Journey to Pompeii

Saturday, 25 July

Today, we journeyed to Pompeii, a 2000 year old city that was astonishingly well preserved under a heap of volcanic lava. The volcano in question, Mt. Vesuvius, put its time capsule over the town in something like 79 AD. It was amazing the see the cobbled streets, walls, rooms, fountains, whole houses… from a civilization so long ago. What was especially mind blowing was how civilized these people really were. They had houses with kitchens and both a winter and summer dining room, they had gutters to collect rain and water their gardens, they had lead pipes that carried water through the town…. Incredible.

We saw bodies of the dead (actually, I’m not entirely convinced that they were the real bodies, but Jeff is), and particularly disturbing among them was the one praying, probably in the knowledge of imminent death. We saw pots and stoves and 2000 year old toilets (but we weren’t allowed to use them), and a lucky phallic statue that Pompeiians thought looked great on their doorstep. It was a city that seemed to go on for ages in every direction. I was awe-stricken.

Pizza again for lunch… could almost say that it was better than da Michelle… perhaps all pizza in Naples is the best in the world.