Wednesday, June 23, 2004
The secret cabinet
Before we left Naples, we wanted to check out one last place: the Archaeological Museum. We had only an hour or so to spend, so we first made a quick tour of colossal statues on the ground floor (these suckers were really huge!). Then we went on a detour to the "secret cabinet", a collection of erotic artifacts from antiquity. This exhibit was actually not that scandalous, but it was entertaining nonetheless. Overall, visiting the museum fulfilled my experience at Pompeii, because in my mind I could place the museum's artifacts in their proper setting.
Naples is grimier than Rome, but under its warts there is a lot to appreciate. At the least, it can be a launchpad for trips to Pompeii and Amalfi, which are not to be missed. Concerning Naples itself, I was most interested in its social aspect, especially immigration, and I hope to read more about this topic.
