Our next port was Naples, where we had signed up for a tour of Pompeii. The HAL Excursions Manager had some concerns about me going on this Excursion due to the bumpiness of the site, however after I told her that I had already been to Olympia in Greece, she was okay with it. Pompeii is not far from Naples, unlike other Excursions we have taken which have been an hour or more bus rides away. As we drove to Pompeii which was about 30 minutes away, we passed Mount Vesuvius and heard about the eruption which covered Pompeii and Heracleum. Pompeii was not as buried as Heracleum, which I did not know. Apparently Heracleum was buried twice as deep as Pompeii (about 8 feet). What an amazing experience Pompeii was! To walk the paths that people had walked so many decades ago and listen to the guide talk about how they did things like serve food from different “kitchens” and “bakeries” was amazing – it was almost like you were there! It was also very strange from an accessibility standpoint. Some parts were not accessible such as the roads with the huge chariot mounds in them and then all of a sudden we were at a house of a rich person which had a metal ramp installed to get into it, down to the stables and then at the exit – the house was completely accessible however getting up the curb to get to the “sidewalk” to get to the ramp was not! You know, pictures explain it WAY better – lets look at them! NOTE: There is a map of Pompeii at the bottom…
Leaving the Naples portLooking towards Sorrento in distancePassing Mount VesuviusChurch on a hillOld Mansion by tollwayWhere do you want to go? Pompeii please!Entrance to PompeiiThe long road to the ruinsSome purple along the way!Turn back time time when you walk through here!The “sports ground” area for gladiatorsAnother view of “sports ground” areaSports ground area with theatre in backgroundEmtramce to amphitheatreGladiator “rooms” – they were only 4 feet tall!View of brick wallInto smaller theatre areaSmaller theatre – not on mapStill a lot of seats!Outside in city of Pompeii – “street of shops”No, not off balance – going uphill!Lane to more cityLooking into homes from thousands of years ago!They had sidewalks! Road tough going…Typical lower class houseChariot bumps on roadHouse with “kitchen” to serve othersAnother family dwellingStreet viewArches still standingWater fountain in marble!More chariot carved stonesOld stairs up to houseOutside of housePreserved houseInside the houseOculus in roofPan where water drops and drains fromRooms with various artworkRooms with various artworkRooms with various artworkRooms with various artworkRooms with various artworkRooms with various artworkArtwork in courtyardCourtyard in houseAnother viewRoom with own oculus and draining plateDrawings and sculpturesScripting on ceilingMan and womanA fight sceneBeautiful tileworkEcavation workUncovering marble columnPaintings in room with museum piecesInteresting wall pattern!The stables for the houseDish display – in stables!Slaves room – two to a roomSlaves living room/managers officeWater sourceCommon StablesBakeryAnother store frontSecurity Guard!Main street PompeiiCross roads markerActually where roads crossEntrance to men’s bathsRoman baths – womans sideClose up of drawingsWalls of the Bath HouseA figurineThe aqueductCorner breaking downSome random columns on way to amphitheatreHouses of important people close to amphitheatreView from up top of gladiator fieldRomantic area… ha ha!The amphitheatre under restorationThe amphitheatre under restorationMore ruinsPoppies were everywhere!Mosaic entrance to a palace on way to forumEntrance to the “Forum”Different views of ForumDifferent views of ForumDifferent views of Forum – Mt. Vesuvius“Room” off the ForumSide walls of “room”Leaving Forum past Temple of VenusField of poppies!Last monument inside Pompeii gateCalm Mt. Vesuvius…Pompeii Museum – Artwork A taken from a wallArtwork A descriptionArtwork B taken from a wallArtwork B descriptionMore wall artworkExamples of coinsDifferent terra cotta artworkTops of columns foundHorse found dead in its tracksPeople in stone in position where they diedPeople in stone in position where they diedOn road outside of Pompeii wallsOn road outside of Pompeii wallsNow back at Naples portNaples by the seaBoat tto CapriCruise TerminalCastle on top of hill in NaplesInteresting building at portThis is a mosaic all tiny, tiny tiles!Cruise shop hall shoppingLeaving just before a rain stormMt. Vesuvius againLeaving portLast view of NaplesFerry coming inFerry waiting for us to leave (we were blocking channel)Lighthouse and seagulls
