Pompeii

I greatly underestimated the amount of time needed for our visit to Pompeii. This site is HUGE, fascinating, and worth at least five hours of your time. We were only able to walk around for about three hours, and I feel like I missed so much.

The site gives you a snapshot of everyday life in an ancient Roman city. Walking down the street intersections and going in and out of nearly complete villas is one thing, but walking by the corner grocery stores and looking at the Roman graffiti on the walls really helps to visualize everyday Pompeii life.

If you are in the Naples or Sorrento area, this is a must-visit. I stayed three nights in the Naples old district, and I would never do it again. I'm sure there are some people that love Naples, but if you are going there to see a beautiful, clean old city - you won't find it. The city and all the old architecture are covered in colorful graffiti, and the streets are actually full of garbage and broken glass. I can see why some might like the city, but I would rather stay in a place where I don't have to watch where I am walking in my sandals for fear of stepping on broken beer bottles. I didn't have an opportunity to visit Sorrento, but I recommend staying there if you are looking for a home base location while you are visiting the ancient sites and the Amalfi coast.