After waking up in Rome, eating an Italian breakfast, and loading onto the coach, we were off again. We stopped in Pompeii, an ancient Roman city in Naples known as The Forgotten City, and participated in a tour with a local tour guide. Pompeii is an ancient city that the eruption of a local volcano, Mount Vesuvius, destroyed in 79 AD. When Mount Vesuvius erupted, it covered the city and it’s people with multiple layers of ash and mud. The ash served as a protective barrier against the environment and kept the city very well restored, but buried. The city had been completely forgotten until it was rediscovered in 1738 by workers of King Naples who were clearing away mud. From that time, the city has been under excavation, and nearly the entire town has been unearthed.
Walking down the streets of Pompeii is absolutely unbelievable. Even though the city is now in ruins, it is still a recognizable town. Homes and shops run along beautifully designed cobble stone streets, which we walked down! Our local tour guide pointed out a building that had been used as a “take-out” restaurant! People of the town were able to walk up to the front window and purchase hot food to-go. The food, in the shop, was kept warm from the steam of hot water. Truly unforgettable! The town’s water system still works, and clean running water is at everyone’s disposal around the city.
Visible signs of the life that once occupied the city are everywhere. On the cobblestone streets, ruts are visible from where carts wore down the stone. In homes, murals are painted on walls, depicting scenes from everyday life. Numerous artifacts have been recovered and are on display. The most moving and startling displays in Pompeii are the people.
When Mount Vesuvius erupted, the ash killed the people before anything else could; they were all buried alive, frozen in time by the hot ash. When excavation of Pompeii revealed fully intact skeletons in volcanic deposits, archaeologists poured plaster into the deposits. Casts of the victims were produced by the plaster.
These casts are on display in Pompeii. I found viewing these remains very disturbing and upsetting. Not only were the bodies frozen in time, but also the emotion. Many of the victims are curled into balls, or covering their faces from the ash and smoke. It is truly unbelievable.
Along with the numerous homes and business, Pompeii had a large town square with numerous temples, monuments and an open-air market. The temples were to worship and honor the Gods. The open-air market is still very intact and presents a very clear picture of what shopping there may have been like.
Pompeii is an absolute treasure, and an unforgettable experience!!
After the incredible tour of Pompeii, we continued our drive to the Neapolitan Riviera, where we would stay 2 nights in Sorrento, Italy at the Central Park Hotel.
Once to the hotel, we had about an hour to get ready for the paid optional excursion, “Sorrento Flavors.” We all got ready, loaded onto the coach, and headed down the very steep hill our hotel was located on. Once in downtown Sorrento, Attila lead us to the restaurant for our dinner.
We sat outside, on a patio located across the street from the restaurant. Wine and water were unlimited at this dinner. The first course was served and included bruschetta and prosciutto. The second course was pasta, the third course was pizza, and finally for desert lemon panna cotta.
The food was “ok”. We were all very surprised that the main course was pizza! LOL We were expecting meat…but we were each served our own personal pizza! It was a beautiful night in Sorrento, Italy though, so I definitely do not have any complaints!
After dinner, we walked around Sorrento and enjoyed the incredible night view. Overlooking the Bay of Sorrento, there were firework shows off in the distance, in Naples. The moonlight glistened across the ocean, and it was again, just magical.
