Day 12: Rome, Naples & Pompeii
It’s Rich writing the blog today. Pompeii is one of my bucket list places to visit, and with it being only 2.5 hours by train from Rome, Cat was determined that we make it. It didn’t hurt that Neapolitan pizza is considered the world’s best pizza, and the route to Pompeii includes a train stop in Naples.
First stop…Tiburtina train station in Rome. Here is Cat’s first Italian cappuccino and a ham and cheese sandwich for breakfast.
Waiting for the train.
We made it to Napoli! Now to find the metro train and make our way to Pompeii.
It’s even more impressive than I could have imagined! This was all built in 200 BC! Except those trailers…I assume those are for the modern day workers.
When Vesuvius erupted, the city of Pompeii was instantly covered in hot ash, killing all of its inhabitants. When archaeologists came to excavate the site, they found that the ash had created molds of the victims. They were able to save the molds and fill them with plaster to create statues of the people in exactly the position, and location, that they were in when the ash fell. Here is one example of nearly 1100 molds that they have created. Only a few were on display, but the feeling you get when seeing them is eerie.
The baths of Pompeii.
Many of the fresco’s somehow survived the catastrophe, and they are still vibrant and beautiful.
It is a full city with plenty of dwellings for its inhabitants.
Incredible that they were able to create something so well thought out over 2200 years ago.
Everything, down to counter tops in the dwellings, are ornate.
The pot that you see in the counter is where the inhabitants stored food.
These cobblestone streets made for a pretty painful walk through the city.
The fresos are so colorful, even after all these years!
And finally, what Cat waited all day for…PIZZA! The guys next to us at this restaurant ate 1.5 pizzas each!
We couldn’t finish 2 between us.
The Pantheon. It is enormous and very impressive in person.
The fountain in the Pantheon Square.
Cat standing in front of the Pantheon’s door for a size reference.
Another full day of walking and site seeing. There is so much to do and so little time, but we are making quick work of getting through the sites. I still can’t believe we went to Pompeii today. It was more than I could have imagined.
Until tomorrow!
-Rich