Another of my debunked expectations was that Pompeii would be made up simply of the ruins and a few hotels, but it is in fact a fairly large, modern city, creating a huge contrast between the old and the new. Just outside the entrance to the somber ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage site that attracts over 2.5 million visitors a year, there is a street lined with gelaterias, neon signs and a succession of gaudy stalls selling maps, postcards, and what my Dad refers to as “touristy tut”. The tourist industry is obviously incredibly important for the city and those who live there, with stallholders who, having caught sight of our rucksacks, would