Pompeii... the last great city

"Please wear good, comfortable walking shoes while visiting Pompeii."

- the guides are not kidding about this!

I remember my Mom talking about how struck she was in a state of wonderment when her and my dad went to Pompeii in late 2007. She explained in great detail how you were struck by its beauty, the vastness of the city the scale of something that was built so long ago. How you walk the streets and you remember the reason you are even in this fossilized city to begin with was because thousands of years ago a very BIG eruption happened which wiped out the entire population in a matter of minutes.

While I remember everything that Mom told me quite well, nothing, and I mean NOTHING, prepares you for what awaits you when you walk through the gates to Pompeii. The sure magnitude of the eruption is apparent from the first gate. The city, and all of the advances that it had, are on display for all mortals that walk through her gates. This place was intense.

Walking into one of the many main gates of Pompeii

Columns that didn't manage to stay upright

Sleeping dogs were everywhere!

Walking down a random street we found this mosaic

In front of my "new favorite" Mosaic. This changes about every 5 feet

Goddess Heather... you can send checks payable to:

My other "new favorite". I loved the Wolf.

After going off the beaten path we walked around to one of the many amphitheaters that  is located in Pompeii. They look small... but as I have found out walking around Pompeii, Naples, and even the Amalfi Coast, looks can DEFINITELY be deceiving!

Outside of one of the main Amphitheaters of Pompeii

Seating area

One of many temples to Dionysus

What the temple would have looked like if it weren't for that pesky volcano

The more we explored Pompeii the more I began to fall in love with it. While my affection was no where near as strong as Herculaneum I began to feel a certain affinity for all of those that lost so much in such a short period of time. The hopes, dreams, wishes all perished in an instant. Not being able to tell the boy down the street how much you love him. Yes, I know, I am dramatizing something that doesn't need to be dramatized, but I still wonder about what it was like.

Fresco- man speaking with woman and another man

Fresco or Advertisement... you decide

They still haven't bothered to dig any of this out

Advertisement. I heard it was something about a political slogan... but that tour guide could have been lying.

Inside a house. Yes, I would like this in my house when I am older, hence the picture. I am going to show some poor soul this picture and say COPY IT at ONCE.

Pumice stones that would have weighed down the roofs. No one knew these would spell out doom in only a few hours time

The outside door way of what was once, I imagine a grand estate.

Just hanging out in someone's garden

Early Venus... Botticelli did you rob us?

Another back garden. IT was my absolute favorite out of all of them. I am sure in early spring this place is beautiful

Working Vineyards... Pompeii makes their own wine... a little known fact

Leaf

One of what I would expect to be a small temple in the middle of the vineyards

GQ man in front of Pompeii's coliseum

Before the rain started

Plaque

Gladiator dogs! For the record, the white one won

Walking up to one of the other gates (western i think?)

Battle scene made of tiles.

The dog was still attached to his chain when the heat and gas hit him. He was eternally preserved in pain

The mule man. He was found next to his mule

Brothel, complete with sexual positions. Quick service.. like a McDonald's drive thru menu

Probably not the most comfortable beds in the entire world

For a grand total of about 5 1/2 hours we were in Pompeii. We were both exhausted by the time we left. And worst of all, we didn't even see everything that we wanted to!!! The train ride back was by far the most relaxing that we had had in a long time. I think it was mainly because we were SO relieved to just be off of our feet. Once back in Naples we opted to stay away from anything else that involved walking too far to dinner. Those of you who have seen the movie Eat, Pray, Love will know that when Julia Robert's character was in Naples they ate a pizza places called Da Michele's, we too ate there three time! I would like to state for the record however that I just saw this movie last week and therefore had no idea that they filmed there!

pizza hasn't tasted the same since

Devil pizza and a beer... LONG over due after our walk around Pompeii