POMPEII

Tom had to go to a meeting in Rome and so we decided to make a Roman holiday out of it. Rome is quite an amazing city. There are celebrated sites and ruins spread throughout the city. Can't turn around without seeing something historic or famous (or both). As always, the blogs go backwards so you should start 2 posts down, with Rome. This blog describes the last part of our time in Rome and our excursion to Pompeii. This is Tom and Diane in front of the Spanish Steps. There was a free opera concert going on with the audience sitting on the steps. The nightlife in Rome was vibrant. What fun.

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This is Diane in front of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. It was built in the 400's. Diane really enjoyed visiting the many churches in Rome during our visit. We visited here the morning before or trip to Pompeii.



Here is an image from inside. In many ways it reminded me of St. Peter's Basilica. Just much smaller (but also a 1000 years older). The alter was very elaborate, as was the ceiling and walls.



There were also several tombs of Pope's and dignitaries. This one was decorated with a skull and wings. Very interesting!



That evening we took the train to Pompeii. Almost missed the train out of Rome and then the transfer from Naples was also very close. Here in an image I took that first evening of a gate into Pompeii with Vesuvius looming in the background. Vesuvius is the volcano that destroyed and buried Pompeii almost 2000 years ago. Buried in ash, it was preserved through the ages. Pompeii was city of about 20,000 people. Walking the streets gives you get a real feeling for what the city was like before the eruption.



We were lucky to be visiting Pompeii with two Italian friends, Andrea and Cristina. They organized a wonderful overnight trip. Unforgettable.



We started by visiting the arena of Pompeii. It could hold about 20000 people. The entire population of the city. The woman with Diane is Maria, who was our guide for the tour.



In many places the original wall painting can be seen. This garden had a number of beautify art works on the walls.



The walls were painted in reds, yellows, and orange colors. Its amazing that these colors are almost 2000 years old.



Diane in one of the many restaurants lining the streets of Pompeii. They had elaborate counters and with basins built right in the counter to hold the served food. The ancient version of fast food. These restaurants were everywhere.



Here is a PG rated painting on the wall in a brothel.



Here is an image of the old Pompeii Forum. You can see how it was lined with elaborate buildings.



Here is one of the famous casts of Pompeii residents. As people died, they were covered with layers of ash. As the biological material degraded, it left a mold of the body. As the archeologists excavated, they would find these cavities, and fill them with concrete. Casts, such as this one revealed the position of the deceased. This person was clearly having a hard time breathing as they died.



This is an amazing cast of a dying dog. The cast is so accurate, it is possible to see the dogs collar. Clearly, this dog died a painful death. These casts clearly demonstrate the horror that hit the city when Vesuvius erupted.



This is a statue of Apollo in Apollo's temple located just off the forum.



This is the remains of the basilica near the forum.



This is an auditorium theater located near the center of Pompeii.



After we returned to Rome we were able to have one last gathering of friends in Rome for the meeting. When they asked if we wanted a large beer we didn't appreciate how large. But I'm not complaining. We saw many amazing things in Rome. Pieces of history that everyone knows but not everyone gets to see with their own eyes. An extraordinary experience that we will never forget. Fico (which means cool in Italian).