in London (well, sort of) for two years now, I thought I’d collect the top ten favourite things that I’ve done in that time. Thank you to everyone who has been apart of it all!

1. Midnight matinee at The Globe

I spotted this earlier this year and booked two tickets right away. As the date drew closer, however, the idea of staying awake until midnight to then sit outside to watch Shakespeare, let alone staying awake until my first train home at 5am that morning, grew less and less appealing. My friend and I loaded up with fleeces and blankets and downed espresso martinis before the performance started – but we needn’t have worried. It was a fantastic experience, a warm night, and a fabulous cast performing my favourite play (Much Ado About Nothing)… I went to bed at 6am and woke up at 12.30pm fresh as a daisy! Top tip: espresso martinis, definitely, but also avoiding the standing tickets (I have no idea how people stayed upright all night) and instead going for seats on the back row as we did so that you have something to lean against.

The Globe (They ran three Midnight Matinees this year; you’ll probably need to wait until next summer to get tickets for the next one.)

2. The Royal Albert Hall

Another iconic location for culture in London that I’ve made the most of since living here: the Royal Albert Hall. My mum dragged me along to what turned out to be a memorable evening with French singer Charles Aznavour; we went to an evening of the Best of Broadway; and we saw a performance of Madam Butterfly with an absolutely fabulous set. Another new experience was to see films “live”, with the old film playing on a big screen but the music performed by the orchestra. West Side Story had me in tears even though I’ve never really liked that musical, while I even persuaded my dad to come along and watch Titanic. The famous Proms would be another one for the bucket list, I think.

Royal Albert Hall

3. Night-time kayak under Tower Bridge

This was an unusual Monday evening; it was a unique experience to see London from the water, and there were plenty of opportunities for selfies as we paddled under the bridge (the guide only getting a tiny bit annoyed at us for dawdling). We even stopped for fish and chips at an old pub, climbing out of our kayaks and up the fire escape to get inside. It’s best if you go with a friend as the kayaks are for two people and you’ll be spending the evening in each other’s company. In fact, why not go with a date? There were at least three new couples there on the evening that I went, two of them on surprise dates. Top tip for the men, though: at least tell the girl to change out of her work dress and heels!

Secret Adventures

4. Stand-up paddle boarding down the Thames

My first experience of paddle boarding (SUP) but definitely not my last. This has become popular in the last couple of years and it’s a great way to explore an area from the water. I was pretty wobbly when I started but the beginners among us soon got the hang of it enough to be able to paddle two full days down the Thames. Two of our group had already done the full length of the river “from source to sea”, while two more have done so since. I did some more paddling in Stockholm this summer and I’m going to be going down the Mississippi in a couple of weeks.

This weekend trip part of Dave Cornthwaite’s summer series, which is now over. If you’re lucky, he might do it again next year! If not, just google SUP in London and you’ll find plenty of providers.

5. Running in Hyde Park

How fabulous to be able to put on your running shoes and have the whole of London at your doorstep! Living in south London, I would run along the Thames past Big Ben and the London Eye, turn and pass through Westminster and Knightsbridge and then run around Hyde Park. Yes, the tourists were a little bit annoying, but that comes with the territory of living in an awesome sightseeing destination. I could even run to Wholefoods and get the bus back home loaded with a bag full of healthy goodies. In addition to the running, I even joined a high-intensity bootcamp in Hyde Park, which had me doing burpees galore on an otherwise lazy Sunday. Although this one cost money, there’s so much free fitness available in a big city like London – I particularly recommend Project Awesome, which runs sessions every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.

Prestige Bootcamp
Project Awesome

6. Membership at the V&A

Having been to see the Hollywood Costume exhibition a few years ago, I bought membership plus guest at the Victoria & Albert Museum and got value for my money already in my first visit, going to three different paid exhibitions on one day. Over the past year, I’ve been to see Wedding Dresses 1775-2014, Constable: The Making of a Master, The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014, and most recently Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, as well as various permanent exhibitions. Another favourite has been the British Museum, where I’ve learned about the Vikings, Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum, and Beyond El Dorado: Power and Gold in Ancient Columbia. Aren’t I cultured?!

V&A Museum
British Museum

7. Lucia at St Paul’s

A traditional Swedish celebration on 13^th December, Saint Lucia is the day that we eat saffron buns and gingerbread. It’s also a day when both children and adults dress up as Lucia with candles in her hair, a train of maidens following her along with various other elves and gingerbread men, and sing Christmas carols. In 2013, my mum and I went to the celebration at St Paul’s and it was magical, the imposing cathedral filled with beautiful song enjoyed by a full audience that brought together Scandinavians from around the city. It’s something special to be experienced, even for all you non-Nordics!

St Paul’s Cathedral

8. Alice in Wonderland

This was like nothing I’ve done before. From choosing whether to “eat me” or “drink me”, we were allocated a card suit and then led in small groups through an interactive experience of the well-known story. The Mad Hatters’ Tea Party was a highlight, and I thought it was very clever when we got to the final court scene and found that each of the suits had had a different experience. We were the black clubs, the revolutionaries, while the spades had been eating the Queen’s tarts! And the reds were loyal to Her Majesty, who would have expected such royalism?! A fun evening made even better, I think, with some pre-theatre drinks to add to the hallucinogenic effect.

Although Alice has finished, the theatre group Les Enfants Terribles will be back next year. For a similar experience, try Secret Cinema or Punchdrunk.

9. Food and drink

Speaking of drinks, the other benefit of London that I’m particularly aware of after spending nine years in teeny tiny Geneva is the huge range of bars and restaurants available. I don’t think I’ve made the most of this at all, but there have been a few good ones: pre-Globe espresso martinis at Dion, of course; cocktails at the Experimental Cocktail Club in Soho; a three-course meal plus cocktails at the Ice Bar; cocktails and dinner at Mews (erm, I seem to have had a lot of cocktails this year!); and Venetian tapas at Polpo.

Dion
ECC
Ice Bar
Mews of Mayfair
Polpo

10. ….?

A complete list of ten feels too final, so I’m leaving the last one blank. What’s going to be that magical number 10 on the list? I already had plenty of suggestions last summer when I thought I would be leaving London, and I’ve yet to do all of these… Any more ideas?

Travelling Back in Time: Pompeii, Oplontis and Herculaneum

8 September, 2015 By Anna S E Lundberg Leave a Comment

Visiting the ruins of Pompeii was number #15 on my bucket list, so pretty high up and one of the first that I thought of when writing it (even though the list is not strictly speaking in order of priority). It’s also a place that my mum has long dreamed of visiting. We went to the exhibition at the British Museum two years ago and we were both thrilled to finally have the chance to visit the real thing together this year, using the advent of our 99th birthday together as an excuse. Pompeii is a unique place in the world, a place of story and legend, a place where a natural disaster had a devastating effect on a town and its people but where this has led to its preservation for us to look back on in modern times.

Pompeii is, of course, located on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius where land was fertile thanks to erupted lava from many centuries prior. As of the sixth century BC it came to be under Greek, Etruscan and, eventually, Roman rule. With about 20,000 inhabitants at its peak, the town was first hit by a big earthquake in 62 AD, and while reconstruction was still taking place on the town’s buildings it was wiped out in the space of 24 hours by the famous volcanic eruption in 79 AD. It’s thought that around 2,000 people died, although it’s impossible to know exactly, with many of the inhabitants having fled the city in the early phases of the eruption. The town was forgotten for centuries until excavation of a canal in the early 17^th century revealed the traces of an ancient city; it was only in the 18^th century that they were linked to the story of Pompeii.

Vesuvius from Naples — Vesuvius can be clearly seen across the Gulf of Naples, though giving no hint today of the destruction it wreaked on the area almost two millennia ago.

To get to Pompeii from Naples, we first looked at taking the Circumvesuviana train but the station was a 40-minute walk from our hotel while websites warned of stuffed carriages; we also considered group bus tours but these involved sitting on a bus for an hour while it picked up and later dropped off passengers from other hotels. Luckily I discovered a company that offered private tours at not much higher a price than those group tours, and we booked onto a day tour with a personal driver who would take us to Pompeii as well as to Herculaneum, another site hit by the eruption, and Vesuvius itself.

The next morning, a black Mercedes pulled up to the hotel and as we got into the car we entered the world of The Godfather. “Tony take care of you. Like family!” Our driver Tony, already known to me from the favourable Trip Advisor reviews, told us about the history of Naples as well as the modern-day city as we drove towards Pompeii (“People drive like donkeys here!”). They were building a new underground line and had discovered Roman ruins – “Wherever you dig in Naples, you find ruins.” Vesuvius is still active and might erupt again? “Not today, ladies.” *Phew!* Tony also advised us against the long trek to the peak of Vesuvius in the afternoon heat, instead recommending a visit to a third site, Oplontum.

Pompeii

My biggest impression of the ruins of Pompeii was the sheer size. It is a whole city, after all. There are city walls and meeting places, residential homes and bakeries, theatres and a big amphitheatre. The most popular place to visit now, if not then? The brothel! Erotic drawings were in fact discovered in many different locations and could not have been restricted to being only in the brothels, but this one was confirmed and had ten rooms and explicit paintings in each one. As we approached the brothel we somehow got swept up in a big group, ushered in by the German tour guide who explained what we were seeing on the walls: “bla bla bla anal sex bla bla bla”. Danke schön for the clarification!

The Temple of Jupiter (who was the king of the Roman gods) was the most important place of worship, situated at one end of the Forum. In the background, you can see Vesuvius.

Pompeii theatre — The large theatre in Pompeii, which would have been covered when it rained. Like Wimbledon!

Pompeii street — Stepping stones allowed pedestrians to cross the paved road without getting wet and dirty from the rainwater and sewage that might be flowing down the road. You can also see tracks in the roads, indentations from where wheels had worn down the stone.

Pompeii amphitheatre — This is me doing my very best impression of a gladiator inside the amphitheatre. Obvs.

Oplontis

As I said, Tony advised us against trying to get to the top of Vesuvius – in fact you’d need a four-wheel drive if you want to avoid doing a long, hot trek to the top, and even wandering around Pompeii in the heat was quite exhausting – and instead he took us to a suburb of Pompeii called Oplontis.

Today you can visit the Villa Poppaea, thought to have been home to the second wife of Emperor Nero. It was abandoned at the time of the eruption as it was being renovated following the earthquake of the previous decade.

Herculaneum

We finished our day tour at Herculaneum which, though less known than Pompeii, also suffered serious damage in the earthquake of 62 AD and was equally devastated by the eruption of 79 AD. The difference is that Herculaneum was hit by a flow of boiling mud (ash and dirt combining with river water) that solidified and created a hard crust on which a new city could be built. For this reason, only a small part of the town has been revealed and the rest remains hidden under the modern buildings of today. Pompeii, on the other hand, was covered by a relatively thin layer of material on which no new cities have been built. Herculaneum was a smaller town of maybe 5,000 inhabitants, a popular summer retreat for holidaying Romans. Its destruction came on the second day of Vesuvius’ eruption, when clouds of hot gas, ash and rock known as pyroclastic surges made their way across the town.

Herculaneum two-storey building — The second storey of a building, its wooden beams preserved by the clouds of ash that in fact created a protective shield over the organic matter and prevented it from being incinerated.

Herculaneum wine pricing — The price of wine outside a wine shop!

The House of Neptune and Amphitrite has some of the best preserved mosaics in Herculaneum.

Herculaneum skeletons — The 139 skeletons found inside the boathouses below the city of Herculaneum reveal how people had escaped down to the beaches but were finally killed, instantly, by a hot cloud of ash. Since the Romans would generally cremate their dead, these skeletons have been of great scientific and historic value in analysing a cross-section of the population of the time. (These must be reproductions, as the original skeletons were removed and preserved to make such analysis is possible.)

After a long day of exploring the ruins and imagining life, and death, almost 2,000 years ago, we were taken back to our hotel and handed a bag of pasta by Tony. Grazie! The next day, we added to our experience with a visit to the Museo archeologico Nazionale di Napoli; most of the mosaics, the statues, the jewellery and so on that were found in Pompeii and in the other sites have been removed, with many on display at the archeological museum. We bought two different books as well to learn more about the town and its people, which hold as much fascination now as ever.

Pizza in Naples — No trip to Naples is complete without a pizza. That’ll be #29 on my bucket list, then. TICK!

The practical bit:

Tour company: World Tours offers group tours as well as private tours of Pompeii, Vesuvius, the Amalfi Coast… Ask for Tony – he take care of you! Tony is not a guide, though, so once you’re at the ruins you’re on your own. We chose to use a combination of a map and an app; both were quite rubbish, so a guide might be advisable if you want to have a proper tour of the city and be able to ask questions! We spent three hours at Pompeii in the end, maybe 45 minutes at Oplontis and an hour and a half at Herculaneum. Tony also took us to a lovely little restaurant to regain our strength with a little pizza (of course!) at very reasonable prices.

Museum: The National Archeological Museum of Naples has a website that’s impossible to understand, it’s closed on Tuesdays, and the ice cream machine is a veritable Russian roulette of what you’ll get! But a visit is a good complement to exploring the ruins.