Mt. Vesuvius

So naturally, after seeing the devastation caused by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, we had to see it for ourselves.

We rode a bus part of the way up Mt. Vesuvius. Those bus drivers have nerves of steel!

Garold has his stick and he's ready to hike.

We stopped along the way to enjoy the view and to catch our breath. It was about a mile to the top, with a steady slope of about 30 degrees.

The hiking poles were provided at the beginning of the trail, but when we turned them in a small "donation" was requested.

Here are some photos of the inside of the crater. It was still smoking! Yikes!

Our second visit to Pompeii

After visiting the museum in Naples where we saw a miniature reproduction of Pompeii, we realized we had missed a lot. So we went back for a second look.

Here's one poor fellow who seemed resigned to his fate. The hot lava covered him and then dried to the shape of his body where it lay undisturbed for so many years. Then, when the site was excavated, they poured plaster into the hollow form to preserve his shape.










Here's another example of Italian ingenuity. Many of the homes in Pompeii had an open area in the center of their roof, with a pool or bath located directly beneath. They collected rain water and perhaps they used it as a bath.

Italians were great engineers. This room was a public bathroom. Around the walls were the seats (the supports are still there), refuse went into the ditches and then flowed out the sewer (arched opening) in the back right hand corner.





They also had public bath houses in Pompeii.

This is a large nail we saw inside the public bath.

Garold clowning around at the House of the Fawn.

Our first visit to Pompeii

Sunday morning, October 5, we had our last cappuccino at our favorite little bar in Rome, then walked to Roma Termini and took the train to Pompeii. Unfortunately we took the train to Pompeii Scavi, which was about a mile from our B & B. There was not a local bus to take us the rest of the way. Our host, Antonio, was nice enough to come pick us up, but his car was not large enough to transport both of us and our luggage, so he had to make two trips.

This is our bedroom at Certi Notti, Via Nolana 128n, Pompeii. There was a separate sitting room with a small refrigerator and a terrace off the bedroom. It was one of the nicest rooms we stayed in, and a nice breakfast was provided by the owner's wife each morning.




Here's Garold standing in a street in Pompeii -- obviously a well-travelled one, from the looks of the wagon ruts left in the cobblestones! Pompeii was destroyed by an eruption from Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Vesuvius is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. It has erupted repeatedly since 79 A.D., and there are currently 3,000,000 people living close to it.
And countless tourists visit it each day. Here I am walking down a cobblestone street in the ancient city of Pompeii.

The large stones in the middle of the street kept wagons in their lanes.

They had bars in Pompeii where people could stop by for a bite to eat, or perhaps to get take out for dinner. The holes in the counter held large pots of food and drink.

Perhaps they used pots like these.

High curbs probably kept pedestrians out of harm's way.

This wagon was one of the few wooden artifacts to survive Vesuvius.

Herculenium

Herculenium was a small town on the west coast of Italy that was buried under 50 feet of lava, mud and ash in August of 79 A.D. For a long time it was believed that the inhabitants of Herculenium had escaped death, but in 1981 skeletal remains were discovered, huddled together on the beach.

So we took another day trip from our B & B in Pompeii to see the ruins in Herculenium. The residents here suffered a similar fate to those in Pompeii, but the destruction was not quite so complete.



There remain a few scorched wooden beams among the stone ruins in Herculenium.

The walkway into the site provides an overview of the excavated city.

A grove of lemon trees appears to be thriving in the volcanic soil.

Garold stands inside a bar in Herculenium. In Italy a bar is still a place to stop for a quick bite to eat. Perhaps an espresso and a dolce (sweet), or a panini (sandwich).

Here again are the holes in the counter that held large pots of food. Perhaps they had roasted chestnuts instead of peanuts.

This appears to be a shrine inside a private home.

Naples

We took a short ride on the Circumvesuviana Train from Pompeii to Naples. This is one of the busiest cities in Italy. The pace was so hectic we were glad it was just a day trip.

The Naples Museum holds many artifacts from Pompeii and Rome. This miniature replica of Pompeii made us realize how large it actually was. No wonder we got lost on our first visit!









The couple portrayed in this fresco may have lived in Pompeii before Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D.

Perhaps they used baking pans like these to prepare their food. The one at the top left of the display was apparently for cooking a rabbit! Some of the others bear a strong resemblance to the ones we use today.

The pitchers they used were both beautiful and functional.

They may have had a fresco like this one on the walls of their home. (Instead of wallpaper!)

Castel Sant'Angelo

Here I am on the bridge over the Tiber River, on the way to see Castel Sant'Angelo.

This is a view of the Tiber and one of its arched stone bridges.

Castel Sant'Angelo was originally built as a tomb for Emperor Hadrian.

Because the view was so spectacular, we paid 24 Euros (about $32) for two cappuccinos and one panini! In Italy you pay more if you sit down than if you eat standing up.

You must see the Borghese Gallery

Of course, we visited the Borghese Gallery while we were in Rome. They have a nice collection of art that reflects the Roman way of life.

Garold was striking a pose like Augustus Caesar.

They carved their sarcophogi -- coffins -- out of stone.

They used tiny pieces of marble to create mosaics.

This stained glass shows how ancient Romans made their coins.

Apparently the Roman economy had some problems too, since Commodus enacted price control as early as 2 A.D. Unfortunately it did not work.